DLA forms for baby

emmbee123

Hi

Hoping that someone can point me in the right direction.

I'm trying to fill out a DLA form for my daughter, she is 18 months old and is under investigation for epilepsy. She has seizures without warning and just drops to the floor and as they can happen without warning she needs constant supervision, just last week she had a bad day and 10 seizures. After these she is rather dazed and needs consistent reassurance for quite some time.

The forms seem to focus on her needs with regards to mobility (where she needs constant supervision whilst out) and her toilet needs. She's 18 months old, so most of it isn't applicable (she's still in a nappy and so I am unable to tell whether the seizures cause her to lose control of her bodily functions or whether it is her age and the fact that she isn't yet potty trained. She has problems with constipation (which she is on movicol for) but she still needs reassurance and support (In the form of me holding her) when she poo's and so I was planning to put that on the forms too.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where I can get help with the forms given her age and current abilities.

kaya

I'm sorry for your situation but you want to claim benefits because your 18month old needs supervising constantly and caring for? Are you for real? Of course she needs constant supervision when she is out , she is a baby , they all do

schrodie

Check out this document, it may help.Here

gingergee

My daughter has petit mal and i get dla for her. I applied just before she turned three. She is still in nappies sometimes. She is about to be medicated as i can no longer ensure she is always safe. She has gone down some stairs before now! Dont attempt that form alone, get onto cab or welfare rights for help. To help your case, film her if u can, having a seizure x hope u get sorted.

Ps. She will only get the care element, dont think you get less than higher mobility under age 5, even then its not easy. Keep us updated x

Brassedoff

emmbee123 wrote: »

Hi

Hoping that someone can point me in the right direction.

I'm trying to fill out a DLA form for my daughter, she is 18 months old and is under investigation for epilepsy. She has seizures without warning and just drops to the floor and as they can happen without warning she needs constant supervision, just last week she had a bad day and 10 seizures. After these she is rather dazed and needs consistent reassurance for quite some time.

The forms seem to focus on her needs with regards to mobility (where she needs constant supervision whilst out) and her toilet needs. She's 18 months old, so most of it isn't applicable (she's still in a nappy and so I am unable to tell whether the seizures cause her to lose control of her bodily functions or whether it is her age and the fact that she isn't yet potty trained. She has problems with constipation (which she is on movicol for) but she still needs reassurance and support (In the form of me holding her) when she poo's and so I was planning to put that on the forms too.

Can anyone point me in the right direction as to where I can get help with the forms given her age and current abilities.

Hi emmbee123,

Welcome to the boards. I do not know enough about the age you are talking about, there are quite a few people on here who do and will be along soon, so don't get downhearted if you have no immediate response.

My Son at the age of two used to have some febrile convulsions and they were horrifyingly frightening, so you have my complete sympathy.

Whilst you will find that the forms you have looked at are really aimed at someone older, mobilising is only a part of the form you need to complete. You will have to think about the care need and how that is different to any baby not suffering with condition.

Hang on and someone will come to your assistance with very good advice.

emmbee123

Thanks guys
Schrodie, that's a real help, will go through it.
Gingergee, it's awful to not be able to stop them, G isn't yet old enough to understand what is going on and they really scare her. They won't medicate her until she is older. I wasn't looking for the mobility component, more for the care, I can't be with her 24/7, I'm a student so the DLA would cover the extra costs of having someone suitable to care for her.
Brassedoff, thanks for the welcome.

nannytone_2

it's very difficult to prove that your child needs additional supervision over and above what any 18 month old baby needs.
does she need watching over while she's sleeping?

emmbee123

not whilst she is sleeping but whenever she is awake i.e. as soon as she wakes up (which she does during the night) I have to be there. She's had a turn in her cot whilst standing up and bumped her head on the cot rails.

zzzLazyDaisy

You have my sympathy, my grand-daughter suffered with uncontrolled epilepsy for a number of years, although she was older than your child when she started with it, and she did eventually grow out of it.

The advice on claiming for children by epilepsy action might help

http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/benefits/disability-living-allowance-dla

We also had some useful advice from cerebra (this is most well known for its work with brain injured children, but they do help children with epilepsy too)

http://www.cerebra.org.uk/English/Pages/home.aspx

on a separate note, you might want to look into the family fund

http://www.familyfund.org.uk/

Hope this helps

Dx

emmbee123

thanks zzzLazyDaisy, will look into them.

nannytone_2

you would expect to watch any baby of the same age constantly.
my middle grandson sadly passed away almost 3 years ago. at 18 months he contracted viral encephalitis. he was left severly disabled. he couldnt even sit, let alone stand. he was intitally tube fed,
so the extra needs he had over and above a child of a comparative age, was obvious.

i think you may struggle to get DLA until you are put on a regime of medicine, and you can prove that you need to do more for her than would necessarily be done for an 18 month old baby