DLA no care component for a child

ZoeHarris24

Hello 👋🏻

Could someone advice me with this. My 9 year old one recently have been awarded with only mobility component (lower rate) still waiting for letter with more information. He goes through autism assessment, has a educational health care plan at school, so loads of evidence about it. Additionally he has arfid eating disorder, allergic eye condition, sensory issues, loads of evidence from hospitals about those conditions as well. It's confusing why there's no care component at all. Any advice and information would be very appreciated. Thank you.

Danien

That does sound odd. ASD for a child with so much support would normally mean a care component. 

The problem with doing child DLA claims is that you need to show that the child needs help over and above what another healthy 9 year old would need. Even if the supporting evidence seems to show this, decision makers often need it spelled out for them on the claim form.

You can put in a mandatory reconsideration and if that is refused, an appeal. You would need to write a submission showing that your child has care needs over and above what a healthy 9 year old would need. Really spell out the difference. It's not easy, and I would advise you to find a welfare rights organisation that does benefits help to get assistance with this. There are some who have specialist children's advisers who are experts at completing these types of claims.

We can give you some advice here on what to write, but would need more information on the difficulties your child has.

ZoeHarris24

Danien said:

That does sound odd. ASD for a child with so much support would normally mean a care component. 

The problem with doing child DLA claims is that you need to show that the child needs help over and above what another healthy 9 year old would need. Even if the supporting evidence seems to show this, decision makers often need it spelled out for them on the claim form.

You can put in a mandatory reconsideration and if that is refused, an appeal. You would need to write a submission showing that your child has care needs over and above what a healthy 9 year old would need. Really spell out the difference. It's not easy, and I would advise you to find a welfare rights organisation that does benefits help to get assistance with this. There are some who have specialist children's advisers who are experts at completing these types of claims.

We can give you some advice here on what to write, but would need more information on the difficulties your child has.

Thank you for your advice. My son's SENco at school helped me to fill the form and we went loads into details how much support he needs in daily life, not only at school. I just still can't get how it's possible to not get that care component at all. I have heard it's opposite where you eligible for care, but not for mobility component. Waiting for a letter to find more. But I will definitely appeal it as it doesn't seem right.

Danien

Yes, it's frustrating when you give so much information, but there is a way to complete the form that works, and one that often doesn't.

For instance, not sure what eating disorder your son has, but take someone who eats non food objects, or who will eat anything and everything they see food or not.

A decision maker who looks at that may think that all children need their food monitoring and need their food choices watched, and children famously but all sorts of things in their mouth and up their nose and so not make an award based on a decision that they only need the same care and supervision as any other 9 year old, so you need to show that the child needs care over and above what another child may need.

The way to fill in the form is to first point out what a 9 year old without this disorder would need in terms of care and supervision - so they may eat too many sweets when unsupervised, or maybe think a thing that looks like fruit in the wild may be edible when it isn't. A parent will limit the food the child is allowed to eat, not allow them access to too many sweets and provide education about not to eat things when they don't know what they are, or are non food items, and for most 9 year olds this is enough. They don't need constant care or supervision over what is put in their mouth and can be left alone to play inside or outside with the parent or caretaker close by but not constantly supervising.

 But for a child with this particular eating disorder they have care abd supervision needs far over and above another 9 year old due to having a compulsion to eat things, non food and food. They need to have constant care and supervision as when your back is turned they may eat (or drink) rubbish or cigarette butt's or dog poo or things that are poisonous to them like normal substances around the house. Areas all around the child need to constantly be kept clear of anything they may compulsively eat or drink, cupboards need to be locked, older sister's bedroom has to be locked. Supervision is constant during food preparation or meal times as they may eat extra food they are not supposed to including siblings or parent's food and at school, otherwise they may eat other kids school lunches. Constant vigilance and supervision needs to be had at all times at home, and especially in environments that cannot be controlled outside the home including all day at school and when outside the house where they will pick things up in the garden and eat them or along the street etc. Child will hide or steal food, be emotional abd aggressive and have meltdowns when thwarted of their desire to eat constantly and can attack other children who don't want their food taken away.

This was based on an appeal I did quite a few years ago.

I found that stating what care or supervision another child of the same age would need first and then contrasting it with the needs of the child in question had the best success.

Hope that gives you an idea of what is needed to challenge the decision first with mandatory reconsideration and them if needed an appeal.

ZoeHarris24

Thank you so much for such a good explanation. He has Arfid.. that's an eating disorder loads autistic children has. He has very limited diet as eating certain food, it's all about texture, looks, smell, even brand. He's underweight and has to be monitored by hospital, have been prescribed special milkshakes to gain his weight. We ended up in hospital 2 years ago as he couldn't recover from Nora virus and stopped to eat what put him in danger. Have been told by pediatrician that last thing to do is to force him to ear, instead needs to encourage at least try. Honestly I can't remember everything we put on claim as it was long time ago. It toke 30 weeks for them to make a decision, but that massive hold was for another reasons, not his special needs. But I do remember to put down loads in details about his eating issues. Just this time when appealing I want to make sure I'm writing down everything in right way

Danien

ZoeHarris24 said:

Thank you so much for such a good explanation. He has Arfid.. that's an eating disorder loads autistic children has. He has very limited diet as eating certain food, it's all about texture, looks, smell, even brand. He's underweight and has to be monitored by hospital, have been prescribed special milkshakes to gain his weight. We ended up in hospital 2 years ago as he couldn't recover from Nora virus and stopped to eat what put him in danger. Have been told by pediatrician that last thing to do is to force him to ear, instead needs to encourage at least try. Honestly I can't remember everything we put on claim as it was long time ago. It toke 30 weeks for them to make a decision, but that massive hold was for another reasons, not his special needs. But I do remember to put down loads in details about his eating issues. Just this time when appealing I want to make sure I'm writing down everything in right way

So with the eating disorder, on the submission, start with describing what help/supervision any other 9 year old would need with eating with isn't much, most 9 year olds have food likes or dislikes but apart from that they can eat most things, don't need much if any encouragement to eat at mealtimes and can be trusted to eat their packed lunch or eat at a friend's house. Then contrast with the extra help and care you need to provide for your child. Even then try and contrast with the amount of time it would take you to get your child through a meal compared to another child - another child would need food made for them and maybe a little encouragement to eat veggies, maybe a few minutes in total. How long do spend each meal, or with between meal prescribed shakes trying to get your child to eat?  Explain the dangers, so the hospitalisation risk, the being underweight, the effect on immunity, development, cognitive functioning that comes with poor nutrition etc.

When you write describing the issues and much more care or supervision it needs than a healthy 9 year old, imagine you are talking to someone who doesn't have a child, who doesn't understand what help kids need and with what at what age, as it's possible the decision maker doesn't have that background knowledge.

Then do the same with every difficulty your child has which requires care and supervision over and above that of another healthy 9 year old, you need to compare all the time and try to put a time value to it, and how many times throughout the day. It sounds like you have enough medical info to back up what you're telling them, it's just a case of spelling it out to them like they have no idea what a 9 year old is capable of, let alone one with your child's issues.