What am I entitled to?

kingfisherblue

When filling in a DLA form for children, you can compare them to a child of the same age. So although all toddlers need care and attention, a child with medical needs is likely to have higher care needs than another child of the same age.

If your child has regular appointments, send in a list of those in the past three months and those for the next three months.

Include a copy of any medication.

Include any recent reports from hospitals and clinics. If you don't receive any, ask for them.

Ask for help from yur local CAB, DIAL, welfare rights, or carer's centre.

mum2one

When my ESA form filled in, (different benefit, same person can fill in DLA forms), I rang my local council and they have a department that helps with the forms. What would take us 100 words to describe they could get it in 10 words,

A friend of mine got her DLA refuse 1st time for her child, same reasons as yours, but appealed and got full mobility and care

If our child is under hospital, I would def approach all departments, hope your littleun goes on ok, xx

looby75

Just wanted to second what other people have said about reapplying.

My sister gets carers allowance and DLA for my Niece and has done since just before her second birthday. She got help filling the forms in from her health visitor and her daughters support worker.

My nice had a stroke just after birth and because of this can't walk unaided, has poor core muscles and needs regular physiotherapy, done at home daily by my sister and 2 weekly appointments by a physiotherapist. She also was having speech therapy (although this has stopped for the time being, may have to start again in the future) Sis put all these appointment on the form which helped her her claim go through first time.

Her support worker was surprised when she got it straight away and said that in her experience most first claims aren't granted until they go to appeal.

princessdon

As above you need to concentrate on the care needs of the child as opposed to the number of days (off work) and the ability to work - this isn't an out of work benefit, so although I know you have had to give up work, it's not as relevant as their care needs.

Eg I have a nearly 3 year old - I have had to take off 29 days so far this year due to illness. Chicken Pox, umpteen sicky bugs (parents send children back too early at his nursery etc). The difference is the CARE. If my child is at home ill they don't need "care" per se, some TLC and sympathy, calpol maybe but not care. He can go from being ill to full of beans in seconds.

Concentrate on why you give more attention to your child than a "healthy" child of a similar age. Eg Hospital and GP Visits - Very Very Very Few - only hospital visit is when he decided to head dive from a wall.

As you can see your life with a child who needs care is different from mine BUT the amount of time of work can be the same.

Just wanted you to distance yourself from time of work - as you won't be in work they are looking at how much care you give your child compared to a child without needs.

I also have a child who is under a consultant - regular appts - but I have no additional care needs for that child apart from her reg appts, she is a normal child who needs to vist a Dr more often. I wouldn't and couldn't claim DLA because I go to a dr/hospital. In this case there are no additional needs, as long as she takes her daily meds.

If however, the meds didn't work she'd need additional care.

Hope I haven't confused you more, just wanted to give you ideas on how you can word your appeal to show how your child has needs over other children.

Good luck.