How hard is it to get DLA?

Pumpkinx

Hi, looking for advice on behalf of my SIL.

She's 28 and been declined for DLA, her medical background: severe chrones disease (all her bowl out, she has a colostomy bag) can't walk very far, keeps collapsing, anameic, suffers from depression. 11 year old daughter confirmed has mild chrones disease - both been refused. SIL had a baby at 24 weeks pregnant baby has just come off oxygen (he is now 1!) and has confirmed Chronic lung disease and he has also been refused. Welfare rights saw my SIL and she was amazed thatmDLA declined her. Are they really that strict? My *brother* (may I add that is a total waste of life) decided One day to not only defraud the benefit system (whilst getting a 4 bed house paid for and working two jobs cash in hand) to get DLA for "alcoholism" and " depression" (he didn't have none just being greedy. His story was he got caught. He pays back £1 a week out of his benefits) but just makes me mad when theirs genuine cases get declined and some scroungers get things on a plate! :mad:

recoverydust

DLA is not awarded for particular illnesses/ disabilities. It is about what care a person needs and their ability to be mobile. I hope that welfare rights are able to help her.

rogerblack

It depends crucially on the legal tests for DLA - if you meet them or not is somewhat arbitrary.
You can be combined to a wheelchair, entitled to high-rate mobility, and yet be much less 'disabled' by it than someone who doesn't have the strength to use a wheelchair, but can stand up and walk 35m without too much pain or discomfort, slowly, a few times a day.

Then there is the hard part - the application.
Concentrating on your 'main' illness can be a fatal flaw.
For example, chrons disease does not directly tie in to DLA mobility.
However, in some cases, depression may lead to a mobility award.

http://www.nacc.org.uk/downloads/disability/adultguide.pdf may be of great use to her. This is specifically for chrons, though may be very useful for other conditions too.

In short - for every question the form asks, do not think about how you, or your family would describe it.
Think about some totally dispassionate observer who has been watching you for a couple of weeks 24*7 would.

In addition, doctors reports can be very useful, or entirely useless.

They need to at least mention the care, or mobility needs in DLA.

Mara69

I am utterly baffled as to why someone so chronically ill, who also has a child who is long term sick, would have another child. Madness.

Anyway, your SIL should speak with the CAB or maybe one of the nurses she must see can suggest a welfare agency that can help with the forms.

merlin68

Did they get professional help filling in the forms. I have stage 4 copd and osteoarthiritis and only get low and low and i had a pro filling out my forms. It's all to do with wording the forms in a certain way.the baby i can understand as you have to be 3 months old before you can claim and need help for at least six months.
But then saying that my dd had high rate care from 6 months from being tube fed due to a cleft palette she still gets it now as she goes to a special school.
Same with the bag if you can change it yourself you won't get anything and anemia wouldn't get you anywhere.

Glen_Clark

Mara69 wrote: »

I am utterly baffled as to why someone so chronically ill, who also has a child who is long term sick, would have another child. Madness.

Some people have kids to get benefits - particularly housing which because of artificially inflated house prices costs more than they could earn. Thats not how it should be. But when you are dealt a bad hand you have to play it as best you can