Sister has Spina Bifida - Care component of DLA?

Sammy-Jo_2

As a result of my sisters condition her mobility and therefore her ability to perform household/personal tasks has diminished. She has been told she needs a knee replacement but because of SB the joint will only last 5 yrs and cannot then be replaced due to the wear and tear on the joint already so she will be in a worse situation than now. She now walks on crutches within the house and uses a mobility scooter os. She still works ft but finds it impossible to stand unaided and falls over (a lot!). We are in the process of altering our home so she can come and live on one level and so I can do jobs around the house for her i.e. laundry/cleaning/shopping etc. My question is: do you think she would be entitled to any of the care element of DLA? She receives HR mobility which she uses for a lease car. (mobility scheme).

pmlindyloo

Sammy-Jo wrote: »

As a result of my sisters condition her mobility and therefore her ability to perform household/personal tasks has diminished. She has been told she needs a knee replacement but because of SB the joint will only last 5 yrs and cannot then be replaced due to the wear and tear on the joint already so she will be in a worse situation than now. She now walks on crutches within the house and uses a mobility scooter os. She still works ft but finds it impossible to stand unaided and falls over (a lot!). We are in the process of altering our home so she can come and live on one level and so I can do jobs around the house for her i.e. laundry/cleaning/shopping etc. My question is: do you think she would be entitled to any of the care element of DLA? She receives HR mobility which she uses for a lease car. (mobility scheme).

Based on what you have said it is certainly worth reporting a change of circumstances to see if the care component can be awarded.

Depending on what area you live in it is possible that your change in circumstances may prompt her having to apply for Personal Independence payment instead of DLA.

Check out this link:

https://www.gov.uk/dla-disability-living-allowance-benefit/how-to-claim

If she has to claim PIP the current DLA payment would continue whilst the application for PIP was going through.

GlasweJen

You're concentrating on the wrong things, when filling in the applications think personal care: washing, bathing, dressing, cooking, eating etc.

Also if your sister uses a wheelchair and can independently transfer then write about why she still needs support. I had a DM ask why I can't use an oven and had to explain that my chair gets in the way.

Sammy-Jo_2

She manages to get around on crutches (enough to independently shower and dress) uses a seat in the shower - sits on chair to get dressed but she struggles to lift or do anything requiring both hands. i.e. a saucepan as this takes two hands so she can't use her crutches and leans on the worktop) things like getting a casserole dish inside and outside an oven she would find very difficult. I think she is worried about 'opening a can of worms' i.e. PIP assessment and if they altered the HR mobility part (for whatever reason!) so she would be worse off. I dont want to convince her to apply and then she vould be worse off... can that happen? Thanks for you replies.

GlasweJen

When you request a review they will ask if you want to review care, mobility or both. This is just a request and they can review the whole award if they want so do be careful.

rogerblack

PIP is - in principle - in some ways a lot more generous for the 'frail/doddery'.
(speaking as one)
For example.
If it takes you twice as long as the average person to safely:
Prepare and cook a simple meal.
Eat.
Wash and bathe.
Dress.
Make budgeting decisions.

Then these would possibly each separately qualify you for significant points.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/pip_9_table_of_activities_descriptors_and_points.pdf

This is because while the descriptor may say:

4g 'Cannot wash and bathe at all and needs another person to wash their entire body'

- and at first glance it would seem that very very few people meet this test. (for 8 points, which is enough to grand you standard rate care alone).

The regulations amplify what each one means - by explaining how these should be interpreted.

You must, for example be able to do something safely, to an acceptable standard, as often as is reasonably required, in a reasonable time period.

Taking the above bathing descriptor.
If it takes you more than twice the normal time to bathe, and someone to help you with either washing your hair, torso, or legs (alone) would not speed this up to below twice the normal time, then you qualify under the above descriptor and get 8 points.

Chorlie

rogerblack wrote: »

PIP is - in principle - in some ways a lot more generous for the 'frail/doddery'.
(speaking as one)
For example.
If it takes you twice as long as the average person to safely:
Prepare and cook a simple meal.
Eat.
Wash and bathe.
Dress.
Make budgeting decisions.

Then these would possibly each separately qualify you for significant points.

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/pip_9_table_of_activities_descriptors_and_points.pdf

This is because while the descriptor may say:

- and at first glance it would seem that very very few people meet this test. (for 8 points, which is enough to grand you standard rate care alone).

The regulations amplify what each one means - by explaining how these should be interpreted.

