DLA review form Rant

nightsky224

I’m not really asking for advice just need to rant really.

My 85 year old grandfather has been disabled since 1976 andon DLA since 88 and also receives industrial injury benefit. It was stated in88 that his disability is for life.

I found out last week he had received a DLA review form. Hehad had it a while and tried to complete it alone. I am so glad he mentioned itto me as he has got himself in such a pickle. We got a new form and completedit together at the weekend. He has insisted that he fills it which has causedhim a lot of pain. He is so scared that the will take the DLA away. He releyson the money to pay for his mobility car – without this he would have no independenceat all. His disability has been compounded in recent years by heart problemsand a broken hip then hip replacement that has gone slightly wrong but risk tooperate is too high. He has reread and re written things so many times, he istorn between writing the horrible and hard to admit truth about what he cannotdo and the care he needs and not wanting to seem like a doddery old man who isincapable of looking after himself.

I think its disgusting that after hearing nothing for 20years they now send him this long and complicated form, he is so worried, notsleeping, in pain from sitting and writing and will have to wait for weeks tofind the results.

It makes me so angry, the people who are fiddling the systemwill still continue to do so and vunerable people who truly need it will be thepeople that loose out.

Grrr!!! Rant over, thank you for reading J

merlin68

Who do you think his fiddling the system, dla is a hard benifit to get.
Not all dissabilities are obvious, you wouldn't look at me and think i have copd for instance, should he really be driving at his age, with heart problems as he notified dvla.
Before my dad died he wasn't allowed to drive and he was 83 with congestive heart failure.
An award for life doesn't mean that they cant reasses at any time.,

Mandymull

Hmm....please don't take this the wrong way, but at what point does disability stop being a disability and become part of normal health at 85. DLA can be reviewed at any age even with life time awards...

skintandscared_2

I have every sympathy with your grandfather's situation, but how exactly do you think the authorities are supposed to distinguish those who are "fiddling the system" from those who are vulnerable? By doing these re-assessments. I'm amazed your grandfather hasn't been asked to do one in 20 years to be honest.

nightsky224

merlin68 wrote: »

Who do you think his fiddling the system, dla is a hard benifit to get.
Not all dissabilities are obvious, you wouldn't look at me and think i have copd for instance, should he really be driving at his age, with heart problems as he notified dvla.
Before my dad died he wasn't allowed to drive and he was 83 with congestive heart failure.
An award for life doesn't mean that they cant reasses at any time.,

I agree my mum has a disability that is not obvious when you meet her. My issue is that alot of people wheo recive DLA struggle with day to day activities and recieving this form with nearly 60 odd questions through the door is so daunting.

The reason so many of these have been sent out o people receiveing DLA recently is that the government want to reduce the amount of people receiving it. Some people who need and deserve DLA are being rejected and having to suffer.

Oh and he has been deemed safe to drive, he couldn't for a certain period of time after the heart attack but is fine now. He is very sessisible with driving if he is in too much pain to drive a friend who is on his motobility insurance drives for him.

nightsky224

Mandymull wrote: »

Hmm....please don't take this the wrong way, but at what point does disability stop being a disability and become part of normal health at 85. DLA can be reviewed at any age even with life time awards...

He had a spine injury which left him bed bound, he then had an op which was in some part successful but has left hime with muscle wastage, a limp, unable to bend, limited movement and constant pain (still sometimes bed bound) This was what his DLA was awared on in 88, he still has all of these issues but then he had a heart attact and dur to more mussle degeneration became more unseady on his feet and fell and broke his hip. Hip relacement wasn't fully successful so he has complications re this.

Although old age is a factor his original disability is stll there.

Oh and I have aged him a little he is 82 lol

nightsky224

skintandscared wrote: »

I have every sympathy with your grandfather's situation, but how exactly do you think the authorities are supposed to distinguish those who are "fiddling the system" from those who are vulnerable? By doing these re-assessments. I'm amazed your grandfather hasn't been asked to do one in 20 years to be honest.

I think it would of been better if he had others over the years would of been less of a shock. I think maybe the reason is that he has been awarded industrial injury for life.

I think that you have to re-asses people but the forms are so hard and complicated to complete.

skintandscared_2

Do you believe that people who are awarded DLA should never be re-assessed or asked any questions and just paid out the benefit of the rest of their lives? Don't you think that might leave the system open to abuse and fraud?

There can't be many DLA recipients who are completely alone and don't have anyone (family/friend/carer) who can help them with the form. I appreciate it's a hefty form to fill out but surely the time taken to go through it is worth it.

merlin68

Has he notified dvla as he really shouldn't be driving and the insurance wont pay out for undisclosed medical conditions.

mazza111

I think what Nightfly means is, that he would have been better getting assessed more often rather than just after 20 years. I actually agree with this, but think that giving life long awards gave people the impression that it was what they say, a life long award.

I've heard that the normal way is to give it for a year, then reassess, then give for a longer period if needed. I do think 20 years is too long, although for some it may be obvious that the person isn't going to get any better, therefore saving money by not reassessing regularly.

When the dd was first awarded it, it was a year she got it for, they deemed that she should get better with physio. A year later she's heading for her first wheelchair. But I'm glad she only got it for a year as her care needs have changed since then (LRC). Don't get me wrong, it does add a lot of stress worrying about it, but better to reassess regularly imo than let the occasional one through who's swinging the lead. I know fraud is low with disability benefits, but you do get the occasional one.

But then I'm all for the WCA for ESA too. I just don't think that ATOS are cut out for the job and should be monitored very closely.

BurnleyBob

nightsky224 wrote: »

I think it would of been better if he had others over the years would of been less of a shock. I think maybe the reason is that he has been awarded industrial injury for life.

I think that you have to re-asses people but the forms are so hard and complicated to complete.

I notice you said 'stated' in your opening post.

Not that it matters if he has a lifetime exemption in black and white as it's becoming plain that the victims of never ending austerity will include pretty much everyone outside of the banks and multinationals.