Disability living allowance for over 16's with diabetes

sarah_loo

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 15, I'm now 21. I managed my diabetes perfectly up until the age of 19, I'd started to be rebellious against my condition. I found that not injecting my insulin would help me to lose weight and this is extremely common in teenagers and young adults. I've now been diagnosed with Diabulimia, which is an eating disorder. Over the past 2 years I've been in and out of hospital umpteen times with diabetic ketoacidosis, which can be fatal. I've been referred to the mental health team at my local hospital. I have to be supervised on a daily basis by friends and family to ensure I take my insulin, which I must admit can be very hard when you have issues with your weight. So tell me I'm not entitled to DLA am I not at risk to myself?? Of course I am.

People that have posted in this thread have infuriated me saying how it's something you have to live with, yes you do, but it can be extremely hard for some people to come to terms with. You don't know what it's like unless you actually have the condition itself.

N9eav

That's very true sarah. When I started this post in May 2005 ! my daughter was 16, she is now 20 and has experienced a few life saving visits to the hospital with keytone acidosis. She has not experienced the eating disorders though, in fact she just eats what she wants and that is not always good.

One of the main issues on this thread is that that diabetes and other illnesses are not always recognized by the benefit people as a valid reason to get financial help. Some people agree with that and some who do not suffer with it do not... Those that have first had experience see how much of a burden it is..

It's a debate that will go rumbling on, but one thing is for sure.... More people are getting diabetes than ever.

davefrombristol

My daughter is just coming up to 16 and has been Type 1 Diabetic since the age of 9. I am a lone parent dad and have been since she was 8 years old.

I now have a form for DLA to fill in ( We have had DLA since she was diagnosed as I was advised to fill in the forms by her diabetic nurse )
Dealing with the teenage phase of Diabetes is one of the most stressful and worrying times that I have had to go through. when she was 11 she rebelled and refused to eat dropping significantly in weight. In the last six months she has made two attempts at committing suicide by way of overdose. Whenever she stays overnight at friends or even extended family it has led to me on occasions picking her up from different hospitals due to uncontrolled management.

CAMHS have recently been involved as she regularly makes it clear that she doesn't want to be here anymore.

Should this have any impact on her claim for DLA after her 16th birthday - At present the claim is active and has been for all her teenage life - does it now simply stop at 16 even though the hospital trips and mental health involvement clearly isn't going to stop in two months time when shes 16 !

JC9297

On the award letter it will state when the award is until, a few months before the end of the award period you will be sent a renewal pack. It may well be that the award is due to be reviewed around her 16th birthday but it will not suddenly stop on her birthday.

Even if the award is not due for renewal yet you will be contacted about the award being paid directly to her rather than to you, unless you can show that she cannot manage/understand money (usually in cases where eg the young person has a learning disability) the payment will go straight to her. They do not consider a parents argument that they will spend the money on cds etc a good reason as most teenagers would do that.

davsidipp

Jomo wrote: »

I don't know why I'm bothering trying to explain anything to you as the majority of your post doesn't even make sense :rolleyes:

You have completely overreacted to something I wrote which wasn't even commenting on anybody on here...so exactly what gripe have you got with what I have said?

I know of 3 people with the condition, 2 of which were diagnosed later in life and 1 who has had it since he was a young boy (T1) and all I ever commented on was how the condition has affected their lives...I made no mention of anybody else (how could I - I don't know them:rolleyes:).

Who are you to come back to me with your sorry, pathetic ramblings, accusing me of something that must be going on in your little head :rolleyes:

I have every right to an opinion and just because I don't have diabetes doesn't mean my opinion doesn't count! I know people who do and I do speak to them

All I will say is this, benefits should be there to help those who really need them, if we start giving money to all and sundry for every condition that exists on this planet regardless of whether the condition actually stops them from living a reletively normal existence...my god we'd be skint!

Oh and btw, I have no doubt there are some cases that will be deserving of benefits...but as I was only commenting on the people I KNOW OF personally! Some people should CHILL!

where was i being pathetic i was stating facts have the condition yourself then you can judge oh i forget you know people who have the condition and they cope fine does that make sense!

dmg24

davsidipp wrote: »

where was i being pathetic i was stating facts have the condition yourself then you can judge oh i forget you know people who have the condition and they cope fine does that make sense!

Why are you quoting a post from a year ago?

Gemstar30

Hello

DLA for someone that only has Diabetes aged under 16 is totally different than someone over 16 only with Diabetes.
When I say only, that is because there may be other conditions which together cause a problem.

