DLA and Bipolar

kah22

I’m helping my girlfriend fill in an application form for DLA she has bipolar. Applications for DLA are been accepted here in Northern Ireland up to October.

Question 61 Statement from someone who knows you asks ‘tell us what their illnesses and disabilities are, and how they are affected by them.’

I’ve been advised that it is best if a professional person like her GP fills in the question.

Her GP is very good, very understanding and really tries to help those under his care, to that end we are going to ask him to fill in this section of the form.

However, as we all know given the best will in the world GP’s are not really that practical when it comes to this type of form filling. I want to suggest to him things he might want to put down. I want to make this request as concise as possible but not miss out any important points. To this end what kind of things might we suggest the GP put down. I appreciate that not all of your suggestions will apply to my girlfriend I just want to make sure I've not missed out on any. Consider it an aide-memoire

Finally if there are any members out there who have bipolar and have been awarded DLA maybe you’d like to pm me and share with me your experience and the sort of thing you felt got you the DLA. I will of course respect your privacy

Thank you all very much for your help.

helptoyou

Is it worth applying? Needs Checklist
If you have any of the following needs (adapted from benefitsinmind.) then it is worth reading on, to find out what level of DLA you may be entitled to.

Attention needs
You need encouragement get out of bed in the morning
You need help motivating yourself to get dressed
You need to be reminded/encouraged to take your medication
You need encouragement to be active within your home
You need encouragement to take part in hobbies or social life
You need encouragement to communicate with others
You need help with your paperwork
You need encouragement to make yourself wash bath regularly
You need help to eat properly and regularly
You need help to cook a main meal
You need help getting to bed / sleep at nights
You self-harm
You feel suicidal
You can get aggressive
The way you are makes other people react aggressively to you
Your concentration is very poor, e.g. you don't make sure that fires are safely out, leave cigarettes burning etc.
You have ideas or thoughts that frighten you into behaviour which could be dangerous
You wander off
You put yourself in situations where others could take advantage of you
When you become more unwell it happens very quickly
When you become unwell you try to hide it from others

Mobility needs
You have panic attacks out of doors in unfamiliar places
Anxiety that makes it hard for you to concentrate / communicate
You hear voices which distract you
You suffer from paranoid feelings
You put yourself at risk in some way

What level may I be entitled to?
Mobility - Lower Rate.
This is paid to you if you need someone with you when you are in unfamiliar places. Think about times when you go out alone to new places, do you suffer from panic attacks, become so anxious that you get lost or put yourself at risk? If so, you may be eligable for the DLA lower rate mobility component.

Mobility - Higher Rate.
You are unlikely to receive the DLA higher rate mobility component for bipolar disorder alone. However if you also have a physical disability, check the enitlement critera on benefitsInMind.org.uk.

Care - Lower Rate
If you have care needs (for example needing encouragement to get out of bed, take your medication or help with your paperwork) for short periods during the day, probably amounting to around an hour, you may be entitled to the DLA lower rate care component. You may also be entitled to this component if you have difficulty cooking for yourself. So if there are days where the prospect of cooking a hot meal seems so overwhelming to you that you don't bother, make sure that you put that on the form.

Care - Middle Rate
If you have care needs on and off throughout the day, need someone close by to keep an eye on you, or have care needs more than once or for over 20 minutes at night, you may be entitled to the DLA middle rate care component.
Are you sometimes at risk of self-harm and need somebody nearby in case you become suicidal or inclined to hurt yourself? Does bipolar disorder lower your concentration, leading you to do unsafe things such as forgetting to turn off the hobs? If so, these are attention needs and will help a decision maker ensure that you get the correct amount of DLA.

Care - Higher Rate
If you have difficulties requiring care and attention frequently throughout the day and night then you may be entitled to the DLA higher rate care component.

If you have both mobility and care needs then you will be awarded both components and the amounts will be added together.

.

battyboimatt

Does your partner not have a CPN who could also provide infromation and help with the form filling

Bryando

helptoyou wrote: »

Is it worth applying? Needs Checklist
If you have any of the following needs (adapted from benefitsinmind.org.uk) then it is worth reading on, to find out what level of DLA you may be entitled to.

Attention needs
You need encouragement get out of bed in the morning
You need help motivating yourself to get dressed
You need to be reminded/encouraged to take your medication
You need encouragement to be active within your home
You need encouragement to take part in hobbies or social life
You need encouragement to communicate with others
You need help with your paperwork
You need encouragement to make yourself wash bath regularly
You need help to eat properly and regularly
You need help to cook a main meal
You need help getting to bed / sleep at nights
You self-harm
You feel suicidal
You can get aggressive
The way you are makes other people react aggressively to you
Your concentration is very poor, e.g. you don't make sure that fires are safely out, leave cigarettes burning etc.
You have ideas or thoughts that frighten you into behaviour which could be dangerous
You wander off
You put yourself in situations where others could take advantage of you
When you become more unwell it happens very quickly
When you become unwell you try to hide it from others

Mobility needs
You have panic attacks out of doors in unfamiliar places
Anxiety that makes it hard for you to concentrate / communicate
You hear voices which distract you
You suffer from paranoid feelings
You put yourself at risk in some way

What level may I be entitled to?
Mobility - Lower Rate.
This is paid to you if you need someone with you when you are in unfamiliar places. Think about times when you go out alone to new places, do you suffer from panic attacks, become so anxious that you get lost or put yourself at risk? If so, you may be eligable for the DLA lower rate mobility component.

