dla rate gone down

sock-knitter

as the title says, after a renewal claim of dla, i have gone from HRC and LRM to LRC and LRM. as a result my income support has gone down aslo. i have mental health problems and the help i require can vary from week to week, as it always has done, so should i appeal and hope they reinstate the HRC or should i just be happy that i am at least getting something. the thought of appealing seems too stressful for me right now, as i'm not caple of thinking straight on bad days
thanks for reading

jetta_wales

You can ask for your case to be looked at again which will only take a phone call.

Do you think your needs are lower now though than they were when you applied previously?

sock-knitter

i think my needs are the same as they were when i first applied

inspirespirit

I didn't think DLA had anything to do with Income Support. DLA is a not means tested benefit so you really need to find out why your Income Support has gone down.

jetta_wales

inspirespirit wrote: »

I didn't think DLA had anything to do with Income Support. DLA is a not means tested benefit so you really need to find out why your Income Support has gone down.

DLA is indeed non means tested but it is used at a qualifying criteria for a great many things like the severe disablement component of Income Support for example.

rogerblack

sock-knitter wrote: »

i think my needs are the same as they were when i first applied

Ask them - when you call - for a written statement of reasons.
This will detail the reasons for the decisions they took - and the evidence they used.

Did you send paperwork from any professionals in contact with you? They will normally not contact them on your behalf.

First port of call is to find out if there are factual errors in the statement of reasons. For example 'client has legs as the medical report says' - when the medical report says you don't.

(probably not as glaring as this)

Then you need to see if you can find evidence from professionals or others that the decision is wrong.

Once you have requested the written statement of reasons within the month - this also extends the deadline for requesting a reconsideration of the decision by two weeks. To a month and two weeks after the date of the decision, or two weeks after the statement of reasons is supplied.

I'd say it's better to hold off asking for a reconsideration until after you've got the statement of reasons - so you can answer the points in it with new evidence, and be more likely to get the decision overturned without going to appeal.
But do make sure you get it in in time!
I recommend photographing or photocopying any documentation you send to them, and sending it recorded delivery.

sock-knitter

i suffer from sever depression, and need someone with me to prevent me harming myself when i'm at my worst.
yes the income support has gone down, because i no longer get the severe disability premium.
they have reports from both my gp, and mental health nurse
i will ask them for a statement of resons first thing monday morning, thanks everyone for your advice

inspirespirit

oh right, sorry, Didn't know there was a severe disability premium of IS. Never heard of it before.

Hope you get some answers.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

You should have kept a copy of your old form and just re-used what was in it for the renewal

tempested

sock-knitter wrote: »

as the title says, after a renewal claim of dla, i have gone from HRC and LRM to LRC and LRM. as a result my income support has gone down aslo. i have mental health problems and the help i require can vary from week to week, as it always has done, so should i appeal and hope they reinstate the HRC or should i just be happy that i am at least getting something. the thought of appealing seems too stressful for me right now, as i'm not caple of thinking straight on bad days
thanks for reading

You must have had the same decision maker as I had!

went from

MRC & LRM

to

HRC & LRM

then

LRM only!!!

There is no consistency whatsoever. And don't let them tell you that they treat each renewal/new claim as a fresh one. They have ALL the claim forms in one file. How then they can go up and down is madness.

I haven't improved healthwise since the very first claim. In fact, there are more problems with mobility and care that have arisen since 2004, that have never been looked at until 2010 when I reclaimed and received LRM only.

Then you have the reconsideration stage where a different decision maker looks at it again and should, if all things being equal, come up with the same answer - pointless exercise, if there is no more evidence.

Many genuine claimants like you who don't have the strength to fight, give up or do fight, and have an inquisition in a court!!

I wish you luck, but it is a fight up a very long hill if you decide to take that avenue.

As regards CAB, DIAL, Age UK and a myriad of other agencies, they don't have the time or resources to help anymore, not like they used to have. I know, I have tried them all!!!

tempested

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

You should have kept a copy of your old form and just re-used what was in it for the renewal

I did when I was uplifted to HRC from MRC, but it didn't make any difference.