Autistic Son and Blue Badge, Advice needed

samf1971

Broken_hearted wrote: »

People who don't need the badge or mobility component are getting it. No two and a half year old has road sense. My seven year old runs off if I don't hold him but he doesn't need a blue badge.
On the other hand my DH has serious mobility issues and can't care for himself yet we only get low rate for both DLA.

So you should appeal then, the fact that you're disgruntled that you only get low rate care doesn't mean that others are not entitled to high rate care at whatever age.

I do agree that there are lots of people getting the blue badge who don't have the high rate dla & that is something that should be looked at as a seperate issue as to how it's given, and perhaps it should ONLY be given to people with an award of mobility. However there is a very big difference between having no road sense and an ASD child - an assumption you shouldn't make without knowing all the facts.

Broken_hearted

I know all that and we have but DH is not a cute kid or an OAP so it's a fight for everything. Its very inconsistant each time we get a different award the worse he gets the less money and help we get. It's like they know we have so little energy left to fight.

samf1971

peediedj wrote: »

as has been said b4,its a bit of a lottery,you need a good doctors report,and when fillnig out forms you need to put the worst case senario of ur worst day

I think it depends on the assessor too, which is quite unfair, the dla handbook gives quite good info though so they should really all make the same decisions based on that - shame as I know plenty who should be entitled to higher rates of care/mobility but just can't go through the stress of appealing/tribunal

Broken_hearted

We appeal EVERY time and god know how often I've asked for respite care. We tick every box on the list for high rate, with Drs and hospital notes. There is no reason that anyone can find why they keep ruling the way they do. We have social workers, OT's and the CAB fighting it but nothing.

samf1971

Broken_hearted wrote: »

I know all that and we have but DH is not a cute kid or an OAP so it's a fight for everything. Its very inconsistant each time we get a different award the worse he gets the less money and help we get. It's like they know we have so little energy left to fight.

Exactly, it's so unfair, it shouldn't be one rule for one and another for someone else, and everything we do for our kids is such a battle everyday, it seems to be a case of the more they make you fight the more it grinds you down so you'll just give in in the end and they get their way with awarding less money

samf1971

Broken_hearted wrote: »

We appeal EVERY time and god know how often I've asked for respite care.

I know of someone who basically said if you don't provide me with some respite I can't be responsible for my actions & she got the care soon enough - that speaks volumes

peediedj

samf1971 wrote: »

shame as I know plenty who should be entitled to higher rates of care/mobility but just can't go through the stress of appealing/tribunal

1st time we applied,and didnt get it(think we got middle rate for both?)we went to cab and they helepd us draught a appeal letter which worked,if our next application gets rejected,then i know its defiently a lottery

peediedj

Broken_hearted wrote: »

We appeal EVERY time and god know how often I've asked for respite care.

respite cares a major issue,aronud where i stay we get our son into a great respite care place 1 weekend a mnoth(fri afternoon after school unitl sunday lunchtime) that all we get and 1 full week a year so myself and my wife have a break away for a few days,we know of a woman who stays a street away who has twins 1 is autistic,1 isnt,but as shes a signle mum who doesnt work and is always on the phone crying to social worker she cant cope she gets same respite palce every 2nd weekend,and although she has a mibility car,she cries she cant drive in our local city so the kid gets a taxi there and back,which would be nice,would give me a longer break,but neither myself or my wife are liek that crying we cant cope and just get on with it

lil_me

Postcode lottery aswell with most of it. Where I live there is NO respite facility for children. Carers can apply for direct payments but the hours allocated is VERY small and I have not even considered applying as it doesn't seem worth the hassle for 1-3 hours a week which seems the average. If someone said they couldn't cope without it, the child would probably end up in care to be honest. Personally I wouldn't want my sons in respite care facilities because they are my children and I want them with me, but just mentioning what the situation is here.

As for higher rate mobility, I believe it is rare based on the amount of families I know with children on the spectrum locally, this is a huge number, less than 5 receive higher rate mobility. 3 of those will admit to 'laying it on thick' when completing the forms. Noone should put the worst case every day on a form, it should be as true as possible when it comes to real life and every day. An honest account of the daily needs, nothing based on just 'what's the worst outcome' as that would be dishonest. That way when people are investigated (seems to be happening more frequently in cases for children), noone can trip them up.

peediedj

lil_me wrote: »

As for higher rate mobility, I believe it is rare based on the amount of families I know with children on the spectrum locally, this is a huge number, less than 5 receive higher rate mobility. 3 of those will admit to 'laying it on thick' when completing the forms.

how in general is the mobility of those kids? my son,s 11 years old(will be 12 come his review in feb 09) and he can only walk maybe 12 feet maximum,with the help of a k walker(on a good day,some days less,some days not at all,he has a bad habit of collapsing when using k wlaker if he doesnt want to go any further ) mostly at school,going to and from school hes in a wheelchair and at home he crawls about from room to room,he had a big hip operation about 2 years ago,as 1 of his balls was coming out the socket and since then his walking has been worse,so come next review they,ll be told all that,some people may lay it on thick,but we,ll tell the truth,and if he doesnt get high rate mobility then theres something far wrong