Dla renewl

jox_2

Hi

My dla renewel forms should be here soon i have a few questions and concerns.

Im a terrible worryer i always think the worst

Do they treat the renewal as a new claim or do they take into consideration your old claim?

I was diagnosed with perthes disease as a child had a few major operations and its left me with chronic arthritus and a very painfull deformed hip.

The nature of my conditon means its only going to get worse its litteraly not possible for it to get any better, the only thing thats hopefully going to help is a complete hip replacement which i plan to have in around 2 years time.

I have a copy of my old claim here nothing much has changed except my condition has slightly worsend.

im worried that my renwel forms will appear as if i have just copied my original claim form but thing is thats the most accurate discriptin i can give everything on my old claim still applies there is nothing new i can add other than the pain has slighty increased.

I can word it slightly diffrent but comparing the two side by side would appear to read the same....surely they wont look at this in a bad way?

geoff11

you could always see a cab advisor who will help you fill the forms out, you can copy from the last form with word changing if your condition hasnt changed but if you have a cab advisor and they knock it back theyre already for your appeal, if nothings changed how can you fill it in differently to the last one if you think about. i know where your coming from though id go for the cab advisor for peace of mind and its free at the end of the day.

TOBRUK

Hi jox, I had my renewal DLA forms end of September (current claim ending January) and sent it back within two weeks.

The renewal form I received was slightly different to the previous ones (they have changed some of the questions) and I too had a copy of my last claim forms to refer to. Some of the questions were answered very similar to the previous and I just changed the wording and a few sentences were different. I really don't know whether they refer to the previous claim form or not.

The last page (which has almost a full page where you can write) where you write anything you think they should know I did have some of it the same, however, I tried to write it from scratch but also then reading my old claim. I did read over it a few times and tweaked it a bit - I wrote two pages.

I know it's a worrying time and when the form does arrive it's just daunting! It would be so easy to just copy the old claim but I personally would take time to try and write a lot of it fresh - you can always look at your old claim and tweak it.

I would advise not to rush it and write everything on paper BEFORE writing on the form - I changed a few things a couple of times before I was reasonably happy with it!

Good luck to you, it's a horrible time I know.

cabbage

HI

I would use CAB or your local authority welfare rights service. I would also visit your gp and let them know as they will probably write to your gp for confirmation. Don't forget to tell your gp the sort of thing you have problems with, particularly as they don't see you getting out of bed and getting washed and dressed etc. Tell them about the problems you have walking too.

Finally, try not to worry (easy for me to say I know!). The worst that can happen is that you are turned down which can be appealed with assistance from one of the two organisations above.

You are genuinely ill and should be entitled to this benefit. Tell them how it is and the right decision will be made.

TOBRUK

I agree with cabbage regarding talking with your GP. I see my GP regularly and she knows how my illness and disability affects me. I actually put her name down as someone 'who knows how you are'. Two weeks after sending my renewal form I had a letter from DLA people telling me that they had sent for a report from my GP.

Personally I didn't use CAB or anyone else - last time I used CAB I was turned down! I have done it alone ever since then and have been succesful every time - it helps that my GP supports me.

jox_2

Thanks for the replys guys.

I havent been too worried untill i came on here and looked at the sheer amount of unsucsessfull claims, im feeling quite horrible and worried again

I will try my best to write everything a fresh i had no help with my orginal claim from anybody i just told the truth and said exatcly how it effects me, when i read it back to my self i was pretty confident and it made me realise just how difficult it makes my life!

One concern i have now after reading a a recent thread on here is regarding the ESA medicle, i read thread on here regarding a dla renwel and based on their esa medicle their dla renwel was turnd down from high rater mobility and middle care to NOTHING.

apparently they scored 0 points on the esa medicle.

Im not sure what i scored but i passed and was placed in the work related activity group i recive £203 every 2 weeks ESA im not sure how manny points i needed to get that? although i was not happy with the report and didnt feel i was fit to work i was told to leave my options open as i may indeed find out there is infact a job i could do which is fair enough.

How ever when i 1st read the report i felt physicly sick, i could not belive how she had attemped to twist things i where saying.

Edit i have been told that if your esa medicle was over 6 months before your dla renwel they cant use the esa medicle when making a desssion on your dla claim is this true??

i seem to recall them asking on the forms have you had a medicle in the last 6 months? my esa medicle was january last year.

geoff11

as far as im aware if you have to have a medical it has to be a dla medical so the esa medical should not have any effect, both medicals have different criterias you see. i.e the esa one os to assess how your illness effects your ability to work, the dla one is to see how it effects your daily life, i.e walking, getting about etc.

jox_2

geoff11 wrote: »

as far as im aware if you have to have a medical it has to be a dla medical so the esa medical should not have any effect, both medicals have different criterias you see. i.e the esa one os to assess how your illness effects your ability to work, the dla one is to see how it effects your daily life, i.e walking, getting about etc.

This is what i would have thought as there is nothing to say you cannot work and still have a disabilty

This is the thread of concern tho where the op states


"They said they made their decision from my form and from my previous ESA Medical (Which i got 0 points for) "

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=2105053

I did pass the medicle but was not happy with some of the things in the report i felt i was asked specific questions to get specific answers and it was very unfair and misleading. i hope they dont use my esa medicle for me renewal just incase as i feel its a very poor indication of my disability, its been nearly 12months since then tho so surely it cant be valid?

geoff11

i disagree with the o/p they cant do that, both medicals have different criterias.