For asking a serious non-judgy question about DLA...

[itisnearlysummer]

My BIL has 3 children. The middle one has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. We don't have a lot to do with them because our lives and interests are very different although we live close by so see them at family get togethers. So I am aware that we don't necessarily have all the facts.

Now, the other day BIL phoned DH to tell him that they'd "blagged" another £200 a month because of DS2. By this they mean they get middle rate DLA.

Both parents work and this isn't in addition to other benefits so I'm not bashing!

When my DH asked what the DLA is for, BIL replied that he didn't really know but they were happy to give it to him, so he was happy to take it. Which is fair enough!

So, genuine question for people in a similar position is what is DLA for in this situation? Our understanding previously was that DLA was a financial support for people who might incur extra costs as a result of disability, or because parents/carers might have to reduce work hours/stop working to care, extra parking/travel because of attending appointments, etc. But they've said that none of these apply to them.

Other family members have started to make negative comments about this, but it must be for something and not just compensation for having a more challenging than average child!

Never heard of review for DLA, but DS will be on PIP next time if he qualifies with all the new rules.

Dla is reviewed at 3-5 year intervals not 6 monthly dependant an the child. 6 monthly would be a horrific waste of money and also against the legal definition of disability.

I wonder if it's just a review after the first 6 months? Ours apparently will be reviewed end of July, and our claim started the end of January? I wonder if it's because DD is still undergoing diagnosis & tests and therapy and god know's what else?

Triggles, our Farm Foods has nothing but junk. I have seen bags of frozen veg and milk and bread, but no organic selection whastsoever, very limited bread choices (only white and only warburtons, last time i was in there) , nothing baked in store, and most of our Farm foods' 3 rows of freezers are full of frozen ready meals full of salt and preservatives and whatnot. While their milk is cheaper than anywhere else, by the time i got up to our high street, i'd have spent the savings on a bus pass.

even tescos express have a better selection.

as for DLA, DD1's first award was for 3 years. Her second award (at renewal) has been for 5 years.

DD2's first award was for 5 years.

nicevideo - If it has bags of frozen veg, milk, and bread, then it's not all junk. Some of us are not overly stressed over organic or not (feel free to judge that, I really am not fussed). I don't require a huge selection of bread choices, as ours carries a couple with which we are happy. So if you're not happy going there, that's your choice. Rather rude IMO to tar everyone that goes there as buying junk for their children and being all snobbish about it.

I do not buy into this idea that only chavs or poor people go to Farm Foods, Tesco, and Asda, while more "acceptable" people go to Waitrose and such. To automatically "class" or "judge" someone based on the supermarkets they frequent is absolutely ridiculous (and usually only done by those looking to belittle others and thus feel better about themselves - in other words, judgemental people).

Its fuck all to do with judging, Triggles.

I USED to shop there when i loved closer to the high street, thats why i know so much about it!! but i didnt buy much food in there other than cheap milk because it was all junk, in my opinion. We were living on the breadline but we didnt buy much in there because it wasnt good enough to feed my kids.

Now we live a lot closer to a tesco to the price hike for milk is worth getting a choice in breads (and a lot of frozen food sans preservatives and msg and whatnot).

to you.

hey... aren't biscuits junk? You didn't buy that at Farm Foods, didja?

justabout no it's not but I get what hte psoter is saying

our farmfood (not thatw e have one now, was when we lived back home) had mushy epas, processed crap all the way.

you didn;t save on frozen carrots over Tesco but they looked like the expensive choice becuase of all teh cheap processed gluetn and MSG added shite on offer next to them.

Just to repeat,
Poor old Nicevideo was just helping out Starlight. Someone else made the Farm Foods and Fruit Shoots into a slur.

Starlight asked what Farmfoods was, and Nicevideo replied. It wasn't Nicevideo who brought it up in the first place.

Yes, that is true, EllenJane. I can't find the specific post, but I believe it was someone else that referred to Farmfoods and fruit shoots. However, Nicevideo also then described it as naff and went on to say this:

"There's inexpensive affordable food, and then there's cheap shit that i dont hate my kids enough to feed them, iyswim..."

So, while Nicevideo didn't make the initial derogatory comment, she certainly wasn't making any nice implications about those who shop there either.

Let's be realistic - those foods that people are calling cheap and nasty processed ready meals and such are also available in all the major supermarkets, but I suspect a number of people still shop there. I still detest the whole "where you shop" judging and acting like people who shop there are beneath contempt or are purposefully aiming for malnourishing their children. FWIW, I often buy bananas, potatoes, eggs, milk, bread, toilet roll, kitchen towel, and cleaners at Farm Foods as it's convenient (just down the road, so can walk instead of driving) and often cheaper.

Yeah, too true. Just didn't like to see SN mums fighting each other. Too soft, I am.

our farm foods doesnt sell potatoes, or bananas, or any sort of fresh veg whatsoever. Frozen veg, frozen ready meals, warburtons white bread only, cheap milk from a local farm, TP and kitchen roll, and lots of biscuits and fizzy drinks 4 for £1. It is only 3 aisles wide, and most of it is freezers of ready made lasagne and fish fingers.

to the poster who asked about a 6 month review, never heard of that, dd is 16 and has had dla since she was 3 or something and we have never had a 6 month review.

My daughters DLA pays for her riding therapy,the shoes she wears out and the stuff she breaks along with drama lessons etc. It is her only social entertainment as ASD kids don't mix well.

I am more than happy to give up her DLA if it means tattybye to her Aspergers :)

happy to go round mine with a camera if you like, post a film on youtube. seriously.

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to Farmfoods we go,
With a camera and a load of woe,
Hi ho, hi ho, hi ho, hi ho.

Sorry about crap rhyme!

Zactly Sudanne. if you take the bloody genetics the DAL can follow sharpish.

We don't have a farmfoods here despite 20% unemployment. Weird huh? You'd think target market n all!

My child receives DLA higher rate. Due to disability we can’t take him abroad on holiday so we bought a static holiday caravan. Can we use DLA to pay for ground rent.

You can use it however you see fit to try to make your child's life more tolerable. A safe and familiar holiday home sounds ideal.

This thread is 12 years old, though, so if you want more answers, best to start your own thread. I'd also stick to the SN boards with this type of question because in AIBU you may get very judgmental replies from people with no experience of disability.

Yes maybe it’s because your situation is in flux… we have had it for 2 and a bit years now and not heard anything about a review.