Have I messed up my Father in laws DLA claim?

asandwhen

My father in law (aged 59) is a severe alcoholic has been for many many years and his health has really deteriorated over the last couple of years. He lost his partner earlier this year and since then we have been caring for him.

He lived with his brother up untill last month and had a serious fall which ended up with a weeks stay in hospital - the fall was not due to alcohol directly. He is unable to walk much due to having severe dupuytren's contracture (which means that his toes have curled under his feet also his fingers a perminently curled aswell)

He has perminently damaged his brain due to the years of alcohol abuse and doesnt understand much of what goes on. He wont wash unless prompted He doesnt eat at all and weighs 6 stone. He doesnt get out of bed unless prompted. When we went to visit him a few months ago he wasn't even getting out of bed to go to the toilet!

We have managed to get him a flat closer to us and have taken over his finances to help try and rebuild his life (He thinks it is over and just wants to die). His doctor has been fantastic and saw him at his real lowest point and gave him energy shakes and food suppliments to help he told us to cut down on his alcohol from 6 cans of cider and a bottle of vodka to just 4 cans (which we have been sticking to like glue).

When going through his finances we discovered that he wasnt getting DLA so went to the CAB to help get the forms filled out. The Welfare advisor worked really hard getting down all the information and said that she thinks my FIL would be entitled to Higher rate mobility and middle rate care and sent the forms off. She said that she had an 80% success rate so we left quite happy (Beggining of June)

Today I recieved a call (was my details on his form to discuss the claim) from a decision maker stating that after 5 weeks they still had not had a reply from the GP and wanted to know if there was any other specialist or doctor that he saw. I advised her that there was not and that it was hard enought just to get my FIL to see his GP. She then went on to say that at this point he would not be awarded any DLA as she couldnt understand why he was even claiming. She asked "why he was being prescribed milkshakes for depression" after explaining that it was because he wont eat unless really pushed and that he was 6 stone she said that she would give the GP another week to reply otherwise she would make a decision without it. It seemed to me like she had made her mind up anyway.

I called the doctor and he appologised and said that he had been busy with flu ect ect but had filled in and sent the forms off today so hopefully they will get there in time. but I just cant help thinking that the decision maker has already made her mind up and I have blown it for him.

What do you guys think? I know its a bit of a moral dilemma I mean he has caused this himself with the drinking but then again alcoholism is an illness isnt it?

Me and my wife both work full time in quite demanding jobs and have a 2 year old child to fit in aswell as looking after my FIL so have alot on our plates this DLA would mean he can get meals on wheels delivered everyday and perhaps an extra carer.

soolin

Many conditions can be related back to something that the individual has done, but DLA should be covering the physical and mental results and not judging how they were caused. You have quite correctly claimed for DLA due to your FIL's actual ability, that is what DLA is for.

If the assessors started making moral judgements then maybe anyone who has cancer due to smoking and has a severe disibility should be excluded, what about people who have had a severe accident due to 'dangerous' sports it's just the same really.

If this claim is not successful then get help in appealing and get someone else to go through the forms with you.

munchings-n-crunchings

Hello asandwhen,

Sometimes with DLA, your success is down to how the Decision Maker views the information provided.
We can all read information, and pick up on different aspects, giving a different opinion.

I would mentally prepare yourself for requesting a reconsideration, the first step in an appeal process.
Did you keep a copy of the DLA claim pack?
If so, go through it, and try to clarify some points that have been raised, and give extra weight to aspects like the mobility issues.
At this point, a different Decision maker will have a look at the claim, so in providing additional information, your FIL's condition will become clearer.

It maybe, that the GP's report, arrives there, and answers all the questions that the DWP raised.
But, you yourself would probably feel better, by being pro active, until you have an answer either way.

This link may be of use to you. It is the information that the DWP access to give them a view of medical conditions. By reading it, you may have additional things to consider, and relate them to your FIL. Check on all the extra links on the left hand side.
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/medical/med_conditions/major/alcohol/

Good luck,

Munchie

mealone

asandwhen wrote: »

My father in law (aged 59) is a severe alcoholic has been for many many years and his health has really deteriorated over the last couple of years. He lost his partner earlier this year and since then we have been caring for him.

He lived with his brother up untill last month and had a serious fall which ended up with a weeks stay in hospital - the fall was not due to alcohol directly. He is unable to walk much due to having severe dupuytren's contracture (which means that his toes have curled under his feet also his fingers a perminently curled aswell)

He has perminently damaged his brain due to the years of alcohol abuse and doesnt understand much of what goes on. He wont wash unless prompted He doesnt eat at all and weighs 6 stone. He doesnt get out of bed unless prompted. When we went to visit him a few months ago he wasn't even getting out of bed to go to the toilet!

