Feel like giving up now-DLA renewal.

LostandAfraid

Hi
I posted a little while ago about how I filled my DLA form for my renewal in but I used blue ink by mistake,well they sent another one and I copied it over in black ink.

Then my husband tried to get me an appointment with my gp so she could fill in the part from 'someone who knows you' but they said they had no appointments for 4 weeks.

I thought maybe it would be okay if we left the form with her via reception and asked her to fill that part in,well she did fill it in and my husband picked it up from reception but she didn't put anything in there about the help I need at night and this confuses me a lot because I saw her two weeks ago and we spoke about that,she is very familiar with my night needs and even asked my husband if he was coping okay with it.

Anyway now I am so worried because this is a mess,if they read that they will ignore what I said about my night needs,i honestly don't know why she did not mention it.

I still had the form I did in the blue ink so I have sent that instead because I can't see this doctor for 4 weeks to ask her about it and I am scared that because she didn't mention it on the form they will think I am lying on that part when i'm not.

My social worker discharged me weeks ago because she said she couldn't do anything to help me progress so I have no one else to back me up,i would honestly welcome any one of them into my home at night so that they could see how things are but I am just terrified now.

I couldn't send that form because my gp had not covered the night help I have to have,i don't even care about the old one being in blue ink anymore,i just sent it because this is hanging over me and I can't cope.

My worry though is that I cannot understand why my gp would not mention something she knows a lot about,i can't see her anytime soon and none of the other doctors there know much about me so I can't ask them and I don't think they would count anyway.

So here I am,sent off the first form without her statement because I was scared it would do more harm than good where she hadn't mentioned the night needs but worried sick that she wont back me up if they send out a report to her.

I just don't get it,she really does know a lot about all of my needs,i don't know what I will do,i am in such a mess,i can't face this anymore,i am telling the truth,i always told the truth and got my DLA okay but this is a mess.

I never asked my old gp to write on the form,they would just send him a report and he must have filled it in but I never asked him much because he wasn't very easy to talk to.

So now they will get the first form,blue ink but I don't care anymore but no statement from gp because I felt it might do more harm than good where she didn't explain it well about night times but I am fretting because if they send her a report and she ignores that part of my needs again I am definitely going to lose at least a part of my DLA.

I feel like my whole world is being ripped apart but surely every time I see her she must take notes,i can't speak to her for 4 weeks so I can't even ask her

whitewing

Oh dear, you are in a pickle and worrying. I can't give you advice really as I don't know about it.

Perhaps you could write to the doctor and remind her of the conversation about your night-time needs.

What's your health problem? - Is there an organisation that can help you through the process.

zzzLazyDaisy

LostandAfraid wrote: »

I am fretting because if they send her a report and she ignores that part of my needs again I am definitely going to lose at least a part of my DLA.(

Please try and calm down as this stress is not helping you (whatever your medical condition).

First thing - call the GP Surgery and ask for a note to be placed on your file that you are to be contacted if DLA request a report from the GP before that report is submitted to DLA.

Next, make a note of your care needs - do not ramble just give the bullet points and keep it to one side of an A4 page (the GP does not have time to read the DLA claim or long documents/letters about it).

Then write a short letter to your GP, thanking her for her continued help and assistance, confirming that the DLA form has now been submitted, and saying that DLA may contact her directly for more information about your needs. Tell her that you have attached a note about the things you and she have discussed previously, for her information, and confirm that you wish to see her to discuss these issues before she replies to any communication from DLA.

hth

Daisy

SandraScarlett

Excellent advice from LazyDaisy!

xx

Soleil_lune

Yes good advice from Daisy, and do take that advice... But as an aside, did you not realise that the 'someone who knows you' does not have to be your doctor? Your husband could have written in that section. You could have had this done and dusted, and dealt with weeks ago..

