Coming off DLA

Peggybabcot

Hello for the past nine years I have received DLA both at the higher rate due to a very severe neurological condition that mimics daily severe strokes so paralysis down one side etc. I have now had several operations and there has been a significant improvement and I've decided not to reapply when it expires this month. As I was receiving in excess of £500 a month this will be a huge cut in our income. I am back at work, albeit part time at the moment, under doctors orders but as I'm self employed it's going to take time to build my business back up again. I wondered if anyone knew if there was any help available to enable me to adjust to this large loss of income? Many thanks x

Cyclamen

Hello peggy,

I am glad you have had success with your health that is great.

Are you now fully able to manage your care needs and mobility.. would you be entitled to the lower levels of DLA/PIP?

I am no expert but you could look into workingtax credits?.

tomtom256

If you had have a change in circs via an improvement you should have maybe ended your claim earlier or asked for a review at an earlier date.

When did your improvements begin as you could be leaving yourself open for further inverstigation when you don't renew.

Of course it may not happen but who knows.

tinkledom

Peggybabcot wrote: »

Hello for the past nine years I have received DLA both at the higher rate due to a very severe neurological condition that mimics daily severe strokes so paralysis down one side etc. I have now had several operations and there has been a significant improvement and I've decided not to reapply when it expires this month. As I was receiving in excess of £500 a month this will be a huge cut in our income. I am back at work, albeit part time at the moment, under doctors orders but as I'm self employed it's going to take time to build my business back up again. I wondered if anyone knew if there was any help available to enable me to adjust to this large loss of income? Many thanks x

There are not that many that would even admit to having reduced needs, I am so pleased to hear of your honesty. Yes you are supposed to inform them when your health improves not just decide not to make a renewal. The same goes for medication as well as surgery. If medication helps in any way, reduction of pain giving increased mobility etc, you are supposed to tell them that as well.
I do wonder how many actually do?? How many times do I see those that walk with a stick outdoors, yet are more than able to get around without it where no one can see them.

Peggybabcot

Hello everyone. I was waiting to speak to my neuro re prognosis and I did indeed notify them of a change in circumstances as soon as I was able and this has been very recent so not heard back from them yet. I've had my renewal pack for ages and held off reapplying until the outcome of the surgery went one way or the other as no one could know. So at no point have I claimed for something I'm not entitled to and I suppose I'm a fool for not reapplying now. Maybe I should and let them decide rather than me just assuming I'm not entitled. You don't have stroke like symptoms every day for 9 years and it not have some long term affect on the body Thanks again everyone x

Heycock

Peggybabcot wrote: »

Hello everyone. I was waiting to speak to my neuro re prognosis and I did indeed notify them of a change in circumstances as soon as I was able and this has been very recent so not heard back from them yet. I've had my renewal pack for ages and held off reapplying until the outcome of the surgery went one way or the other as no one could know. So at no point have I claimed for something I'm not entitled to and I suppose I'm a fool for not reapplying now. Maybe I should and let them decide rather than me just assuming I'm not entitled. You don't have stroke like symptoms every day for 9 years and it not have some long term affect on the body Thanks again everyone x

Your last sentence really tells you what you should do. Renew the claim and give them your health update, making sure it includes your consultants prognosis. Remember, the DLA claim isn't based on WHAT condition you have, but the impact it has and how that impact requires intervention. What you think is insignificant help could be enough to entitle you at the lower levels. And it's not whether you GET the intervention/help, but that it's deemed to be needed. Give them the info and let THEM make the decision. Then there's no comeback.

Good luck.:beer:

tinkledom

Heycock wrote: »

Your last sentence really tells you what you should do. Renew the claim and give them your health update, making sure it includes your consultants prognosis. Remember, the DLA claim isn't based on WHAT condition you have, but the impact it has and how that impact requires intervention. What you think is insignificant help could be enough to entitle you at the lower levels. And it's not whether you GET the intervention/help, but that it's deemed to be needed. Give them the info and let THEM make the decision. Then there's no comeback.

Good luck.:beer:

I'm in a similar situation with my wife but it is Attendance Allowance. Personally I can't see that my wife is entitled to it any longer so have reported those facts to the DWP. They immediately suspended the award pending a new claim form being completed. Whether I complete it for her is another matter as I can't see how she is entitled.
Your comments are in my opinion a little too close to the mark in suggesting that everybody should claim DLA even if they think that they are not entitled. In reality I hope that doesn't happen as it will play havoc with the cases where people actually believe that they are entitled to claim. You shouldn't just fill out a claim form, ignoring the hours and days it takes to complete it, on a speculative basis.

