We need a new computer

[KezT]

As it says in the title, our old laptop has completely given up working, so we need a new computer for the kids. went down to PC world today and we're looking at £400 plus, and there is no way I can find that money~ Not too keen on living with DS with no computer either tho!!!!

 

So I was wondering if anyone had any clever ideas of grants that might be available? We don't count as low enough income for the gov't scheme, as OH's pension is over £5k per year, and I earn £10k, so with tax credits we are well over the £16k max income. However, any grant that does a income/expenditure analysis is usually OK, as we have to pay the mortgage, school dinners and keep 6 people on that income!

 

Family find is the obvious one, but I can't apply until the end of July......

 

Are there any others out there that might help?

 

Our circumstances:

DS is diagnosed AS and gets DLA, has no social worker, currently on SA+ & Applying for a statement

OH is dx's loads and gets IB & DLA, has a SW who we very rarely see and gets direct payments towards home care costs.

I'm pregnant, and there are two NT kids, age 5 & 6

[baranigirl]

No idea about grants, we have always used a credit card or HP to get expensive stuff and our income is similar to yours with 6 in our family already

 

Have you asked on Freecycle anyone giving something away? Might not be brilliant but if it works thats all that matters xx

[cmuir]

Hi

 

I know that there is a family fund grant that may be available. However, my understanding is that there it can only be used for eg a washing machine/tumble dryer, for example, for a child that frequently wets the bed, a trampoline for a child that is hyperactive, driving lessons for the parent of a disabled child to make things easier. I'm not sure a computer/laptop would qualify (granted, I couldn't do without mine) as it may not be seen as a necessity as such. Is it possible to pay it up, eg, credit card - transfer the balance 0% interest for eg 15 months), etc?

 

Worth seeking advice from CAB.

 

Might be worth looking on gumtree.

 

Caroline.

Edited February 18, 2010 by cmuir

[chris54]

You say " for the kids" would this be a second household computer?

If so I cant think of anything that could help.

Even the promise "A computer for every child" would only be one per household.

 

Are you sure the one you have cannot be repaired, Have you had it looked at.

What about second hand computer, our local shop often has them for less than £150.

[call me jaded]

I've been looking in PC World this week and am horrified at the cost too!

 

I think you're talking about the Home Access grant. Does your OH get Guaranteed pension credit?

 

Full eligibility criteria:

 

Section One:

 

Are you a parent or guardian responsible for and living with a child…..

…who is in school years 3 to 9?

…who attends a state-maintained school in England full time**?

…who has not already had a computer from a Home Access Grant or similar programme, such as Computers for Pupils?

 

Section Two:

Do you receive at least one of the following?

• Free school meals for your child***

• Income based Jobseeker’s Allowance

• Income support

• Child Tax Credit but not Working Tax Credit and an income of less than £16,040

• Guaranteed Pension Credit (not Savings Credit)

• Income-based Employment Support Allowance

• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999

 

More here.

 

Will have a look for specific funders - there is an adult computer scheme coming along that might do it.

 

BTW if anyone else finds the Home Access info useful, can you 'name check' our group 'Parents in Touch' when they ask you how you heard about it - we're trying to establish what's called our 'reach' with BECTA so that they consider us as a partner organisation. Sent dozens of people in their direction already.

[dana]

Hi,

we applied for the Family Fund recently for a computer for my son (10 and has ASD) and we got it. In fact, they didn't give us money but sent the computer to our home. I would stromgly suggest you to try Family Fund. The only thing is that it takes ages until you get the answer (we waited more then 6 months!). You can download their application form online.

Good luck.

 

Danaxxx

[KezT]

Thanks all.

 

It is a second computer. I have one which I use for work (I am self employed) and I really can't have three kids mucking around on it, so they have always had their own.

 

the old one was ancient, it's not so much died as become completely unable to keep up with modern IT usage - almost every website crashes it, it won't play half the CD games they have, and it is so slow that even dial up seems speedy!