I hope it goes well... And I hope you get your DLA continued.

zzzLazyDaisy

Soleil_lune wrote: »

Yes good advice from Daisy, and do take that advice... But as an aside, did you not realise that the 'someone who knows you' does not have to be your doctor? Your husband could have written in that section. .

And still can. The statement does not have to be written on the form itself - you can just type up a letter like this and send it

---

Name
Address

Date

Dear Sirs

DLA RENEWAL: CLAIMANT'S NAME AND NI NUMBER
Section [xx] 'Statement from someone who knows you'


I refer to the above renewal form which was submitted on [date], and should be grateful if you would please ensure that this letter is filed with that form for the Decision Maker's attention.

My name is [Name] and I am [the claimant's husband/carer/whatever].

>
>
>

Then continue to describe what the person knows about you and your day to day care needs.
>
>
>

Yours etc

NAME OF PERSON

---

LostandAfraid

Thank you so much,see I get in a state and then I can't think in a rational way about what to do.

LazyDaisy that is so helpful and that is what I will do,i will ask them to note that I would like them to contact me before filling in any reports that are sent and then I will write that note about my needs and a letter to go with it.

I sometimes feel that by writing I am being a bit pushy with her,i did that with my ESA form too but I am always polite and genuinely grateful for her time and help so hopefully she wont mind.

I know she is very busy plus she has gone down to part time and is a very popular gp in the practice so I can see why she wouldn't have time to read through a lot of paper work and take it all in.

Thank you all again,the support means a lot and I shall do what LazyDaizy said then I can stop fretting and feeling so upset.

I did think about asking my husband to fill in that part of the form but I was worried that they would ignore it and think he was not impartial enough.

Thank you all,i will get that note written up ready for Monday

atrixblue.-MFR-.

Soleil_lune wrote: »

Yes good advice from Daisy, and do take that advice... But as an aside, did you not realise that the 'someone who knows you' does not have to be your doctor? Your husband could have written in that section. You could have had this done and dusted, and dealt with weeks ago..

I hope it goes well... And I hope you get your DLA continued.

'someone who knows you' section holds no meaning when its completed by a member of family its often sidelined when they look at relationship to the person filling in this form. its always better and holds meaning and authority when its filled in by a professional.

OP you can still forward further evidence or "anything which will help them decide the level of award based on the information you provide" that's even a report written by your ex social worker, you can call your ex social worker and ask her if she is willing to make a report on why you were signed off, what your needs were, etc etc as it is a recent thing, you can also write to DLA and ask them to contact your ex social worker for a report providing name and address and department the SW worked out of.

swheatley

I recently successfully applied for DLA for the first time and was successful. I had my husband write the statement in support as he knows my needs better than anyone else. If the decision maker wants more info they will contact your GP and they will ask for further info. I am not sure whether having a professional or not do it makes any difference as they will not make a decision until they are satisfied.

I would stop worrying so much ( I know it's easier said than done) and take the advice from Lazydaisy.

I hope all goes well

Tigsteroonie

(Not really relevant to the OP but I wanted to post this in case others find this thread in search of information on how to complete the form.)

I've never asked someone to complete that particular page in three times of submitting the form for our son's DLA claim (MRC/MRC/HRC awards). Instead I write:

"I have not requested a professional to complete this section because my son has multiple disabilities and a single report would not reflect the complexity of his support needs. Please refer instead to the attachments to this form which include reports from each and every professional involved in his care."

rogerblack

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

'someone who knows you' section holds no meaning when its completed by a member of family its often sidelined when they look at relationship to the person filling in this form. its always better and holds meaning and authority when its filled in by a professional.

If they do this, they are breaking both guidance and the law.
Yes, they may decide that a professional has more expertise.
However, for them to simply ignore care needs specified by a carer needs specific reason.

In practice - in some cases they do seem to take this into account.

Should - if possible - you add medical opinion - certainly.
But a report from the carer can be a powerful bit of evidence containing facts not known by anyone else.

I should also note that they are unlikely to reject a form written in blue ink.