Heycock

tinkledom wrote: »

I'm in a similar situation with my wife but it is Attendance Allowance. Personally I can't see that my wife is entitled to it any longer so have reported those facts to the DWP. They immediately suspended the award pending a new claim form being completed. Whether I complete it for her is another matter as I can't see how she is entitled.
Your comments are in my opinion a little too close to the mark in suggesting that everybody should claim DLA even if they think that they are not entitled. In reality I hope that doesn't happen as it will play havoc with the cases where people actually believe that they are entitled to claim. You shouldn't just fill out a claim form, ignoring the hours and days it takes to complete it, on a speculative basis.

The fact is, there are thousands of people out there not claiming for what they deserve because they believe their condition doesn't warrant financial help, or because they don't realise they're entitled full-stop. Or because they don't have the literacy, articularcy or social skills to successfully claim.
The people in suits have set the parameters presumably because they know better than the rest of us. Sometimes it works against the little guy, sometimes it works in favour of the little guy. The suits don't hesitate to turn down deserving cases so it's everyone's responsibility to claim and let them make the decision. And then appeal.
As claimants, we don't make the rules. The suits do... but we don't have to do their dirty work for them.
You personally don't see how your wife is entitled. Are you medically qualified to say that?

tinkledom

Heycock wrote: »

The fact is, there are thousands of people out there not claiming for what they deserve because they believe their condition doesn't warrant financial help, or because they don't realise they're entitled full-stop. Or because they don't have the literacy, articularcy or social skills to successfully claim.
The people in suits have set the parameters presumably because they know better than the rest of us. Sometimes it works against the little guy, sometimes it works in favour of the little guy. The suits don't hesitate to turn down deserving cases so it's everyone's responsibility to claim and let them make the decision. And then appeal.
As claimants, we don't make the rules. The suits do... but we don't have to do their dirty work for them.
You personally don't see how your wife is entitled. Are you medically qualified to say that?

No I'm not but I live with her! You don't have to be medically qualified, it's all about the help a person needs relating to a disability which may or may not have even been diagnosed.
With all of the adaptions, aids and building work that we have paid for (£25,000) to convert our home to enable my wife to lead a normal life at home despite her disabilities, the care needs that she had prior to the work have now more or less gone. We have made it possible for her to cope on her own. before that I had to do everything for her, getting her to the toilet 24/7, getting her into and out of the bath and washing her. Doing all of the cooking, transferring her from chair to chair throughout the day etc.


I still think that it is totally wrong to put in speculative claims in. Surely someone that cares for someone will know that they have care needs or not?
No wonder there is a backlog if all and sundry are 'trying it on'.

A_Flock_Of_Sheep

tinkledom wrote: »

No I'm not but I live with her! You don't have to be medically qualified, it's all about the help a person needs relating to a disability which may or may not have even been diagnosed.
With all of the adaptions, aids and building work that we have paid for (£25,000) to convert our home to enable my wife to lead a normal life at home despite her disabilities, the care needs that she had prior to the work have now more or less gone. We have made it possible for her to cope on her own. before that I had to do everything for her, getting her to the toilet 24/7, getting her into and out of the bath and washing her. Doing all of the cooking, transferring her from chair to chair throughout the day etc.


I still think that it is totally wrong to put in speculative claims in. Surely someone that cares for someone will know that they have care needs or not?
No wonder there is a backlog if all and sundry are 'trying it on'.

I think your view of DLA is too narrow. It's payment isn't limited to the help a person needs in their own home.

You may very well have paid umpteen thousand to convert your home to the point where your wife needs less help than before. But vene reading your response I am doubtful all the work you have done has transformed her to a non disabled person. I have yet to find a disabled bath that has a connected robot that actually washes the person to save human intervention. And you mention washing there above. Do you also have a robot that sorts her medication if she has any? Also a similar robot to cook for her?

However, what about if she were to stay with a relative, when she is out of the converted house in the shopping mall or even if she was at work?

DLA IS NOT paid solely for the help needed in the home environment. People on DLA even work. The payment even keeps them in work and helps them get to and from work.

Would your wife cope as well as she does at home if you took her to your town centre, dumped her in the middle and then you wandered off for the rest of the day and had no further contact with her until midnight? The fact that she would not perhaps go to the town centre is not enough to say DLA is not payable.

So when you fill the form in don't just think about the help you need in your house!

tinkledom

A_Flock_Of_Sheep wrote: »

I think your view of DLA is too narrow. It's payment isn't limited to the help a person needs in their own home.

You may very well have paid umpteen thousand to convert your home to the point where your wife needs less help than before.

However, what about if she were to stay with a relative, when she is out of the converted house in the shopping mall or even if she was at work?

DLA IS NOT paid solely for the help needed in the home environment. People on DLA even work. The payment even keeps them in work and helps them get to and from work.

So when you fill the form in don't just think about the help you need in your house!

I agree in part with you, but you have to look at each individual case. In her case she doesn't work, she's nearly 70 and I was referring to Attendance Allowance (DLA for the older person), there are no relatives that we would stay with, she certainly doesn't go out shopping, she prefers her home and her garden over everything else.


You can't claim for the 'what if's', it's factual for the individual claimant.