Question about ESA and DLA forms

FleurDuLys

Hi, forgive me asking this here, I know I could phone the ESA/DLA people up to ask but I've had a lot of trouble getting through to them recently and the first section of Vivaldi's Four Seasons (their hold music) is beginning to grate!

I now have Stage 4 cancer. Ugh. My Macmillan nurse advised me to apply for DLA under the "Special Rules" (double ugh - I fully intend to live longer than six months thank you very much!). Anyway, she contacted my GP and got him to fill in a Doctor's Report form, DS1500. I have that form here ready to send with my DLA application.

I already claim ESA due to a previous condition - annoyingly I am pretty much recovered from it and had informed them a couple of months back that I was now looking for work. They said I should stay on ESA and would be reassessed in due course. Fair enough, I was looking forward to my back to work bonus!

I got diagnosed with cancer in December, and following a scan in January it was shown to have already spread. I managed to get through to ESA yesterday to say that I was sorry but I'm ill again, and this time it's more serious, and they told me to send in a DS1500.

(Annoyingly I was offered work and called for interviews and things were really coming together for my new career over December, it's madly frustrating but at least I have the satisfaction of knowing I was getting there. I'd put a lot of work in, done a diploma from home whilst I wasn't well enough to work, and done voluntary work and training courses to gain experience. So all you chaps in the ESA WRAG, don't loose heart, focus on something and you can achieve it).

My question is - do I need to get the GP to write out another DS1500, can I photocopy the existing one, or would the DLA people pass on the info from it if I sent it to them?

Sorry for longwindedness! And thanks for any help.

Fleur xx

FleurDuLys

Any ideas please chaps? (sorry to bump this, I won't again)

peppperr2002

Send your DS1500 to DLA. Once they have taken appropriate action the ESA team will be able to see a notification on the DLA system.
I would also phone the BDC to make them aware of your new diagnosis then they will know to check the DLA system and take any necessary action on your claim at the review time.
Alternatively forward the DS1500 to your BDC and once they "done" their bit they should forward it to DLA.