Disability living allowance for over 16's with diabetes

margaretclare

N9eav wrote:

The only thing that stumped me was there is no difference in her attitude and needs from age 15 (365 days) and now being 16. Still I guess you have to draw the line somewhere........

This 'teenage rebellion' is well-known and often discussed by Diabetes UK and elsewhere. They can't and won't allow you to control what they eat and when, and they spend time with their mates and want to do exactly the same. A problem!

Re drawing the line on a birthday - yes, this is the same thing that happens between DLA up to age 65 and AA after 65. So a major change is assumed to take place on a particular birthday! For example, an adult getting DLA is asked questions about cooking a meal, mobility questions, those kind of things. How it affects your life in so many ways, but AA only deals with things like dressing, bathing, bathroom needs etc. Once you hit that 65th birthday it seems to be assumed that you no longer need e.g.mobility, cooking a meal, bending to get a joint out of the oven, those kind of things. I can't get any help with mobility and free bus travel is useless as I can't walk to the end of the road to the bus stop (thank goodness for the car!!)

I don't want to hijack the thread either, but there are these cut-offs on a particular birthday.

Aunty Margaret

Fran

margaretclare wrote:

I can't get any help with mobility and free bus travel is useless as I can't walk to the end of the road to the bus stop (thank goodness for the car!!)

I assume the reason they don't give mobility as part of AA is because there would be many more claims once you go over the age of 65 and that's not somewhere they want to put their money, even though mobility is clearly a problem for many over that age.

filigree_2

foxhaven wrote:

I can assure you that none of that is relevant for a diabetic. Epilepsy is an entirely different ball game and as far as the benefits agency are concerned, diabetes alone does not qualify or justify special consideration unless it's allied to either physical or mental impairment. And let me make it quite clear that diabetics do NOT need special foods or supervision to ensure proper control of the disease and a good quality of life.

I know they don't need special foods, that much is common knowledge especially if you have friends and relatives with the condition as I do. It seems the OP has not had the benefit of full advice on this issue so the lass might well benefit from joining a support group (even if only for a short period) to gather this sort of advice for herself.

As a trained first aider I was taught how to recognise a hypo, so I'm not imagining the possibility that someone with diabetes occasionally has a bad spell and needs help to recover.

My point was that there are certain stresses in life common to lots of youngsters with a chronic condition. I ran a support group for children with epilepsy and many of our concerns were common to all special needs teens - independent living, self esteem, compliance with treatment, the effects of drugs/alcohol on the condition etc. I'm sure the girl will live a long and successful life but during the transition from dependent child to independent adult she might need more support than most healthy 16 year olds.

According to the Department of Health's best practice guidelines:

Children and young people with diabetes need the support of a health service not only expert in child health and diabetes, but also able to support them through the transitions from childhood through adolescence to adulthood. Diabetes is often more difficult to control during the teenage years and in early adult life due both to the hormonal changes of puberty and to the emotional roller-coaster that often characterises adolescence. Young people have higher rates of diabetic emergencies, and death rates are significantly higher than in young people without diabetes. Greater effort is required to ensure effective diabetes control at this time than at any other stage of life both by health professionals and by young people themselves.

foxhaven

N9eav wrote:

Agreed this is the most difficult part of diabetes in teenagers. To be honest they don't want to eat veg, fruit and other healthy things. They don't want to do blood tests or take their insulin on time. ..

Not all teenagers are lazy or irresponsible or stupid or feckless or ........... Most go on to have a good quality life without complications and manage their diabetes to fit in around their adopted lifestyle. And let me repeat, it is NOT a condition, chronic or otherwise. It is a DISEASE and if more teenagers had it drummed into them how serious the DISEASE could potentially be if it wasn't managed properly then maybe just maybe there would far fewer complications later on. Of course help,support and guidance are important to instill a discipline, I'm not denying that, but so many in particular young people are allowed to slide into denial. I agree wholeheartedly with the Department of Health's best practice guidelines but all too often these are not applied as rigorously as they should.

blueopal5577

Good luck to you. Everything is relative. DLA as others have said, is not about the name of the condition, its about how it affects you. As a nurse I worked with diabetics who ran marathons, I also worked with some who for a thousand and one reasons (dual diagnosis of depression common) could not manage to keep good control, and suffered the consequences. Whilst diabetes and depression are not biologically linked (can debate blood sugar impact somewhere else), the chances of a person having depression increases greatly if they have a long term illness / diagnosis. I think thats specifically true for some young adults. They may have the "same condition as Steve Redgrave" but are unable to deal with the emotional impact. This comes under the DLA Q "do u need supervision in order to prevent hurt to yourself blah blah blah".


I until recently thought I wouldnt be entitled to DLA (in the process of applying). I had the same naive notion of disability. Then I realised 15 years of Depression being unable to wash, work, function, eat, causing me to self harm etc, trying to work, then becoming ill, being so embarrassed about my time off that i'd quit and being told by a consultant psychiatrist (it took 23 yrs to be referred!" that this was something i was born with (strong family history). Another person with depression, perhaps reactive depression after a bereavement may not need DLA. But for me it would give me the security to be able to afford psychotherapy (im on the waiting list!) which is not an indulgent "getting to know myself" but an avenue to dump negative emotion... so i can function, work, pay taxes. To be able to afford support so that someone could just check in on me, which would give me the motivation to not be embarrassed by untidyness etc.