We have managed to get him a flat closer to us and have taken over his finances to help try and rebuild his life (He thinks it is over and just wants to die). His doctor has been fantastic and saw him at his real lowest point and gave him energy shakes and food suppliments to help he told us to cut down on his alcohol from 6 cans of cider and a bottle of vodka to just 4 cans (which we have been sticking to like glue).

When going through his finances we discovered that he wasnt getting DLA so went to the CAB to help get the forms filled out. The Welfare advisor worked really hard getting down all the information and said that she thinks my FIL would be entitled to Higher rate mobility and middle rate care and sent the forms off. She said that she had an 80% success rate so we left quite happy (Beggining of June)

Today I recieved a call (was my details on his form to discuss the claim) from a decision maker stating that after 5 weeks they still had not had a reply from the GP and wanted to know if there was any other specialist or doctor that he saw. I advised her that there was not and that it was hard enought just to get my FIL to see his GP. She then went on to say that at this point he would not be awarded any DLA as she couldnt understand why he was even claiming. She asked "why he was being prescribed milkshakes for depression" after explaining that it was because he wont eat unless really pushed and that he was 6 stone she said that she would give the GP another week to reply otherwise she would make a decision without it. It seemed to me like she had made her mind up anyway.

I called the doctor and he appologised and said that he had been busy with flu ect ect but had filled in and sent the forms off today so hopefully they will get there in time. but I just cant help thinking that the decision maker has already made her mind up and I have blown it for him.

What do you guys think? I know its a bit of a moral dilemma I mean he has caused this himself with the drinking but then again alcoholism is an illness isnt it?

Me and my wife both work full time in quite demanding jobs and have a 2 year old child to fit in aswell as looking after my FIL so have alot on our plates this DLA would mean he can get meals on wheels delivered everyday and perhaps an extra carer.

The advice you have been given is good and I just wanted to add that my dad was an alcholic and it hurts, not just your partner but the family unit as well so please look out for each other.

My dad was in the army, thats what caused his alcholism and we had treatment after treatment for him over the years until he died 2 years ago and an alcholics sudden death is terrible so I hope you never witness it.

People always believe that alcoholic death is slow and it isnt, I looked it up in my shock and its 50/50 depending on where you look, my dad was well till 6 hours before he died, well as "well" as a alcoholic of 50 years after starting to drink is and if you find your FIL collapsed keep the kid/s away. Hypothermia is common when the systems had enough and the system cant fight it, even in ICU for the last 5 hours is to say goodbye.

I truely hope you never see any alcholic death, alcholism isnt the way that most people percieve it, nor is it a down and out illness, just look at 2 bottles of wine a night brigade there is now, "we need to unwind" is the start of the slippery slope and add it major trauma then BAM! another statistic.

Good luck and post again if hes turned down for DLA, he needs basic* care at least a double low and add in his physical needs you should get more, for basic* needs it is possible to get HRC/LRM so keep going.

* I am using basic as in needs prompting, keeping safe, clean and unharmed, needs feeding and all other basic needs.

sorry writeing this has wiped me out, goodnight.

black_paw

all i can say ,, maybe bit late to get back to the doctor , see CAB for help , maybe they could delay the situation for you , or wait and see then appeal . fingers crossed for you

lilwatchergirl

Remember that you can appeal any decision. So if you are concerned that, for example, medical information didn't reach the decision-maker in time for it to be taken into account, you can sumbit that evidence at appeal. For some people, appeals are much less stressful than the forms themselves, because explaining complex or unusual care and/or mobility needs in person can be easier than trying to do so on paper.

Best of luck with it all.

kazzah

Just a quick note here - it would have been MUCH easier to take the DLA form to the GP and ask him to complete the section at the back where it says the form can be completed by someone who knows you well - it does say a friend, relative, carer etc
BUT experience working with a disability support group has shown me that when a NON MEDICAL person completes this part, the claim is much more likely to be refused

ALWAYS try and ask the GP to complete it before you send the form off- it is much easier to do that than wait for the GP practice to complete a form sent to them by the DWP

Some Doctors WON'T sign the back of the form for you - as they don't get paid for doing that, however if the DWP SENDS them a form to complete they DO get paid for that..........

always try and get a medical signature before sending off the form