 

OH does not get pension credit - he is retired on health grounds and has a company pension, not the state one for another couple of decades;)

 

I know the Family fund will buy us a computer - but as I said, I can not apply until the end of July, and then it will be months before we get it. I'm feeling a bit scared of 6-9 months without computer for DS.

 

I guess it will have to go onto the credit card. Unfortunately, we've just bought a car on that, and I was hoping to pay a bit of that off before wacking another few hundred on top:( Ho hum.

 

Thought it was worth asking in case i had missed any other opportunities. OH has been looking at some refurb'd 2nd hand desk tops which seem much more reasonable price (comparitively), so hopefully we can keep costs down to only a couple of hundred.

Edited February 18, 2010 by KezT

[Mumble]

Could your work help you out with the cost of a new computer (maybe an interest free loan or something where they take a bit each month directly from your pay) and your current work computer becomes the children's computer?

 

If you want to look into grants from charities, I found a good website recently as I'm doing the same for some things I need. In some cases you can apply to say two or three and between them they will fund more expensive items. The website allows you to search for charities offering the funding you seek - just keep an eye on the 'results' number because if you are too specific it drops to '0' and you have to go back and start again. You do have to register, but it's free and seems fine - I haven't had any emails or anything other than to say I was registered, it just let me use the site:

 

Turn2us access to benefits and grants

 

[baddad]

Hi Kez -

 

presumably you just need a base unit, as you'll already have the monitor etc?

If you look at all the major 'sheds' (pc world, comet, dixons etc) you'' find they all sell almost new refurb units with a full warranty etc.. You could pick up a very reasonably spec'd unit for around £200.00, probably running vista or maybe even windows 7.

If your son gets DLA you can probably cover it with that in a month or so(?)

Another alternative would be to buy one on a 'pay in 12 months time' offer and save his DLA until you can settle in cash(?)

Refurbs are generally very reliable (as new, really) from these kinds of sources, but you could also consider a local shop too for a second hand unit, as Chris 54 suggested. Without the monitor etc you could probably knock the 'fifty' off the £150 chris suggested and still end up with something running XP that was better than your old one. That said, as far as games go the older the game and the newer the O/S the less likely it is to work... If their games are knocking opn a bit that's a good reason for sticking to second hand, but if they play newer games go for a refurb that'll generally have been manufactured within the last 6 months or so...

 

Hope that helps

 

BD

[call me jaded]

Could your work help you out with the cost of a new computer (maybe an interest free loan or something where they take a bit each month directly from your pay) and your current work computer becomes the children's computer?

 

If you want to look into grants from charities, I found a good website recently as I'm doing the same for some things I need. In some cases you can apply to say two or three and between them they will fund more expensive items. The website allows you to search for charities offering the funding you seek - just keep an eye on the 'results' number because if you are too specific it drops to '0' and you have to go back and start again. You do have to register, but it's free and seems fine - I haven't had any emails or anything other than to say I was registered, it just let me use the site:

 

Turn2us access to benefits and grants

 

Use turn2us a LOT. Very good site. The benefits checker is excellent.

 

[mossgrove]

It all depends on what you want to do with it.

 

Assuming you can live with the keyboard and monitor you have, and you don't need to play the very latest and greatest games you can buy an ex-corporate base unit on eBay for around 40 punds delivered, or you can get a full system with a 15" flat screen monitor for about 100 pounds or so including carriage.

 

This one below is a random example, I have no knowledge of the seller but it gives you an idea what is possible on a limited budget.

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/PENTIUM-4-DESKTOP-CO...=item414cbeac51

 

 

 

Simon

Edited February 18, 2010 by mossgrove

[Mandapanda]

Hi,

we applied for the Family Fund recently for a computer for my son (10 and has ASD) and we got it. In fact, they didn't give us money but sent the computer to our home. I would stromgly suggest you to try Family Fund. The only thing is that it takes ages until you get the answer (we waited more then 6 months!). You can download their application form online.

