Son with epilepsy & eye problems can he get dla

charm1

hi, I was at my local doctors today and one of the nurses asked if i was getting any benefits for my son. I have never even thought about it until she said that.
Anyway I thought i would post on here for a bit of advice. my son is now 10, he has a cyst at the back of his eye so close to the optical nerve they wont operate due to a high risk of blindness occuring. he has had a few major ops to remove other parts of it, leaving his eye socket a lot larger than his other one. when he was 6 he started having prolonged absent seizures after 3 months the diagnosed epilepsy and prescribed medication, this did control his seizures, after a couple of seizure free years he was taking off medication. last september.
Around about feb/march time this year I was noticing a lot of changes in him his seemed to get confused and not able to explain things as well as he used to, often complaining of dizzeness and headaches i took him to docs numerous times just to be told to keep an eye on him, Anyway 2 weeks ago i got a phonecall from his school saying they had called an ambulance as he was having a seizure. needless to say it is not just a childhood epilepsy but more like a general one. he is back on medication but he is still getting mixed up and is so sleepy. even though he can do the basics i do have to attend to him a lot more, do you think it would be worth putting a dla claim. all advice will be greatly appreciated... many thanks.

charm1

charm1 wrote: »

hi, i was at my local doctors today and one of the nurses asked if i was getting any benefits for my son. I have never even thought about it until she said that.
Anyway i thought i would post on here for a bit of advice. My son is now 10, he has a cyst at the back of his eye so close to the optical nerve they wont operate due to a high risk of blindness occuring. He has had a few major ops to remove other parts of it, leaving his eye socket a lot larger than his other one. When he was 6 he started having prolonged absent seizures after 3 months the diagnosed epilepsy and prescribed medication, this did control his seizures, after a couple of seizure free years he was taking off medication. Last september.
Around about feb/march time this year i was noticing a lot of changes in him his seemed to get confused and not able to explain things as well as he used to, often complaining of dizzeness and headaches i took him to docs numerous times just to be told to keep an eye on him, anyway 2 weeks ago i got a phonecall from his school saying they had called an ambulance as he was having a seizure. Needless to say it is not just a childhood epilepsy but more like a general one. He is back on medication but he is still getting mixed up and is so sleepy. Even though he can do the basics i do have to attend to him a lot more, do you think it would be worth putting a dla claim. All advice will be greatly appreciated... Many thanks.

any advice anyone????

SuziQ

If you google DLA you will find lots of info about it. It is awarded on the basis of the amount of care the claimant needs,not on diagnosis. If your sons care need is significantly higher than another child his age,this has been the case for at least 3 months and is certain to continue then it's worth applying. Believe me the forms are not easy-download them and see! It's worth getting help from someone like a benefits rights advisor,CAB,schoolnurse/practice nurse or someone else who understands the terminology and how to answer the questions. Good luck.

charm1

thanks, i will download the form then ring the advice line a ring. your right it does not look easy to fill out at all........

connee01

Hi,

My 1 year old son receives Higher Rate DLA Care. He has a very complicated medical history and we were advised to submit a DLA claim. To be honest the dla paperwork is a nightmare and to improve your chances of receiving a favourable decision I would suggest getting advice before completing the form. A charity which supports children with my sons condition helped us to fill in the form and it was approved within a week and it has made a massive difference to our lives.

You should visit a website called yourable.com. Its a fantastic site and has a discussion forum where people can advice you on how best to proceed.

Good luck with your claim, please remember to seek expert advice as completing the paperwork on your own is very hard.

mealone

Your son can get DLA if he needs more care than another child his age or has mobility needs including needing some one with him outside to keep him safe.

Dont atempt to fill in the form on your own, seek help from CAB, DIAL or another reputable WR (welfare rights advisor).

Ask your sons school for a care/needs report to include with his application along with his statement (if he has one) and supporting information from everyone involved in your sons care.

good luck with youe sons treatment and his DLA application.