Mobility - Higher Rate.
You are unlikely to receive the DLA higher rate mobility component for bipolar disorder alone. However if you also have a physical disability, check the enitlement critera on benefitsInMind.org.uk.

Care - Lower Rate
If you have care needs (for example needing encouragement to get out of bed, take your medication or help with your paperwork) for short periods during the day, probably amounting to around an hour, you may be entitled to the DLA lower rate care component. You may also be entitled to this component if you have difficulty cooking for yourself. So if there are days where the prospect of cooking a hot meal seems so overwhelming to you that you don't bother, make sure that you put that on the form.

Care - Middle Rate
If you have care needs on and off throughout the day, need someone close by to keep an eye on you, or have care needs more than once or for over 20 minutes at night, you may be entitled to the DLA middle rate care component.
Are you sometimes at risk of self-harm and need somebody nearby in case you become suicidal or inclined to hurt yourself? Does bipolar disorder lower your concentration, leading you to do unsafe things such as forgetting to turn off the hobs? If so, these are attention needs and will help a decision maker ensure that you get the correct amount of DLA.

Care - Higher Rate
If you have difficulties requiring care and attention frequently throughout the day and night then you may be entitled to the DLA higher rate care component.

If you have both mobility and care needs then you will be awarded both components and the amounts will be added together.

For more information see www.benefitsInMind.org.uk.

The link to the website does not work, also can't find on a google search.

lukieboy96

If you have a CPN then they can help you fill in the forms. Mine did for BPD. Any evidence you have is important.

Bryando

The statement can come from the carer, I have been awarded twice with the statement coming from the carer. I also have mental health problems

treborc

Not forgetting DLA has now ended for all new claimants and the PIP's will now take over for anyone who applies and it's totally different then DLA...

Personal Independence Payment is being introduced in stages over a number of years.

• April 2013 – Personal Independence Payment has started for new claims in Merseyside, North West England, Cumbria, Cheshire and North East England. During this period new claimants in all other parts of the country will continue to claim Disability Living Allowance as now.
• June 2013 – new claims for Personal Independence Payment will be taken from all parts of the country.

kurgon

Can I suggest that you rmove your email address as, while you may receive some help, you are also just as likely to receive other messages and spam. PMs can maintain confidentiality.

rogerblack

treborc wrote: »

Not forgetting DLA has now ended for all new claimants and the PIP's will now take over for anyone who applies and it's totally different then DLA...

Personal Independence Payment is being introduced in stages over a number of years.

• April 2013 – Personal Independence Payment has started for new claims in Merseyside, North West England, Cumbria, Cheshire and North East England. During this period new claimants in all other parts of the country will continue to claim Disability Living Allowance as now.

So, not ended for most.
Nor for those under 16.

kah22

[FONT=&quot]Thanks guys for all you advice so far and a really big thank you to Helptoyou.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]At the moment she hasn’t got a CPM and while she has been diagnosed as bipolar for some years now it was only after she threw an almighty wobbly and had to be sectioned, and she is still in hospital, that she accepted she needs help and support and at the moment I’m the one she is putting her trust in. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I’m doing most of the spade work, finding out what this means and that means and how it applies in my girlfriends case and I suppose when I’ve a good first draft of the form completed we’ll go to our local CAB and talk it over with them but I want to get as much info as possible before then.

There is no MIND organization close to us. I am in the process of writing to her appointed social worker, advocate and a [/FONT]Physiotherapist she was attending pre her been sectioned. Is there anyone else I should be contacting?

Bryando

kah22 wrote: »

[FONT=&quot]Thanks guys for all you advice so far and a really big thank you to Helptoyou.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]At the moment she hasn’t got a CPM and while she has been diagnosed as bipolar for some years now it was only after she threw an almighty wobbly and had to be sectioned, and she is still in hospital, that she accepted she needs help and support and at the moment I’m the one she is putting her trust in. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I’m doing most of the spade work, finding out what this means and that means and how it applies in my girlfriends case and I suppose when I’ve a good first draft of the form completed we’ll go to our local CAB and talk it over with them but I want to get as much info as possible before then.

There is no MIND organization close to us. I am in the process of writing to her appointed social worker, advocate and a [/FONT]Physiotherapist she was attending pre her been sectioned. Is there anyone else I should be contacting?

Her Psychiatrist is the key. She will probably be allocated a CPN on discharge. I dont THINK you can get DLA whilst locked in a ward, not sure. My family always dealt with me when under section, that being Scottish and different in terms of sections.

Think your best bet is to speak to a Social Worker, here in Scotland we have mental health social workers. They would be best to advise. Does she lack capacity to make a claim, what right have you to make a claim these are questions that need answering. So I would suggest phoning Social Work explaining your gf is detained and what can be done about benefit.

I have been in your gf situation in that being sectioned, but even at that ,things will differ between Scotland and England.

All the best.