disability benefits and children

emmasmum01

not totally sure where to start and i'll try to keep it to a minimum.
14 yr old daughter was admited to hospital last week after self harming herself, she has now been diagnosed with severe depression and is seeing a phsychiatrist and on medication (phsyc is quite worried about her). i was so shocked and upset and i'm still trying to get my head round it all.
i read on benefits advice website that for self harm and depression you r classed as having a disability according to disabilty discrimination act...is this right? if so what do i apply for and does anyone know how much it is?
like most families money is tight and any extra would help but it would also mean i could treat her to things and make her feel special and lift her up a bit. i'd do anything to stop her doing this to herself.

any advice is greatly appreciated
xxxx

dmg24

How long has she been unwell for? How long is she expected to remain in hospital?

emmasmum01

shes out of hospital now but seeing a phsychiatrist weekly thru camhs and has just started medication for depression.

dmg24

Is the condition relatively recent? In order to be eligible for DLA she must have had care needs for at least three months, and these must be expected to last for at least another six months.

emmasmum01

it's all just starrted within the last week, also found out shes been self harming for few years and has old scars that she managed to keep hidden. but treatment has just started this week. it didnt explain in much detail about how to claim or what the criterior was it didnt say anywhere that you had to wait 3months either thats why i've posted on here. i really have no idea where to start helping my daughter.

Oldernotwiser

It sounds as if your daughter's been through some really difficult times recently https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/25523251#Comment_25523251

It might be better to work on the issues involved rather than looking just at the financial side.

JC9297

Sorry but if this was my daughter my first thought would not be to look on a benefits advice website to see if I could claim anything! If you had followed that up by looking at the Directgov site you would have found the information about eligibility,amounts and claiming.

mum-of-3

Agree with the other poster.

To go through the process of DLA itself and applying for it can be quite an ordeal plus you need evidence from the past three months and a doctor to say that she'll need help for the next 6mths.
You'll need to prove she needs more care than another child of her age.

As you have just found out about it and the treatment process has just started I would carry on as she may now improve as people now no about it and she is being treated correctly!

MrsManda

emmasmum01 wrote: »

it's all just starrted within the last week, also found out shes been self harming for few years and has old scars that she managed to keep hidden. but treatment has just started this week. it didnt explain in much detail about how to claim or what the criterior was it didnt say anywhere that you had to wait 3months either thats why i've posted on here. i really have no idea where to start helping my daughter.

Disability Living Allowance eligibility requires a person to have care/mobility needs which

'must have lasted for three months and you are likely to need this help or have these difficulties for at least another six months.'

Direct.gov

The best place to start helping your daughter is to speak to her and her doctors about ways to support her emotionally through this difficult time.

emmasmum01

i'm terribly sorry if i have put peoples noses out by simply asking what my daughter might be entitled to. obviously if she isn't then she wouldnt get anything so i'm totally sure what all the fuss is about.

i was mearely looking through the website searching for info for a friend of mine for something completely different. however whilst doing that i was also searching for the advice lines and websites for self harm and depression (that they list) and they point to the benefites section.
So for everyones information and so peoples facts are straight and before they start criticising, when my daughter was diagnosed the last thing on my mind was what benefits she could get.

I just came across it while looking on the website that i was told to look at and came here to asked for peoples advice so in future if you dont have anything constructive to say then please dont bother.
None of you have any idea what my family or My poor daughter are going through or been through so i don't really think your in a possition to start making me feel the way you just did my posting those comments. i'm doing what i can at the moment to make my daughters life bareable
I came here for advice not critisism and judgment.

curlyboy

you cant claim dvla for depression and self harm - medication and councelling is needed everyone would go around cutting themselves up and claiming dvla...help and care is needed bless her sounds like she needs help