DLA Harder to get if you're young?

Lyndale

I've noticed a lot of younger, disabled people say they get odd looks and negativity from older generations and I just wondered if anyone had noticed that affecting DLA decisions?
I applied for DLA a number of times, the first time I was 20 and admittedly, my GP at the time was a waste of space who made it practically impossible for it to have been granted. However, in the report from the tribunal, they actually stated that they did not believe my claims that I was in pain because I didn't fidget in my wheelchair. (For the record, I'd been waiting for hours in the reception room and my body was locked in such a tight spasm, I was terrified to move at all because it was excruciating.) I applied again and again, with the CAB to help in the end but still no luck. My husband and I would sit in front of them and they would look down their noses at us and all say "No"
I kept trying although at points I did feel like giving up. After 10 years of "No" I thought they'd be most unlikely to change their minds. This most recent time, however, instead of taking my husband with me, I took my Aunt, dressed up in her most official suit. I answered their questions, then my aunt told them that she had actually SEEN me faint because I was in such pain. At that point they all looked a lot more serious and approved my claim.
I know DLA is hard to get anyway but surely it's not fair for them to just assume all young people are lying and say "No" without considering the evidence, like they would with someone more "fitting the mould"? (And I was a very quiet, subdued (boring) type. How would they treat a more extreme looking youngster?)

di3004

So sorry to hear of your years of agony both physically and mentally because of the undue distress this had also caused you.

I know what you mean.

My son has autism and needs help with everything and watching over all the time, and DLA refused a few times, but 10 years.......:eek:, that is a very long time you were trying, its just so wrong isn't it?

Eventually my son was awarded, but what a nightmare.

All the best to you and well done to your aunt.:T;)

Di
X

Doom_and_Gloom

I really hope it wasn't the age factor! I understand in a way that it could be as I've had pain and problems with my back since I was about 12 and it took them till I was 19 (not long ago as I am now 20) to be sent to find out why (I have diastematomyelia :eek:) :mad:. It's finally got so bad that I need a walking stick to walk as well as a person for help if outside (I can fall to the ground without a moments notice which is painful but I do find it somewhat funny :rotfl:) so my ma is talking me into applying for DLA .

I am a more 'extreme' type and have facial (sp?) peircings, a tattoo, have 'crazy' colours in my hair at different times like blue/purple/red etc. I do hope that they take my claim and condition when I do it as it is and not by my 'look' if I have to appeal as that is wrong! I already have to endure strange looks when out when walking with my walking stick and leaning on my partner incase I fall to the floor by people who don't know me due to my age and the way I look. I do not need people from the DLA then saying 'oh no you don't qualify due to your age' after all the pain, problems and now the ridicule I am receiving from people who don't even know me :mad:.

I'm glad you managed to obtain DLA Lyndale as you are obviously in need of it. I'm in shock that they didn't take you seriously and hope it wasn't your age that made them turn you down! It's a shame that due to a small percentage of fakers that the genuine get treated like liars when they need the help the most. I hope the pain isn't always as bad as fainting due to it and that it is more managable at least *hugs*.

foxxymynx

can empathise totally, my experience was similar

stressedaah30

i had no probs with my dla application. im 32 with ms i do get odd looks from older people when out with stick or in wheelchair

mealone

Well over half of child DLA claims fails to be continued into adult hood because the criteria change.

I was first awarded DLA at 23 without any problem at all, the first award was 2 years, as was the second again no problems and at 27 I was given a lifetime award, know known as a indefinate award without any problems.

di3004

Forgot to mention in my above post, when my son was finally awarded DLA he was 12, he was awarded High Rate Care and Low rate mobility, up until the day before his 18th birthday.

sfmedusa

I didn't have any problems with getting DLA on my first application, when I was 27. Granted, it was awarded for one or two years until this year and I had to go to appeal repeatedly, meaning that 6 out of every 12 months were taken up with applying, appealing and hanging about in between the two, but I got it.

I got awarded medium rate care and high rate mobility on an indefinite award earlier this year, at the age of 38, which is a final nail in the coffin of my idea of making a full recovery (I'd been fooling myself for a decade that I could regrow nerves in my arm that were removed in surgery) but it has been such a relief that I'm not going to have to go through the same 'competitive disability competition' that I'd been doing every year with applying and appealing.

I'd like to think that age really doesn't make a significant difference to acceptance rate, because disability isn't known for checking your birthday before hitting you.

KrazyKel

I first got DLA when i was 14/15, As far as i can remember i had high rate mobility (Unsure what care i had, if any) and had it for a few years, when i had to renew my claim i had to go to an appeal.
I got a bit better so my DLA was refused a few years later.

Its just got worse again over the past year, and was awarded High rate mobility and middle rate care in Jan backdated from Oct, but only got it for 1 year as my arthritis has got better/worse over the years.
Im just glad i got something for now, I finished uni a year ago and not well enough to work many hours a week at the moment - even though i really want to make use of my degree and get a nice job. - On the waiting list for physio so i hope that helps too, when i get it!!

Invasion

I'm 17, and had to appeal twice to get the award I wanted. First time I was told I was entitled to nothing, and they sent back a page of made up information, entirely different to what I'd put on my form, I appealed, and got LRC and LRM, appealed again to get HRM. I think they hoped I'd just give up, I wasn't able to apply when I first needed help, about a year before, as I was too ill and had no-one to help me- dad has severe depression and I didn't want to put that on him, mum gets very upset having to go through all my symptoms and how they affect me. I've got it till November 2010, so a 2 year award. In general, disability is seen as being limited to older people, and age seems to be taken into consideration as it suits them...

GlasweJen

I applied when I was 17, got it for a year no bother; applied again when it expired got it for 3 years no bother applied this year and got knocked back but then reinstated when asked for a review. I don't think it's an age thing it's how well you put your case across.