Good luck.

 

Danaxxx

 

My friend also got a computer and a trampoline from the Family Fund for her son with Asperger's. I didn't feel she had to wait too long, maybe depends on the area and how many people they've got available.

 

Why can't you apply till the end of July?

Edited February 19, 2010 by Mandapanda

[chris54]

Assuming you have done all the usual house keeping and the computer is mechanically sound, the problem is likely to be that the ram memory is to small to run the programs you want it to do and it is having to borrow memory from the hard drive or a slow, by today's standers, processor, or both. Both of these can be fixed by getting upgrades on your existing computer.

 

Maybe worth seeing what it would cost.

 

If you have different accounts on you computer for each person who uses it then they, the other users cant get into you programs and so there is no problem sharing a computer. As long as you have a good firewall, that is.

 

That's what we do. Also it has the effect of limiting time available. In our house, my wife gets first crack, for her research use, then the rest of use trade off for time left.

[LoubyLou]

I wonder if there's anything in your area similar to what we have here. There's a local charity (ReCOM) that refurbishes old computers, mostly from companies who've upgraded, and resells them for very low cost. You have to apply to them saying why it's needed, but I'm sure when you explain, a scheme like that will be happy to provide (this is what we did a few years ago - we paid £80 & it was a really good one, for base unit with monitor, keyboard, mouse etc). Your local library, council or CAB should know whether there's anything similar in your area. Freecycle?

 

I'm sorry I don't believe in credit cards (having once worked in a credit company & seeing the rip-off/con it was) except in an absolute emergency, as it means paying so much more in the long-run & adds to the stress, but then I was brought up with beautiful second-hand furniture & I think we have a bargain-hunting gene!

 

I really hope you get one sorted out soon - anyway it's good for the children to be able to learn ICT, do their homework, research etc. I quite understand about not wanting to share it, I have a resident firewall/security expert-IT chappie here but still find that even with separate accounts, child on parent's PC can unwittingly cause havoc (until child becomes similarly expert, Aspeger's being v.useful in this respect!....which is another reason for the children to have one....!).

 

Wishing you All the Very Best with solving the computer issue.

[westie]

check out this site, havent read through full criteria but def. worth a look for you and maybe others who could be eligible (ASD does come under this charities remit, as does ADHD)

http://www.cerebra.org.uk/grants

 

They offer so many other things as well that are of great benefit to parents. Advice, speech therapy vouchers, will services, advice and info on ASD amongst other things.

 

They have a childrens corner for children with neurological conditions, and their siblings as well to join and play games, they even send them a magazine with puzzles etcm and even a birthday gift thats relevant to their interests! I am also doing their e learning course which is also great!

[KezT]

Thanks Westie - you're right I had no idea Cerebra worked with ASD children! It certainly looks like a good possibility:) Although like all these things, I guess it will take time.....

 

The old computer was a laptop, so no, I do not have monitor/keyboard etc, nor is it upgradable:(

 

Work can't help me as I am self employed mostly, and am on maternity leave from my employed work atm.

 

I can not apply to Family Fund until July because I had a grant off them last Spring for some stuff and they said I had to wait 18 months before applying for another;)

 

I too hate using the credit card. We have been trying really hard to get rid of all debts (other than the mortgage which will never be paid off I think), but then things keep happening! But I am very loathe to put more on to it.

 

At least we've made it through half term now, so I shall see how he settles back into school and try to save a bit of money - he does get low DLA, but it is currently more than used up in ongoing expenditure for him.

[westie]

good luck if you apply for the grant, hope you get it. Have a look round the site, Cerebra offer so many other things as well as the grants!

[westie]

good luck if you apply for the grant, hope you get it. Have a look round the site, Cerebra offer so many other things as well as the grants!