DLA for Child refused

[Angel_gail]

Hiya Everyone

My son has been Type 1 over 5 years now, he is almost 13 and this morning we have just had word that he will no longer recieve DLA as from his 13th Birthday (next month). I am guttered. I spent over 9 hours filling these forms in, sending every bit of evidence I could, showing them how many times I am up during the night sorting him out and they just flat out refuse him. No down grade, nothing! So how can he go from Highest care componant to nothing. If anything, he needs even more help now because he is hitting puberty, his sugar levels are raging out of control. I intend to appeal but just wondered if anyone as ever won an appeal?

Yesterday evening, the Sugar levels were in the thirties, come midnight, we were fighting Hypos and having to wake him to give him food till 2:30am. This morning, he has gone to school shattered.

Do the DLA people think while he is 12 years old he needs lots of help and as soon as his 13th birthday hits, he's fully recovered and able to manage it himself?

 

[Elc1112]

It does seen a bit strange how he can be eligible for help one day and told no the next. However, I've never found the DLA stuff to be particularly clear. I've been diabetic for over 20 years but always been told that I am not eligible for the DLA. It confuses me how some diabetics are and some are not. Oh well.

Anyway, I think you're well within your rights to ask what's changed (seemingly overnight) and then decide whether it's worth appealing.

Em

 

[Cobra3164]

Hi angel_gail. I am currently on DLA and have been refused a few times. The answer to your question is a lot of appeals are sucessful as have been with myself. On the form filling for them do not forget they want to know how things are when they are at their worst nights/days it is important to fill them in this way, the reason I say this is that it was advice the DLA gave me direct and that was given to me and my wife for an appeal which was sucessfull. Its not the idea that you are laying on the problems thick but they work on the idea of how bad it can get caring for your son and how much of your daytime/nightime attention you give when things are at their worst, you do not need to soften anything you say as long as it is a truthful situation you are comlying by their rules.

I hope you win that appeal

Simon aka Cobra3164

 

[nataliegage]

I used to work for a GP who did DLA Appeals which we won. Contact a local Solicitor or contact your local Health Arbitrator and ask them to open up an Appeal for you. Having been diabetic from the age of 6, I am well aware of what I went through and the Hospitals could never stabilise me as an in-patient, so it was left to my poor mother, who was given little help with dealing with my hi's and low's. Good luck with Appealing. As another member has said, the answers you give to these people is what you have to do mainly on the bad days. As you so rightly say a boy going through puberty will need a lot of care and attention. A bit of advice though, is always make sure he eats just before going to bed. Don't worry if his BM is higher at night. It should be so he can get through the night. I had regular hypo's at night, until I decided to eat a lot more. Good luck to you and your son with his diabetic control and his Appeal. Hopefully as he's a non-earner you can have the Appeal done on legal aid. Get in touch with Citizen's Advice or the internet to find Solicitors who deal with medical negligence etc., they will usually take a case like this on.

Natalie