Dla and son with autism advice

SnooksNJ

Mummyboo777 wrote: »

Thanks for the positive inputters, I shall see what happens. Good luck to those wanting to change the system. And the ones taking the moral high ground.... Me I shall be enjoying quality time with my boys
:rotfl:

I'm glad because from what I understand the sooner you begin working with your son the better.

BucksLady

It is so easy to sit back and judge other people. However, I have a sister who has Asperger's Syndrome and would challenge anyone to walk a day in her shoes. For those who criticise parents of disabled children for claiming benefits, then shame on you. There isn't a parent in the world who would give anything to have their child functioning normally.

Indie_Kid

BucksLady wrote: »

For those who criticise parents of disabled children for claiming benefits, then shame on you. There isn't a parent in the world who would give anything to have their child functioning normally.

I wonder how many critcising would do the same if they had a disabled child / were disabled themselves?

pmlindyloo

BucksLady wrote: »

It is so easy to sit back and judge other people. However, I have a sister who has Asperger's Syndrome and would challenge anyone to walk a day in her shoes. For those who criticise parents of disabled children for claiming benefits, then shame on you. There isn't a parent in the world who would give anything to have their child functioning normally.

I really don't think the posters questioning people claiming DLA/PIP for their child would disagree with you.

What I think is being questioned is that extra money should be given without querying where the money is going.

The fundamental concept of DLA/PIP/AA began with the belief that people with disabilities had extra cost related to those disabilities. The government accepted that these costs would be too cumbersome to administer and so the 'descriptor' system was devised.

There is do doubt that some people abuse the system and there is equally no doubt that the majority of people do have extra costs. How those extra costs can be defined and whether they are 'acceptable' is open to question.

I read of people who feel that it is their 'right' to claim everything that they are entitled to no matter whether they need it financially or not. Many of those benefits (eg Winter Fuel Allowance) is taken regardless of people's financial status. It is often heard quoted 'well, I have paid my taxes and NI contributions so expect something back from the government.'

We all have our own opinions of how the benefit system should be run and there are many flaws in it but until/if things change we are stuck with it.

Indie_Kid

But if you checked where the money is going with disability benefits, you have do that for all benefits. Why just single out those of us on disability benefits?

Tigsteroonie

Severely autistic kids break things, and break more things, and break the replacement things .... I'm sorry, but you've obviously no idea what it's like to have a severely disabled child. And although I'm into educating the public, I don't think you'd want to learn. Perhaps instead you'd like to come and take care of our child for 24 hours, seeing as you think it's "normal" behaviour? We could sure do with a break ...

SingleSue

As I did, middle son is not in receipt of any disability benefits, any costs related to his drumming which in turn has helped his Aspergers, were met out of my or family member's pockets, not disability benefits...as any parent would do.

My 'investment' has certainly paid out though, he is doing something he loves, something he is good at and as a by product, it is helping him to overcome his disability.

SingleSue

As the parent of the 'Aspergic kid who drums', as I have already explained, he didn't (and still doesn't) receive disability benefits to pay for it, I and his family paid for it!

When his needs (as in medical needs) were high, he did receive DLA but that was years ago and well before we discovered the positive aspect of music for him. Back then, his DLA paid for his therapies, travel, special foods etc. As he improved (as the DLA paid for therapies started working and we found a work around for other issues), his requirement for DLA also reduced and then reached a point where it was not applicable any more.

By the way, the Aspergic kid who drums also has a brain injury which means he has extremely poor short term memory and has difficulty understanding verbal communication, a connective tissue disorder which means his joints dislocate regularly without warning and blood clotting issues, a bowel disorder and has little or no warning of the need to toilet (both bowel and bladder) due to damage to the nerves plus he is also partially deaf......not just an 'Aspergic kid who drums'.

That 'kid' is now 18 and started university yesterday, still needs a lot of support but again, is NOT receiving DLA or PIP! So no need to get on a high horse about DLA paying for drumming or a special talent!

BucksLady

Each case is so very different and that is why none of us should be quick to judge the actions of others.

My sister has AS; asthma; dyxpraxia; epilepsy... and the list goes on. She was never ''well'' enough to attend school and as an adult is not ''well'' enough to work. She never complains and neither does mum who has cared for her 24/7. My parents' never made any application for benefits until she was of school leaving age and then only because of advice from our GP. Do we judge others for claiming sooner? Most certainly not.

Good Luck with your application OP and I wish both you and your family well for the future

rogerblack

FBaby wrote: »

At the moment, DLA is left untouched with reforms because no politician dares to do so, especially Cameron who I believe himself claimed it for his child. I do believe that one will do soon though because DLA is costing more and more to tax payers and people are starting to be more aware of how it is awarded and monitored.

A most recent personal experience, a colleague claimed DLA following a hip replacement. They were awarded it (with the blue badge) for 2 years. However, 8 months later, they are back to their normal activities and are doing well. If they were assessed now, they wouldn't pass the test, but nothing will happen for another 16 months and they will continue to get the money until then. I would love to know the number of claims stopped because the applicant called and said their needs are no longer there sooner than expected. I bet it is extremely low, yet there must be quite a few whose needs change for the best sooner than expected.

Very, very wrong.

DLA is being converted over to PIP, for all working age people by mid 2017. Many have already been moved over, indeed I am about to start completing the forms.

Your friend is committing benefit fraud, if she is in fact not in significant pain when walking. (or it does not endanger her health, or she does not get DLA for some reason she has not informed you of)
Report them.

Absolutely nothing changes in respect to this for PIP.
If people attempt to commit fraud, and do not report changes as they are legally required to, there is no diferrence between the two systems.
DLA is NOT only awardable for long periods for a short term disability - it can be awarded for periods of 9 months or more.
The person is - as with PIP - required to report changes.

Actual research has been done into DLA fraud by the DWP, and been found to be low. This is actual random sampling of claims, going out and investigating peoples claim in detail.

Errors in peoples self-reporting leading to over-claiming is similar to errors made by DWP staff.

If DWP staff have problems understanding the criteria and applying it, it is reasonable that people may be unclear about the awarding criteria.

On the food issue - I would in principle agree - if and only if the 2500 for personal care was also available to those who need it to go about a semblance of a normal life.