lionrampant said:
The mechanism for awarding DLA is screwed up.
There has to be a mechanism of some sort.
I have supported friends and people I work with in my professional role to get DLA. I have spent hours filling in the sodding things with people only to have it turned down and then awarded on appeal when the DLA pros have become involved. So now I usually suggest that they get help from the CAB, Welfare Rights or Age Concern.
In my experience the problems are as follows
1. People, even highly educated people, are not particularly good at filling in forms. Some of the worst forms I have ever seen have been filled in by doctors. People don't read them properly and don't provide the information requested (and doctors think that because they have asked for it it will happen for no other reason).
2. When it comes to disability, especially disabilities that creep up on you slowly, people cope with the problems they have and minimise or simply don't notice how bad things have got, even when it takes all morning to get dressed.
3. It takes about 2 hours to fill in a DLA form, by the time you have filled in all the sections you have lost the will to live so don't check it propely because you are writing the same thing over and over and are bored.
4. You have to fill in the form as if every day was your worst day. I remember someone said to me "they are asking me to tell lies on the form" (she had been referred to a benefits specialist) because she did not have those problems every single day.
5. You need to use the right language - this is where a lot of people who don't have an obvious serious disability that makes them look obviously disabled fail, especially if they are trying hard to cope.
6. The DLA form is long and complicated and not the easiest form to fill in.
If you apply for DLA, get help from someone or an organisation who knows how to fll the form in.
The thing is, if you struggle to make a meal for yourself from scratch (from raw ingredients) you may well be eligible for the low rate of care. If you need help during the night you may be eligible for the high rate.
You don't know everything about someone's situation, and sometimes people make things up or miss bits out :? :roll: You should listen to my elderly auntie talking about what her neighbours get/don't get compared to her :shock: :roll: they are very competetive and I'm sure they wind each other up on purpose!