DLA change of circumstance

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Hi, i've been on MRC/LRM for a few years now for asperger's & depression/anxiety. I have recently been diagnosed with fibromyalgia but don't know whether to inform them now or wait until I get called up to change over to PIP.

Has anyone already on DLA been asked to move over to PIP yet?

nannytone_2

reassessments will change to PIP instead mext month.
so if you want a reassessment under DLA you need to get in quick

ab.da54

Firstly, have your care / mobility needs changed for the worse? Do you now have more care needs?

Secondly, who looks after your children when you are unable to? Do you need social services input?

I have a relative with fibromyalgia and they receive HRM / HRC so perhaps put your application for change of circumstances in now. They also have help with household needs because of the children involved, hence my questions.

Do be aware though, that as well as getting an increase in your award, you could also see a decrease as many with fibromyalgia have not been awarded DLA.

ab.da54

I would ask as well, who diagnosed fibromyalgia? Was it the GP or a rheumatologist?

Can you provide evidence of diagnosis, for example a hospital letter? Have you had OT involvement? All of these will help a decision maker determine your award.

rogerblack

As others have said - DLA is for your care/mobility needs, not your diagnosis.

MRC/LRM is probably a tricky award to get with 'just' FM at the moment.
You risk losing your existing award - unless your care or mobility needs are very obviously meeting the criteria for DLA.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

ab.da54 wrote: »

Firstly, have your care / mobility needs changed for the worse? Do you now have more care needs?

Secondly, who looks after your children when you are unable to? Do you need social services input?

I have a relative with fibromyalgia and they receive HRM / HRC so perhaps put your application for change of circumstances in now. They also have help with household needs because of the children involved, hence my questions.

Do be aware though, that as well as getting an increase in your award, you could also see a decrease as many with fibromyalgia have not been awarded DLA.

I still have the same care needs as I had before but now have physical mobility problems too.

My health visitor has referred me to home start & child services offered to support me too due to my mental health problems (I didn't have this diagnosis at the time).

ab.da54 wrote: »

I would ask as well, who diagnosed fibromyalgia? Was it the GP or a rheumatologist?

Can you provide evidence of diagnosis, for example a hospital letter? Have you had OT involvement? All of these will help a decision maker determine your award.

My gp diagnosed me after running a lot of tests & ruling everything else out. I actually thought I had ra as i've had problems with my joints for quite a while. She has but me on Gapapentin but it hasn't made any difference yet. I've got to go back in a couple of weeks so she may well increase the dose or try something different.

rogerblack wrote: »

As others have said - DLA is for your care/mobility needs, not your diagnosis.

MRC/LRM is probably a tricky award to get with 'just' FM at the moment.
You risk losing your existing award - unless your care or mobility needs are very obviously meeting the criteria for DLA.

I already meet the criteria for MRC/LRM but wondered whether I should inform them of my new diagnosis considering at the moment my conditions are for mental health problems & now I have physical health problems too.

I didn't know whether telling them now would cause me to be transferred over to PIP straight away.

Parva

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

I didn't know whether telling them now would cause me to be transferred over to PIP straight away.

Without wishing to sound flippant or disrespectful you would be better off starting your own new thread rather than hi-jacking someone elses thread which many others may disregard having read the first few posts.

Own_My_Own

Parva wrote: »

Without wishing to sound flippant or disrespectful you would be better off starting your own new thread rather than hi-jacking someone elses thread which many others may disregard having read the first few posts.

Are you reading something I'm not ? BCS started this thread yesterday. She is the op !
Your post is number 7 in the thread.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

Parva wrote: »

Without wishing to sound flippant or disrespectful you would be better off starting your own new thread rather than hi-jacking someone elses thread which many others may disregard having read the first few posts.

Excuse me? I was replying to the comments people had made on my thread.

Own_My_Own wrote: »

Are you reading something I'm not ? BCS started this thread yesterday. She is the op !
Your post is number 7 in the thread.

Thank you.

Parva

Oh yeah, half asleep! lol Apologies.

ab.da54

Breast_Cancer_Survivor wrote: »

My gp diagnosed me after running a lot of tests & ruling everything else out. I actually thought I had ra as i've had problems with my joints for quite a while. She has but me on Gapapentin but it hasn't made any difference yet. I've got to go back in a couple of weeks so she may well increase the dose or try something different.

It would be wise for you to ask for a referral to a rheumatologist to rule out anything else because there is a possibility you might not have fibromyalgia.

A GP is not an expert in this field so although symptoms could suggest one thing, there are others. Of course, on the flip side, the diagnosis could be correct but a referral and confirmation from a rheumatologist can only strengthen your claim.