DLA / AA Decision Maker - CLOSED - REFERENCE ONLY

kevin_shaw

Hi

I am recieving DLA middle rate Care component and Lower rate Care Component because i suffer with Bi-polar, i was living in a hostel untill recently and had 24hr live in support, but i have now been given my own flat and will only have floating suppot, leaving myself to care and when needed to arrange transport to appointments, my question is how my change of circumstance will effect my entiltlement and what it the best way of dealing with the DLA team.

kevin

dmg24

kevin_shaw wrote: »

Hi

I am recieving DLA middle rate Care component and Lower rate Care Component because i suffer with Bi-polar, i was living in a hostel untill recently and had 24hr live in support, but i have now been given my own flat and will only have floating suppot, leaving myself to care and when needed to arrange transport to appointments, my question is how my change of circumstance will effect my entiltlement and what it the best way of dealing with the DLA team.

kevin

Hi Kevin,

Thanatos is not currently able to answer queries, so it may be worth starting a new thread.

However, as a brief answer, your DLA award is based on your care and mobility needs, not what care you actually receive. Therefore, unless your needs have increased or decreased, you do not need to notify them of any change (except the change in address).

patsy13

Dear Thanatos

please could you help my elderly mother has just been granted attendance allowance, she has been told that i could claim carers allowance do you know will this interfere with her pension and poll tax rebate and housing allowance if so she would panic

many thanks for your help
patsy

somebody_else

Sorry patsy, but Thanatos hasn't been around for a few days - he posted a short while ago to say that he'd got problems that would have to take priority for a while.

I think your best bet would be to phone the council and find out what (if any) effect you claiming CA would have on her benefits.

zzzLazyDaisy

Thanatos is taking a break.

There is a new DLA Queries thread

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=1320071

Sadly we don't have the inside knowledge that Thanatos has, but there are a few posters on the D&D board with quite a lot of experience of claiming DLA, so if you post there, we will try to answer your queries.

Hope this helps

Daisy

Paul_Varjak

Although Thanatos may be posting on here to help people, he may be treading on thin ice. I do not think DWP Decision Makers can give 'advice' on DWP claims.

His role as a Decision Maker is at conflict with the role he adopts on here as a Benefits' Adviser. Maybe that is why he is not posting on here now?

For all those voting for him on the Post of the Month tread - I think you may (inadvertantly) be causing him problems!

zzzLazyDaisy

Thanatos made it clear from the outset that he was not giving advice, but merely information. If you read the thread he has always qualified his comments.

As for the post of the month thread - Thanatos posted there himself to say that he wished to remove himself as he would not be able to accept.

I sincerely hope he has not placed himself in any difficulties in relation to his work, as he certainly never held himself out as a benefits adviser.

Paul_Varjak

If Thanatos did say he was only providing information (rather than advice) then he clearly knew that there were potential problems about posting on here. That is evidenced further about him posting saying he cannot accept any prize for the 'Post of the Month Award'

I don't doubt his sincerity in wanting to help, I just doubt his wisdom. And what you have written only supports what I say about him treading on thin ice!

Decision Makers are employed by the DWP but they should be 'impartial' in reaching decisions. By giving advice (or even 'information') they risk losing that impartiality.

Of course, many would say how can a Decision Maker be 'impartial' when it is the DWP who pays him? But it is a fact that the DWP can make them stop posting on here - and I am pretty sure that has happened in this case.

Thanatos

Paul_Varjak wrote: »

If Thanatos did say he was only providing information (rather than advice) then he clearly knew that there were potential problems about posting on here. That is evidenced further about him posting saying he cannot accept any prize for the 'Post of the Month Award'

I don't doubt his sincerity in wanting to help, I just doubt his wisdom. And what you have written only supports what I say about him treading on thin ice!

Decision Makers are employed by the DWP but they should be 'impartial' in reaching decisions. By giving advice (or even 'information') they risk losing that impartiality.

Of course, many would say how can a Decision Maker be 'impartial' when it is the DWP who pays him? But it is a fact that the DWP can make them stop posting on here - and I am pretty sure that has happened in this case.

Hallooo!

Rumours of my sacking have been greatly exaggerated!


Just to put people straight and to stop all you lovely people worrying about me - Its not work that has stopped me posting. In fact, my bosses, bosses, boss had a chat with me some time before I stopped posting just to advise me what was acceptable and unacceptable on posting to these forums. I was not told to stop by the department (in fact, when they worked out it was me, they were not overly concerned, just asked me to be cautious in what I said. They also didnt mention the post of the month thingy - that was my own decision )


The reason I stopped posting was purely personal, and hopefully is all sorted now. However, that said, I am afraid I wont be offering any more advise on the disability pages for which i am very sorry, but hopefully there are enough tips in this thread already that might help a few people out with filling in applications etc. I think Paul Varjak raised some good points about my impartiality, and that was kind of my thinking when people started nominating me for post of the month and stuff.

Good luck all - and I will see you all in the regular parts of the forum, trying to save me some cash!

davsidipp

thanatos.you like all dwp officers forget to state that virtually unable to walk is not the only criteria there is a second part.that is distance walked without being in pain.