DLA / AA Decision Maker - CLOSED - REFERENCE ONLY

peediedj

jetcat wrote: »

i know the dla unit advise that the average is roughly 11 weeks, and if nothing is heard by week 8 to give them a ring - which in your case would be the 18th Nov. From my experience, mine took 14 weeks earlier this year - and it was a very nerve-racking 14 weeks! HTH

thanks dont think its been helped by my son,s gp being on holiday for 2 weeks when they requested a report from him

Thanatos

somebody_else wrote: »

Sorry Thanatos, me again.

With regard to social activities and DLA - could you give some clue as to what social activities you would be looking at?

I've had conflicting advice in this respect - I've been told by 1 person that being unable to socialise isn't taken into account with regard to mobility and/or care needs, but on another occasion that it is.

There are numerous things that I can't do anymore because I need someone with me to enable me to do them. I haven't been on holiday for 3 years because the person who used to take me is these days otherwise engaged and I can't get myself to any destination more than 30 minutes drive away. I also can't go to the cinema or swimming, can't cope with large groups, noise, flashing lights etc, on my own.

Are any of these things taken into account, or is it really a case of if you can get yourself out of bed at some point during the day and can bung a pizza in the oven, you're not really in any kind of need?

Social activities do indeed count, and pretty much anything goes within reason.

For example, Going to church, Friday night bingo, cinema trips and so on.

If you need help with them, then they count. However, this needs to be within reason - someone claiming Higher rate mobility saying they need help with dry slope skiing on a Tuesday and rock climbing on Thursdays is unlikely to be believed!


Its a shame about this part of the criteria, as many people write in the space provided for social activities that they are too ill to have any hobbies, as far as i can tell they seem to think this will help their case, when in actual fact it makes it harded to make an award. If they say they dont do anything, we have to accept that. Whereas if they need help going to church on Sundays, and swimming twice a week (which helps keep them supple for example) then that is counted as additional help.

Thanatos

mac666 wrote: »

Thankyou for your reply. I was stressing abit. My son does not have a national insurance number yet as this is our first claim. I was told he would be given one if we were sucessful ( As this counts as his income).

Thankyou again

Mrs Mac

Sneakily, he does actually have a national Insurance number - all kids do, we just dont tell you what it is...

Thanatos

peediedj wrote: »

roughly how long does a renewal claim take/ got a aknowledgement that dla recived mine on 23rd sept,then 2 weeks later on 7th oct,got a letter saying they were waiting on a gp,s report

jetcat wrote: »

i know the dla unit advise that the average is roughly 11 weeks, and if nothing is heard by week 8 to give them a ring - which in your case would be the 18th Nov. From my experience, mine took 14 weeks earlier this year - and it was a very nerve-racking 14 weeks! HTH

Jetcat is right, but it pretty much depends on which section you fall under. Warbreck House (The DCPUs - Disability Processing Units) where all claims over 3 months old are processed nationwide was split geographically about 2 years ago.

Some Units are faster than others, due to processing difficulties, for example the Mota Sections have a huge amount of compulsory safeguarding (medical evidence gathering).

Thanatos

Thanatos has left the building....

I will not be able to answer any more queries until next Saturday (8th Novemebr) as I am on holiday.


Feel free to post and i can spend an hour or so when i get back sifting though any questions accululated while I have been away

somebody_else

Thanatos

Once again, thank you very much for the time you are taking in answering our questions. I'm sure I speak for many when I say it's very much appreciated.

I hope you have a very good and relaxing holiday, and come back feeling refreshed and raring to go when you return.

As for your response upthread, Snork! I'd love to know if anyone has tried claiming DLA 'cos they can't climb mountains like they used to. ;-)

:beer:

Thanatos

somebody_else wrote: »

Thanatos

Once again, thank you very much for the time you are taking in answering our questions. I'm sure I speak for many when I say it's very much appreciated.

I hope you have a very good and relaxing holiday, and come back feeling refreshed and raring to go when you return.

As for your response upthread, Snork! I'd love to know if anyone has tried claiming DLA 'cos they can't climb mountains like they used to. ;-)

:beer:

lol I could write a book on funny claims.