You must, for example be able to do something safely, to an acceptable standard, as often as is reasonably required, in a reasonable time period.

Taking the above bathing descriptor.
If it takes you more than twice the normal time to bathe, and someone to help you with either washing your hair, torso, or legs (alone) would not speed this up to below twice the normal time, then you qualify under the above descriptor and get 8 points.

Hi Roger,

That's very interesting to know, has like the OP's sister has SB but I can't walk and had to give up work due to worsening on my condition over the years.

At the moment I get HR Mobility and MR Care of DLA, but with PIP the Mobility side isn't an issue (since I can't walk, but I can push my manual wheels chair), however I wasn't sure how I'd get on with the Care component of PIP, since it seemed to be a very Black/White question ie you either can or can't do what the question asks and doesn't seem to consider things like washing / ironing clothes etc.

I can do a lot of things the PIP form asks, but it takes me longer or I need someone for my own safety incase I slip getting on / off my stairlift or in / out the bath etc rather than help washing. Using a cooker isn't easy due to the height (being sat in a chair) so a pan of boiling water in one hand and trying to move you chair isn't easy (or safe) and bending to use an oven I haven't the stomach muscles to hold something and bend or straight up. But is a simple meal a microwave meal, which I've never eaten in my life and I don't own a microwave, but on paper I could use and eat a microwave meal (though I never would).

Have you got any links / info to explain more of the above.

Cheers

pmlindyloo

Chorlie wrote: »

Hi Roger,

That's very interesting to know, has like the OP's sister has SB but I can't walk and had to give up work due to worsening on my condition over the years.

At the moment I get HR Mobility and MR Care of DLA, but with PIP the Mobility side isn't an issue (since I can't walk, but I can push my manual wheels chair), however I wasn't sure how I'd get on with the Care component of PIP, since it seemed to be a very Black/White question ie you either can or can't do what the question asks and doesn't seem to consider things like washing / ironing clothes etc.

I can do a lot of things the PIP form asks, but it takes me longer or I need someone for my own safety incase I slip getting on / off my stairlift or in / out the bath etc rather than help washing. Using a cooker isn't easy due to the height (being sat in a chair) so a pan of boiling water in one hand and trying to move you chair isn't easy (or safe) and bending to use an oven I haven't the stomach muscles to hold something and bend or straight up. But is a simple meal a microwave meal, which I've never eaten in my life and I don't own a microwave, but on paper I could use and eat a microwave meal (though I never would).

Have you got any links / info to explain more of the above.

Cheers

personally I think this is one of the best guides:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-independence-payment-pip

Download - A Guide to Making a Claim

Chorlie

pmlindyloo wrote: »

personally I think this is one of the best guides:

http://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/personal-independence-payment-pip

Download - A Guide to Making a Claim

So where is states:-

In a reasonable time: No more than twice as long as the maximum amount of time that a person without your physical or mental condition would normally take to complete that activity.


How does this effect the descriptor / points?

If (for example) you use a shower seat, but it also takes you more than twice as long as 'normal' person to shower (getting in / out, drying etc) or again it takes you over twice as long to get dress compared to a person without a physical condition?

Than if you get dress by sitting on the floor since you can't stand as it's almost impossible to get dressed sat in your wheelchair; but the floor isn't an aid (but when you can't stand what else can you do....!!!)


I can get 2 points in each of 'Cooking, Washing, Toilet, Dressing' but I don't feel that really reflect my true condition in any of those descriptors...

pmlindyloo

Chorlie wrote: »

So where is states:-

In a reasonable time: No more than twice as long as the maximum amount of time that a person without your physical or mental condition would normally take to complete that activity.


How does this effect the descriptor / points?

If (for example) you use a shower seat, but it also takes you more than twice as long as 'normal' person to shower (getting in / out, drying etc) or again it takes you over twice as long to get dress compared to a person without a physical condition?

Than if you get dress by sitting on the floor since you can't stand as it's almost impossible to get dressed sat in your wheelchair; but the floor isn't an aid (but when you can't stand what else can you do....!!!)


I can get 2 points in each of 'Cooking, Washing, Toilet, Dressing' but I don't feel that really reflect my true condition in any of those descriptors...

In these circumstances I would be using the extra information boxes plus extra sheets of paper describing exactly as you have done here for each activity.

Also I would keep a diary of a few days in your life describing exactly how you manage it.

But most of all I would be getting some professional help to complete the forms (welfare & benefit advisor/CAB)