DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE

[stoney]

Hi All

I have received through the post yesterday the DLA for James for aged 16 and over.

My Question is has anyone else had the same form for their child approaching 16 and do 'I' being his Mum and carer still fill in the form myself as I have done in the past, as James is still a minor and not 16 until 9th April. His DLA runs out on the 8th April and they have asked to send it in asap.

Also on page 35 (Statement from Someone who knows you) I myself would need to fill this out and put a signature but on page 37 the Declaration, do I again sign or is James supposed to sign this. :?

I would be grateful for any help with this. :yawn:

Yvonne x

 

[picklebean]

I've had some experience with DLA and that darn form... If you're unsure I would definitely recommend actually phoning them and asking them direct what you should do, because getting it wrong will mean your application won't get processed and it takes long enough as it is. If you ask them at least you won't end up missing out on payments.

 

[stoney]

Thanks picklebean

I phoned them today and they said that Yes, I fill out the form for James as they normally send them out when a child is 15 and a half in readiness for their 16th birthday and prior the end of their entitlement period.

Well here we go with the mammoth task of form filling :roll:

Thanks again

 

[picklebean]

ha, good luck... I'm currently filling one out too because I have to reapply some time in the new year... 38pages of awkward questions that I don't really know the answers to... ugh! :roll:

Glad you got it sorted! And really, good luck with that form!

 

[TwinkleToesKirsty]

Make sure you are very descriptive with them as adult DLA is slightly harder to get. I find it best to get a note book and write all the problems that I encounter during the day. Don't be afraid to go onto additional pages if that's what it takes go be fully descriptive. I also send evidence of my problems, such as a care plan, gp letter or hospital discharge summary.

If I can help at all please let me know!
Kirsty x

 

[picklebean]

Kirsty makes a very good point.... When I first applied for DLA I had regular access to a group of social workers as part of a women's group. They all told me that you have to describe everything in great detail and it should be how it is on the worst days. The way the form is structured means it sometimes difficult for some questions but where you can, you need to be explicit about the problems he faces, how it is for him when things are really bad. It's not a matter of lying or bending the truth; it's the only way the people making the decision will know how bad it gets. If you don't tell them they won't know, so don't hold anything back.


I also recommend, if you have access to a photocopy or scanner, copy the form before you send it off so you will have a record of what you've written.... It's helpful for reference but also for the next time you have to fill in the form.... Which you undoubtedly will have to do at some point because most claims only last a specific number of years.

Good luck!

 

[TwinkleToesKirsty]

Also, if you think something is important, but the form doesn't make allowances for you to write that then say so and make a point of writing it in the additional information section. Read the guidance notes too, theres sections on the form that ask you how far you can walk ect, but remember that they want to know how far you can walk without pain or discomfort - so if you can walk 100m but after 20m you are in pain, say 20m - it's like a puzzle sometimes filling those forms in!

The DWP are being very strict at the moment, something about the company gets payed more if they 'correctly decline' a certain number of applications, so that decison makers are not inclined to accept applications that they shouldn't... But it has caused a few people who should be entitled to DLA to be declined. If you don't get what you think you should get and what the decision makers say you should then ask for it to be looked at again and a lot of the time it will go in your favour.