Should DLA be means tested?

Tally-Ho_2

daska wrote: »

That's fair, but to limit it only to people currently in receipt of HRM is not fair to those who are waiting for a decision, to those who are waiting on appeal or those who are unable to apply for it i.e. anyone over 65.

It's also fair to say "there is guidance and therefore you need to state why you are rejecting that guidance".

Hi,

I agree the system is not ideal.

However due to the way the actual law is worded, Local Authorities are free to adopt their own policy with regards to discretionary issue (now actually called Assessed Criteria, or Assessment Based Criteria). They do not have to follow the DfT guidance on this subject.

The only way to get the situation changed is either to lobby your local County Councillors to adopt a policy of following the DfT guidance on Assessed Criteria or lobbying your MP to get a change in the wording of the actual legislation compelling Local Authorities to follow the DfT Guidance (or doing both!).

Another thing I believe should be changed is regarding the mechanism of appealing a non award of a Blue Badge. You can appeal, but the appeal is adjudicated on by the Local Authority itself (usually a Social Services Manager/P.O.1/2 grade manager). There is no independent body to appeal to, nor is there any further appeal possible (other than a Judicial Review). Hence not many appeals against award are overturned, whereas if adjudication was independent I believe more non awards would be overturned. Again this requires a change in legislation.

Tally

__TJ___2

no dla should not be means tested. my son gets dla ( he is 10 and has aspergers) we dont have a blue badge or anything cos he is perfectly able to walk, but when out he does require constant supervision. the dla we get allows me to not have to work (before you start thinking... lazy cow... i am taking a degree in psychology and pregnant with another child) however my son does not cope with change. if i am not there to colelct him from school he will go into a meltdown that will take days to recover from. he has extreeme anxiety if i am even a second late and given the regularity of my presence being required at school to discuss him or remove him (on occasion) i could not give an employer value for money. because we get dla for him i can choose not to work. it may sound selfish but i have to do what works for my family. my husband works 6 or7 day weeks, every week so we can cope, its by no means a cushdy life, but we have made our choices.

also as an aside. when pregnant with my daughter i suffered from a disabling condition called SPD. basically your pelvic bones grind together as you walk. it is excruciating. i was refused a blue badge, even though i could not walk more than 10 or 15 paces without being in tears ( and pregnant so not able to take any pills) i was told as my diasability was not permanent i didnt qualify. i know all about invisable disabilities, until my son opens his mouth you would never know he had a problem, but i do hate to see people who can physically cope getting BB when those who cannot cope are denied.

sunnyone

shazrobo wrote: »

who says MH claiments dont pay for care costs?
as someone who often needs someone with them to keep them safe when things are really bad, i do pay for care costs

Then you would have the same care assessment that physically disabled people have, I mentioned MH because most claimants dont have formal care assessments, mostly down to SS refusing to assess anyone without purely personel care needs.

There are so many needs that arnt met by SS, not even considered needs by them that any change transfering DLA funds to SS will be catastrophic for disabled people.

Aputsiaq

I don't know if it should be means tested as such but I do wonder why it is paid in the same form for children. I definitely do not understand why anyone who does have a child claiming DLA how they can then claim CA.
I thought parents looked after their children anyway?
We get replies of "Its not as easy for me to go to work with a disabled child" Errr, you're right, its not. So stay home and look after them.....thats what happened not so very long ago.

I used to pick up my kids from school, look after them if they were ill, and generally decided when I was pregnant with each one that I would care for them no matter what.
Going to work didn't come into it because I was caring for my children.

This new fangled thing about tax payers paying for parents to look after their own children is just mind boggling.

krisskross

Aputsiaq wrote: »

This new fangled thing about tax payers paying for parents to look after their own children is just mind boggling.

It sure is. The first question asked on these boards when a woman finds herself 10 minutes pregnant is 'what benefits am I entitled to?'

shazrobo

i ended up on benefits thru no fault of my own, my ex husband physically harmed one of our sons, so i had to leave him and had to claim income support. when the children became older, (ds1 was 6 at the time), i claimed dla for him, til then i didnt know about it, but the specialist at the hospital told us. then i was told that income support wanted me to claim carers, as then u get less income support payed, as you have other money coming in. its got nothing to do with mums trying to claim all they can.

Indie_Kid

Aputsiaq wrote: »

I don't know if it should be means tested as such but I do wonder why it is paid in the same form for children. I definitely do not understand why anyone who does have a child claiming DLA how they can then claim CA.
I thought parents looked after their children anyway?
We get replies of "Its not as easy for me to go to work with a disabled child" Errr, you're right, its not. So stay home and look after them.....thats what happened not so very long ago.

I take it you've single handidly brought up a disabled child then? I have a friend who is having to do the same atm and it's not easy.

Bringing up a disabled child is totally different to bringing up a non-disabled child. Which I assume you've never done?

Oldernotwiser

sh1305 wrote: »

I take it you've single handidly brought up a disabled child then? I have a friend who is having to do the same atm and it's not easy.

Bringing up a disabled child is totally different to bringing up a non-disabled child. Which I assume you've never done?

It rather depends what age the child is.

There was a recent query on the Benefits Board where somebody with a 2 year old was trying to claim because the child needed constant supervision; she seemed rather put out when several people pointed out that any 2 year old needs constant supervision!

Obviously this would be different for an older child who would normally be more independent.

johnwayne

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

It rather depends what age the child is.

There was a recent query on the Benefits Board where somebody with a 2 year old was trying to claim because the child needed constant supervision; she seemed rather put out when several people pointed out that any 2 year old needs constant supervision!

Obviously this would be different for an older child who would normally be more independent.

Exactly!

My 4yr old son can be trusted to play in another room whilst I am in the kitchen, bathroom, etc.

His brother (who is now 7) is a complete nightmare. He has never been able to be left in another room to play! He always finds something completely dangerous & idiotic to do! He gets up between 4.30 & 5.30 every day & then disturbs every other member of the household. He is completely exhausting and exasperating!

I love him dearly but :eek:

shazrobo

johnwayne wrote: »

Exactly!

My 4yr old son can be trusted to play in another room whilst I am in the kitchen, bathroom, etc.

His brother (who is now 7) is a complete nightmare. He has never been able to be left in another room to play! He always finds something completely dangerous & idiotic to do! He gets up between 4.30 & 5.30 every day & then disturbs every other member of the household. He is completely exhausting and exasperating!

I love him dearly but :eek:

i have twin boys nearly 15, who are exactly the same,. need constant supervision, which isnt easy, as i have health problems myself