I actually work in the NHS myself, am under 25 (first records of severe anxiety age 3) and therefore dont qualify for working tax credits... based purely on my age. I understand the government needs to cut back but like you, I feel we pay into the system, and DLA is not just for those with a visable defined disability. Its about how a disability affects you. Its also not something that is given for life, its reviewed and im sure as your daughter gets older it'll get harder for her to claim (they'll never make it easy!) But I myself wish you all the best. The money paid now to keep her in good health, will hopefully reduce the chances long term of her having all the possible nasties that would cost the tax payer a lot more.

dmg24

I doubt that foxhaven will see your message bo, as they posted in 2005, and have not logged in for the past 18 months.

Zziggi

bethscott1970 wrote: »

As a 16 year old the requirements are slightly different from a childs application. Previously you would have to prove that she required more help than her peers, the criteria for an adult is different and involves things such as being able to cook a meal.

I have a relative with T1 diabetes and always got DLA as a child. AS soon as they turned 16 and got a renewal form they were turned down flat. They asked for the reconsideration, went to appeal etc and was turned down flat. Reapplied, went through the whole proceedure and was turned down flat. It appears that with diabetes once you become an adult it is not seen as a condition requiring much support and unless you have associated medical problems then you don't get DLA.

chazzy

hi guys i'm new to this thing...came across the post whilst searchin in google! 1st of all i'm a 19 year old student with type 1 diabetes (diagnosed at 3 1/2) and my DLA claim was rejected, i then issued an appeal which was also rejected and now my case is being taken to the Tribunals Service. some of the posts written here by some obviously very ignorant and narrow minded individuals have really angered me to be honest. unless you live with the CONDITION (and thats what it is...a chronic condition which is usually caused when the pancreas stops workin completely) it is almost impossible to pass judgement on people claiming disablity living allowance.

My tribunal hearing date has not yet been set (i hope it happens before i go back to uni though) but i guarantee i shall let them know exactly what i think of the whole process! i'd like to see them tell my little brother that i can look after myself when he's had to pick me up from bottom of the stairs on several occasions after i've fallen from the top to the bottom whilst hypo...or my flatmates in uni who had to pick me up from the kitchen floor after i dropped a plate on my foot and collapsed whilst hypo...or my mother who's had to call an ambulance more times than i care to remember when i'm having a fit in the middle of the night due to low blood sugars.

I know some people will think that i'm being dramatic but quite frankly i've had enough of living with this condition...its literaly controlling my life. I've missed work because of it, i couldnt hand in an assignment for uni because i had a hypo which resulted in my falling and hitting my head on my door (knockin me unconscious!), I may have my drivin licence taken away (its being renewed in january and it's not looking too hopeful with my track record in the last year), and i constantly have to adjust my plans because of it (swimming is a big no-no...makes me hypo very quickly!).

The thing that i really don't understand is the fact that I was receiving disability living allowance (the highest care component) up untill i was 18 (they stopped it during my a-levels when i was closer to 19 than 18!). this means that i was already gettin the adult claim and not changing from child to adult. It's been such a financial and emotional burden on myself and my family during the last year as this was the 1st time i've ever left home and my mothers care. I eat extremely healthily (although like most diabetics i have a sweet tooth!) but found it very expensive regardless of what other people say! I'm also wheat-intolerant which was another pain in the behind! unlike my fellow students i cant live off tesco value baked beans and 8p packs of noodles as the sugar content is far too high...and fresh fruit just seems to be gettin more and more expensive eating properly is very important as a diabetic though as weight management is part of managing diabetes, and as a result of 'cuttin corners' with my eatin i successfully managed to gain 4kg in my 1st year of uni! i actually have no idea how i'm going to afford better food when i go back next month as i'm heavily in debt and this DLA would provide some financial relief as my mother is also feeling alot of financial strain after her benefits (child tax credits, mothers widows allowance) all stopped when i left last september...so all in all it's not a good time in this household at present

i appreciate that this is a rather sizeable post but needed 2 get alot of things off my chest 2 be honest...now i need to prepare what i'm goin to say at the tribunal case! i shall get what i deserve though (especially when i have to declare my 'disability' on my drivin licence, insurance, work forms ect!)

diolch (thanx)

slummymummyof3

Chazzy, have you read Dr Berstein's Diabetes Solution - The complete guide to achieving normal blood sugars? Fantastic book! Can I also suggest you go on www.diabetes.co.uk/diabetes-forum/ there are some really informative chaps on there who may well be able to assist!
Good luck!

Sea78

N9eav wrote: »

This is a bit specific, but We have been in receipt of disability living allowance for our daughter who suffers from diabetes. The extar cash is a great help to buy the extra more expensive sugar free foods etc.
She will soon be 16 and we have to re-claim. The forms are different as they focus more on her abilities and disabilities rather than the need of parents to care for her, and we are wondering if she is still able to receive it?

Its all dependant on the level of care your daughter requires with her treatment and any supervision needs. Normally awards of DLA start from 2 years and normally run until the childs 16 birthday. If her diabetes is controlled, it is unlikely she will be awarded at the renewal. However, as many children rebel at this age every case is treated individually and I have known award continue far past the childs 16th birthday. I would compile a diary of what on a day to to basis you do for your daughter as a result of her conditon and submit it with her claim, ensure you show any hospital admissions she may have had in the past 6 months as this will indicate how contolled her condition is or is not. Its defenetly worth applying again, unless she requires no assistance, remember prompting and encouragement can count as care. Good luck