Food Allergy financial help?

SavvyStudent_2

I'm a GP - there is quite a wealth of prescription gluten free food available for coeliac sufferers. Our PCT has recently stopped prescribing 'luxury' items though - we had patients on weekly prescriptions for multiple pizza bases, biscuits and cakes, which (aside from being quite unhealthy and a poor example to be setting!) are pretty cheap to buy in the shops too. We only prescribe the gluten free bread now.

SingleSue

munchings-n-crunchings wrote: »

Actually, that was one of the reasons given by the Decision Maker when making the award, not a reason for the application, or even a consideration.

It can be difficult getting your head around feeding a child with food intolerances. It becomes more complicated, when other adults don't want to change their eating habbits, hence it can be like feeding 2 families.

We use Pure sunflower spread as it avoids most allergens. For cakes and baking Stork block margarine, not the tub variety. rice milk is a good alternative to milk.

Munchie

It can be awkward yes...but not impossible.

Both of my younger ones not only have the milk and soya intolerances but they also have intolerance to gluten and wheat...and youngest is allergic to shellfish, rhubarb (yes rhubarb! ) and nuts.

Over the years, I have got used to preparing sometimes as many as four different meals at one mealtime and my extended family have got used to using alternative ingrediants for special occasions (I used to do a mean wheat, gluten, milk, soya and nut free christmas cake) or adjusting where food items are placed on a buffet - shellfish items at the end of the buffet so people are not touching them and then touching other foods...complete with a big notice to wash hands/use the wipes provided before touching anything else!

We used to receive items via presciption due to the gluten intolerance but they changed the rules so that we could only have the bread on prescription rather than the pizza bases, biscuits and pasta that we had been able to get (the biscuits were handy for snack time at playgroup/reception)...and they didn't like the bread, so very hard and yucky. We now home bake their bread, much nicer.

The boys now know what foods to avoid, they know what foods they are ok with and check every label obsessively (they are now 13 and 14) and we as a family (including my siblings, parents etc) check and keep all labels at family parties whilst the buffet is being cooked...we've got used to it now and it is really no big deal for us.

Youngest receives DLA (HRC, LRM) but he does have several other and more problematic issues (complex autism, severe asthma, hypermobility to name just a few), middle son does not receive DLA (he also has a long list of other issues).

nannytone_2

i don't understand the 'making from scratch' is more expensive.
I always cook from scratch and always have. i find it more abnormal that people buy frozen packets, containing god knows what, to feed to their families!
I made bolognese yesterday (no bottled sauces) and it cost me £5.
i froze half of it, and fed 3 people with the other half.

it's sad that people seem to think theyre doing something 'special' by cooking for theior families.

happy_lass

tinandsue wrote: »

My child has been diagnosed with a milk allergy and I am wondering if there are any grants/benefits available to help with the extra costs of food?

Also, heard someone mention on a different site that for their child who also had a food allergy, they were able to claim Disability Living Allowance. Reading through the requirements for DLA, it seemed that you could do this if you had to spend extra time preparing separate food. As my child is 14, would they not be deemed old enough to be able to do it themselves?

Any available help much appreciated.

can you not just avoid milk?? soya milk?

happy_lass

viktory wrote: »

Good grief. This place never ceases to amaze me.
me niether.
I am allergic to work - is there any extra help available for me?

work.........brings me out in hives !

Kimitatsu

This one all seems to be done now - OP has had her question answered, and we have had confirmation from a GP as to what IS available on prescription.

Thread closed