A GREAT Sankey family who made history when they challenged a law regarding disabled children’s benefits in the Supreme Court saw the law come into force on Wednesday thanks to their hard work.

Almost 1,000 families were affected each year by a rule that removed Disability Living Allowance (DLA) from disabled children under 18 if they spent 84 days or more in hospital.

Craig and Lynette Mathieson challenged the law after their son Cameron spent most of his life in Alder Hey Hospital with rare genetic conditions before his sad death aged five in 2012.

They argued that the DLA is vital for families with children in hospital because the costs associated with their child’s disability often increase.

Following years of legal battles, the Supreme Court finally ruled in favour of the Mathiesons.

The court said that the withdrawal of Cameron’s DLA while in hospital was unlawful and a breach of human rights.

Craig and Lynette Mathieson said: “It has been a long road getting to this point, but we are proud to now have this wonderful legacy for our beautiful boy.

“We are delighted and humbled that because of our little boy so many like him will now be treated fairly according to the reality of their situation.”

The law was also changed for 16 and 17-year-olds who receive Personal Independence Payments so that this benefit is not stopped while they are in hospital.

The change will help parents if their new-born baby is critically ill and stays in hospital for a long period of time.

Amanda Batten, CEO of charity Contact a Family, which led the campaign, said: “All this is an amazing legacy for Cameron Mathieson and means that hundreds of families with disabled and sick children in hospital will no longer be financially penalised at a time when they need help the most.

“The families we support describe DLA as life changing.

“DLA helps families meet the extra costs of having a disabled child and its withdrawal from children in hospital meant that many families in the most difficult of circumstances, were left in extreme financial hardship.”