I have Type 1, use two types of Insulin, check blood 3 times a day and a 'pee-stick' once a month.
I have had it for quite a while now and yes I have had hypos as well. I carry a 'red' kit with me where ever I go which is a ready to use injection in case of a severe hypo. I wear a SOS braclet with details of my condition.
Eyes and feet are checked annually.
My BSL range 2.8 to 12.5 on my monitor with my blood glucose tests at the GP's coming in at 8 regularly.

I have never heard of anybody claiming DLA for only Diabetes over age 16.
It is not a disability, you learn to live with it. You have good times and bad times. It certainly has never stopped me doing exactly what I wanted to do, nor do I eat anything different to the 'normal' person.
The idea today with modern Insulins, is that Insulin injections have to fit round my life and lifestyle not the other way round.
I have friends that are in the same boat as me and they too, act entirely normal.

Of course I was and am still told that I must watch my diet - why?
I asked my GP and he said that it doesn't matter what you eat - all I have to do is simply adjust my Insulin intake.
I have a friend of the family who is 32 and lives a very hectic lifestyle. Drinking, night clubs, meals you name it he does it. All he does is work out what he is to do, what he is to eat and take an injection say 15 mins before the meal and he is fine.

If I had to follow every bit of advice like weighing the potatos etc I would go insane!

Live your life and use Insulin to help you do it.
And they say anyhow it is approx 30 years before your start to experience problems, well in my case that will put me well past 90!!!!

Check out the Diabetes UK website, even they the experts will say that claiming DLA just for Diabetes is a non starter!!

Gemma

davefrombristol

Jomo wrote: »

2 and a know someone with T1 and all of them live very normal lives. T1 by a change of diet and T1 with daily injections.

No way would I have thought they could make a claim for it...I'll have to go and tell them ;-)

What utter nonsense you talk JOMO - How come when a child is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes the diabetic nurses gives you a sheet Re: DLA and tell you to make a claim.

Do you think living a normal life is travelling to umpteen hospital's at all hours of the day and night and speaking to Mental Health Teams about how to prevent my child from ending their lives as they cannot cope with the condition/disbability.

Its not as simple as taking an injection with a set amount of insulin and your done for the day - You Naive Inconsiderate Fool.

sunnyone

davefrombristol wrote: »

What utter nonsense you talk JOMO - How come when a child is diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes the diabetic nurses gives you a sheet Re: DLA and tell you to make a claim.

Do you think living a normal life is travelling to umpteen hospital's at all hours of the day and night and speaking to Mental Health Teams about how to prevent my child from ending their lives as they cannot cope with the condition/disbability.

Its not as simple as taking an injection with a set amount of insulin and your done for the day - You Naive Inconsiderate Fool.

My husband has stage 4 kidney failure and the clinic gave him a sheet about claiming DLA but he dosnt have care or mobility needs so he hasnt tried to claim it, for some conditions you are just handed a big pack of information which includes information about DLA but that dosnt mean that you are definatly able to get a award, only that some people with that condition may have care or mobility needs and that they may be entitled to DLA.

Its people like you that are naive about DLA, it isnt given for a diagnosis but for care and mobility needs only.

davefrombristol

sunnyone wrote: »

Its people like you that are naive about DLA, it isnt given for a diagnosis but for care and mobility needs only.

Six years ago when I was in the childrens hospital the diabetic nurse gave me the information pack for DLA and pointed out that the care element would entitle me to medium rate DLA which then qualifies you for Carers Allowance ( as long as your not over the earnings threshold ) Therefore I paid particular notice when filling out the care component of the form. ( Certainly wasn't naive there ! )

Reason why is simple - for six years, day in, day out as a single parent dad my daughter has needed me to manage her insulin regime to prevent hypoglycemia & ketoacidosis coma's occurring to start with.

It is not me that has decided that I am entitled to DLA - It is the Government's own Department in Blackpool and the medical profession that clearly recognise the condition/disability whatever you like to call it - as a "lifethreatening condition" where the "treatment is complex" - not my words but the diabetic nurse's words.

So maybe you want to consider that you, along with countless others are maybe missing out on a benefit that you are entitled to - and recognise that I might not be able to fully recognise what sort of care is needed to manage your husbands condition - the same as you cannot begin to realise what sort of mental and physical effort I have had to go through every day to try and manage my daughters condition and keep her safe.