Contact — for Families with Disabled Children
Contact is the UK charity for families with disabled children. It supports parents and carers of children with any disability or additional need, from birth to 25, whether or not there is a diagnosis. Its free helpline advises on benefits, finances, education (SEN), services and entitlements — issues that frequently run alongside family court and children's services cases.
REVIEWED BY: Sean McNamara on 2026-08-31
What Contact is
Contact (formerly Contact a Family) is a registered UK charity based in London (50-52 Wharf Road, N1 7EU). It has supported families with disabled children for over 40 years, combining a national helpline and information service with parent-carer participation, workshops and campaigning.
advisers can help with:
- Getting a diagnosis and understanding medical information.
- Disability-related benefits (Disability Living Allowance for children, Universal Credit and related payments).
- Family finances, grants and sources of financial help.
- Special educational needs (SEN/EHCP processes).
- Local services and family support.
What help it offers
- A free helpline: 0808 808 3555, open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5pm (10.15am start on Tuesdays due to a team meeting; closed public holidays). Calls are free from UK landlines and mobiles.
- Helpline email: helpline@contact.org.uk, plus an online helpline enquiry form.
- Education advice line — press 1 on the helpline to reach an education adviser for SEN and EHCP questions.
- Listening Ear — free one-to-one telephone appointments for parent carers looking for emotional support.
- Family Finances call-back appointments for detailed benefit and money questions.
- Interpreter access via Language Line.
- Workshops, guides and local parent groups across the UK.
Important limits: Contact does not provide legal advice, cannot represent you in court or at tribunal, and cannot help with student enquiries. For SEN tribunal appeals you will usually need specialist education law help.
Contact details
- Website: https://contact.org.uk
- Helpline: 0808 808 3555 (Mon–Fri 9.30am–5pm; Tuesdays from 10.15am)
- Helpline email: helpline@contact.org.uk
- Contact page: https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/contact-us
How a self-representing parent can use Contact
1. Money questions in family cases. If your child is disabled, disability-related benefits affect budgets, means tests and household finances — Contact's advisers can explain what you may be entitled to before you complete a Form E, seek a variation of child maintenance, or apply for help with fees. 2. SEN and EHCP issues overlapping with family proceedings. School placement and EHCP problems often surface in child arrangements cases. Contact's education advisers can explain the SEN framework; for tribunal representation, ask them to signpost specialist help. 3. Caring capacity evidence. If a child's needs are relevant to what arrangements are workable, understanding the child's support needs — and the services available — helps you present realistic proposals to the court. 4. Emotional support. Book a Listening Ear appointment; parenting a disabled child through separation and litigation is a recognised strain, and support counts in your resilience. 5. Grants. Contact can point you to grant-giving charities, including Family Fund, for equipment and family items.
Useful links
- Contact homepage: https://contact.org.uk
- Contact us / helpline: https://contact.org.uk/about-contact/contact-us
This page is general information, not legal advice. Laws, procedures and contact details change — verify anything important against the official sources linked above before relying on it. Your Family Case is an independent directory listing; we take no referral fees and are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or receiving payment from any organisation listed.
Content verified against the official HMCTS court directory, gov.uk forms and fees pages, and the professional body registers (SRA, FMC, Bar Council). Last reviewed September 2026.