Help with dla claim form

[bingoringo4]

Hi, I've just called to get a claim form sent to me. I'm knew to this and have no idea how I'm going to fill it in. Is there anyone here who can advise me on what I need to do? What evidence do I need etc thanks

Hi OP

Get this moved to the Sen board, there is a lot of support there. My advice would be to make sure you are able to photocopy your reports and make a list of what reports you are sending, don't send origonals.

Get someone involved in the care of the child to complete the signatory page, it helps if you have to go to appeal you have already done this.

If you don't get it then appeal, as with most things 90% of appeals are successful.

Make sure you fill out the form with the worst day and night in mind, don't sugar coat anything. You will get nothing.

Cerebra is a brain charity that has a really good guide to completing the form on their website.

wait times are about 4 months but they do backdate to when you get the form.

Do it belt and braces forts time so if you have to appeal its easier.

If you get middle rate care then you can apply for Carers allowance.

When I filled in the forms, I started with the ‘easy’ questions- name, address etc.

For evidence, I included diagnosis reports, reports from professionals, reports from school. Literally anything that might support my case.

Some of the questions need more thought and possibly you’ll want to write more than the space allows. For these, I typed up my response on a computer and printed and enclosed it with the application form. I wrote ‘see attached’ on the form. When I wrote my answers, I was completely frank and included as much detail as possible. I tried to paint as much of a picture as possible about the situation. Where something varied, I described best days, average days and worst days and approx how often they occurred. You’ll likely want to have a good think about some of the questions because things become normal to you and it can take some thinking to realise that you should include it.

Perhaps go to the disability organisation’s webpage- they may have specific advice on applying for DLA for that disability.

Thank you both both for your help. Do I need to inform uc of her diagnosis? Will I get the disabled child element or is that once she's been given dla. Sorry for all the questions I'm so knew to this I haven't got a clue what I'm doing.

You won’t receive the disability element until you start getting DLA.
If you have a family worker, you could ask them for help completing it. Sometimes they can word things better than us.

If you get Council Tax Support, make sure you tell the Council too if you get DLA. It could make a difference to what you receive. I say ‘could’ because Councils have their own local schemes. .

Excellent advice so far, just wanted to say be prepared for the emotional factor when filling in the forms it can be draining and quite upsetting having to break your child down into some of the questions and answers that you have to give. Give clear factual answers and try to provide evidence to go with each answer as much as possible. It took me 2 whole weeks to fill in my daughters first dla form after I'd put it off for a good year after being told I need to apply, be kind to yourself, take breaks and good luck!

Thank you all you've been so helpful.

@Sprinkles211 I'm actually dreading filling it in. It hasn't sunk in yet and I'm feeling so emotional today. I'm going to need some help to fill it in because like pp said it's become our normal now and looking at some of the questions they sound like they don't apply to her but when talking to my mum it's pretty clear they do.