The simplist mistake is when people say they need help turning at night in bed, but also say they need help replacing covers that fall off multiple times a night... you kind of have to wonder if they are stuck lying flat on their backs, what make of duvet is it running around on top of them and jumping lemming like off the bed

But we have had everything from long distance runners to a guy trying to claim because he hurt his eye and couldnt play cricket any more...


Anyway, I was in the middle of packing! cya later all!

ikkle87

This is probably going to sound like a really stupid question but having filled in the DLA forms in twice and getting rejected both times now even though my Physiotherapist, Consultant and GP all think I should qualify for at least LR I thought I would ask, it is a bit embarrassing for me to talk about on an open forum though.

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and Depression, as well as the bone/joint problems the AS also affects my stomach and means that when I eat I get terrible stomach cramps, I also have very frequent bowel motions sometimes more than 6 or 7 times a day and when I need to go it's a mad dash for the bathroom, seeing as I have trouble walking anyway it means I can't travel anywhere without a toilet in close proximatey. Now I have never mentioned this on the forms, I guess I thought they wouldn't need to know as I can take myself to the toilet etc but is it worthwhile mentioning on the form as I am thinking of getting help filling a third and final form in.

mandy2008

i currently recieve DLA and recently my CPN nurse advised me to apply for AA which has baffled me a bit as im not sure you get both these benifits together, as i always thought of them as the same benifits, could you enlighten me please as to weather ive misunderstood my CPN and therefore entitled to DLA and AA at the same time.
why i get it is im profoundly deaf in both ears and wear hearing aids, i know this aint really a disability in itself to qualify for DLA? besides this because of the state of the disease thats caused the deafness its lead to minerese disease which has had a severe impact on my daily living, apart from the mineres its caused a distressing amount of anxiety to the point i cannot leave the home, and most days im incapable of standing up never mind being mobile to walk around the home, the fear of going out doors has effected me a great deal as ive almost been hit by traffic after stumbling onto the road due to the effects of the mineres.
ive got 3 children to care for and a single parent, i get help from alot of friends, but i rely on my eldest children all of the time and find this really distressing which does not help the diease at all.
ive been told to apply for young carers for the children, because of the amount of effort they put into care for me, i also see a CPN nurse because of the anxiety and panic attacks.
could you please enlighten me as to any help im infact entitled too as i dont like to ask, and im petrified social services get involved and find that im incapable of looking after my children alone.
as i stated i recieve a great deal of support from friends n relatives but this seems to be not enough as at night time i am always alone and thats when the situation seems to get worse with the symptoms of the mineres having tinnitus when everythings shut down and we are in bed the noises inside my head are more noticeable and profoundly hard to bear, ive got equipment via RNID to help cope with these but i find i do not have the time to use such equipment.
apart from being scared living in my home i feel really unsecure and vaulnarable to any attack or burglary.
please can u give me any sort of advise at all to help with this situation as i seem to find no way of escaping this hardship.

mcspanna

ikkle87 wrote: »

This is probably going to sound like a really stupid question but having filled in the DLA forms in twice and getting rejected both times now even though my Physiotherapist, Consultant and GP all think I should qualify for at least LR I thought I would ask, it is a bit embarrassing for me to talk about on an open forum though.

I have Ankylosing Spondylitis and Depression, as well as the bone/joint problems the AS also affects my stomach and means that when I eat I get terrible stomach cramps, I also have very frequent bowel motions sometimes more than 6 or 7 times a day and when I need to go it's a mad dash for the bathroom, seeing as I have trouble walking anyway it means I can't travel anywhere without a toilet in close proximatey. Now I have never mentioned this on the forms, I guess I thought they wouldn't need to know as I can take myself to the toilet etc but is it worthwhile mentioning on the form as I am thinking of getting help filling a third and final form in.

Hi ikkle,

As thanatos is away I'll try to help from my own experience. If you read back over some of the earlier messages in this post. Thanatos has talked about adding an extra sheet of paper to your application and in that sense I think it's important that the decision maker has all of the information about your condition in order for them to make a decision. Lots of people on this thread have had to fill in the DLA forms with embarrassing information so you are not alone (I can assure you that no one advertises your personal information to the rest of the world!).

I would think it's worth looking into getting some help with filling in the forms like you mention - have you been in touch with this organisation http://www.nass.co.uk/ I'm sure that if they can't help, they will know someone who can.

All the best,

mcspanna