dla and carers allowance stopped

janerance

can anyone help.my daughter is desperate and frantic.she has a 13 yr old daughter with progressive liver disease.for 13 years she has had carers and dla paid to her.she cannot work as her daughter is too ill to attend school most of the time,she has a compremised immune system and extremely low platelets,she is also far to tired to attend school.
my daughter had all her benefits taken away in february.shewas left with £20 family allowance to live off.she appealed and was told it will take upto a year.until then she was told she is entitled to income support.that has now been withdrawn and they want nearly £1000 back as they say they paid her it by mistake..she has rung all agencies to be told she will have to appeal.she cannot live off £20 a week.after 13 years she has had to go on anti depressants but cant afford them because she isnt getting any money.the welfare officer told her she is entitled to money but benefit agency says she isnt.her doctor is on her side, her welfare officer is on her side, even the woman at the benefits agency said she was entitled to the dla and carers but still she is not getting anywhere.we are now having to give her money for food and electricity etc.we are at our wits end.is there anyone out there that can help us. jane:(

Elle7

I think everyone will find this difficult to respond too...it's such a confusing block of text!

Has her DLA been stopped after renewal? So they decided she wasn't entitled any more? I'm not sure what the conditions for receiving income support are, but did they tell her why she is no longer entitled?

Is she a British citizen, and has she worked recently? (Just so we know if she has any NI contributions) and is there any other family income? Is the dad involved?

Hopefully these will help other people try to help?

cabbage

She really needs to get advice from someone not at DWP such as CAB, DIAL or local authority Welfare Rights Service. She could get a hardship payment of some sort. Its not clear from your post the reasons why DLA and carer's stopped. Did her daughter have a DLA renewal and didn't complete it in time or send it back? What is the reason for her Income support to be stopped -why was it overpaid? She should be able to claim as a carer.

If all else fails social services have a duty under the Children's Act to help. Your daughter needs expert help so that she can claim benefits while her appeals go through and challenge the decisions of the DWP.

nannytone_2

wasn't she receiving child tax credits?
surely the only income wasnt DLA, carers and child benefit?

janerance

hi elle7 i am not quite sure what is confusing about the post sorry.i will try and clarify it.
her dla and carers has stopped after 13 years for no reason, there was no reasons given.yes shes a british citizen and yes she worked before her daughter was born but this doesnt really have anything to do with it as she has been getting the carers and dla for the whole of her childs life.as i said in the original post the only money she has got coming in is £20 a week.
hi cabbage, the welfare officer has been involved and told her she was entitled to the income support.the income support was paid for two months and then the benefits agency decided she wasnt entitled after all and said they wanted the money back.now she is back to the £20 as her only income (family allowance) regarding the hardship payment.she lives 25 miles away from the nearest benefits agency.they pay out at 11 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon.she was told over the phone she could collect one (a crisis loan) but when she got there they had lost all record of it and after 20 minutes of them trying to trace it they said she would have to go away and try and claim it again.(you have to claim by phone then they ring you back and tell you if you have been granted one.she cannot claim carers when there is no dla being granted.everything is just a total mess!!

janerance

hi nannytone. no she wasnt claiming child tax credits. for 13 years she has only recieved dla carers and family allowance.that is all they have ever told her she was entitled to. regards jane

nannytone_2

the onus is on the claimant to apply for benefits that they feel they are entitled to, so i doubt they would accept that she 'didnt know' about ctc as a vaild excuse.
your daughter needs to put a claim in straight away!

i cant say i have ever heard of a DLA claim just being stopped without either a renewel or change of circumstances.

my friends son has severe arthritis, but when he was 13 the care componant of his DLA was stopped, as they deemed he needed no more caRE THAN ANY OTHER 13 YEAR OLD, AND COULD MANAGE HIS OWN MEDICATION.

WHAT CARE NEEDS DOES YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER HAVE?

janerance

hi nannytone.she has two spleens,compromised immune system,she has injections every 3 weeks which my daughter gives,she has very low platelets she is extremely tired,so doesnt attend school,she falls down the stairs alot (she has done so today hurting herself) because of her extended stomach, and her doctor has told the school she is terminal.
according to the nurse that comes out to my grand daughter many people with terminal and very sick children who cannot work have been having their benefits withdrawn.its all to do with the get people off benefits and back to work thing the government is keen on.according to the benefits agency they have forgotten about the ones like my daughter who cannot work because they are full time carers. regards jane

nannytone_2

thats rubbish. no one just has their benefits withdrawn in order to get tham back to work!
though i agree there seems to have been some kind of mix up.

if your grand daughters condition is terminal, she will get her DLA reinstated under thge special rules.

you listed a number of conditions, but DLA isnt awarded for conditions, its awarded for care/mobility needs.

if your grand daughters medical team are willing to officially say her condition is terminal, then get your daughter to contact DLA and tell them she wishes to reclaim under the special rules. she also needs to claim ctc. she could also claim ESA for herself if her depression is making her unable to seek work.

janerance

hi there nannytone, it may be rubbish but that is what has happened.thats the whole problem.it shouldnt of been stopped but it has.she is fighting the dla and carers stoppage but has been told it will take up to 12 months.she was told by the welfare officer that in the meantime because its under appeal she is entitled to income support.she was paid this then the income support people changed their minds.this is why they are asking for nearly £1000 back.the doctors and specialists only get involved when the benefit agency gets intouch with them for them to clarify it.a doctor cannot just write to them.i went to see the doctor to see if he could help and it was him that told me this.after 13 years i know why dla is awarded but all of my granddaughters conditions contribute to the care she requires.everyone we have spoken to agrees that it is a mix up but they have to go through the proper channels ie appeal.until then my daughter recieves £20 a week.as to the depression,if the benefits would sort it out then she wouldnt be depressed,but she is still unable to work because her daughter will still be very ill and unable to go to school.regards jane

RAS

Jane

Please can you use the space bar after full stops and use paragraphs. It would make it easier to read.