Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Disabililty Living Allowance

162 replies

yesreally · 26/07/2011 13:25

Have namechanged for this.

A friends daughter (aged 8) has been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Obviously they have had to make some changes in their lifestyle, but she is still going to school, after school activities, sleepovers etc.
The child is to receive £200 a month in DLA.
I'm shocked. Not at them for claiming it, as they were advised to by the diabetes nurse, but by the system.
There are cancer patients who cannot get the drugs they need to stay alive due to funding issues.
Am I alone in thinking this is strange?

OP posts:
whackamole · 26/07/2011 13:27

I don't know all the ins and outs of diabetes, but Type 1 (I think) is pretty serious and can cause all manner of nasty things if not kept under control.

YABU until you know anything about diabetes.

mumnotmachine · 26/07/2011 13:28

Its not just DLA they will get- if shes been awarded the Middle rate of care someone can also get Carers Allowance at £55 a week, and also get the disability element of Tax Credits at arount £60 a week.

I'm sure they would still rather their daughter not have diabetes mind!

mumnotmachine · 26/07/2011 13:28

Especially Type 1- its a horrible frightening illness, which can get very serious very quickly

silverfrog · 26/07/2011 13:29

my dd1 goes to school, after school activites, and does a whole lot of things.

yet she would be entitled (if we claimed) to middle rate care and higher rate mobility.

YABU.

DLA is not handed out easily - have you seen the forms?

plenty of people who should, in fact, receive it are turned down. it is very hard to claim successfully.

if this girl has been awarded it, rest assured she has care needs over and above an average peer.

cornsilksy · 26/07/2011 13:30

YABU and it's none of your business.

mumnotmachine · 26/07/2011 13:30

Agree silverfrog.

tabulahrasa · 26/07/2011 13:30

'There are cancer patients who cannot get the drugs they need to stay alive due to funding issues.'

What's that got to do with it?

MissVerinder · 26/07/2011 13:32

YABU.

When you've lived with and cared for someone with type one, read that again.

You might realise how shitty it sounds.

silverfrog · 26/07/2011 13:34

OP, what makes you qualified to judge whether someone is disabled enough to receive extra support?

you do not know the details of their life - only what is presented to you.

you do not have to live their life, with all the stress that entails, or manage a difficult disability.

you have no idea why this money has been awarded, yet you judge anyway.

nice.

good to know that people who have illnesses and disabilities have your support, and are valued by you.

MsCellophane · 26/07/2011 13:36

type 1 diabetes is serious and the child will have care needs above and beyond a healthy child

YABVU

sleepindogz · 26/07/2011 13:37

a report out today saying only 1 in 10 on the long term sick (dont know what the trendy phrase is these days) are actually not fit to work

the sooner it gets sorted, the better for everyone.

tabulahrasa · 26/07/2011 13:39

sleepindogs

DLA is not an unemployment benefit, is nothing to do with fitness for work and has a fraud rate of 0.5% - so what is it you want sorted?

tabulahrasa · 26/07/2011 13:40

sorry sleepingdogz

AnansiGirl · 26/07/2011 13:40

Taught a 7 year old boy with type 1 a few years back.
We did his bloods in school at lunchtime, but if they were low and what we did wasn't effective enough quickly enough, he'd go home for 1:1 monitoring. To avoid coma and death.
If his blood sugar was too high, his parent would have to come in to give him an insulin shot. That need to be on call was daily.
Being a child, the management of his diabetes was tricky as the fluctuations can be huge and very sudden.
Any D&V bug or childish chest infections tended to put him into hospital.
Sometimes the extra food and its specific varieties can put a low income family over the edge, economics-wise. I'm sure there are other financial considerations I haven't covered as I don't have a child with type 1 myself.
So I don't get your point OP. Would you rather have more money in the budget, or are you saying that IYE this child doesn't need DLA?

Groovee · 26/07/2011 13:40

I presume you've never had to fill in the DLA forms? I had to do it online as I can't even hold a pen these days for long periods. To actually be awarded it is very rare these days. A number of my friends have been turned down despite being worse than me.

Their child will require extra care and what about if she ends up in hospital and parents need days off and hospital car park charges etc and grabbing bits to eat as nothing is offered to parents.

Original poster
yesreally · 26/07/2011 13:41

I do know the family very well, and I do know a lot about type 1 diabetes.
I am not judging, just asking if the system needs looking at.
I also think it should be means tested.

Of course they would rather she didn't have the illness.

The parents are baffled as to why they get it.

OP posts:
Groovee · 26/07/2011 13:42

sleepindogz I think you're mixing Incapacity Benefit up with DLA which you can receive if working.

AnansiGirl · 26/07/2011 13:45

Well, you could start a thread asking what people would stop the NHS dealing with in order to cut the budget.
Fat people, smokers and IVF are popular choices.

Groovee · 26/07/2011 13:46

It's to pay for expenses which otherwise the may struggle to pay for. My friend's dd is allergic to gluten and she had to buy her own toaster to prevent cross contamination, she needs to use her own baking trays for things etc. Gluten free food can come on prescription but things like biscuits etc don't and it is expensive to buy.

My friend got it for her dd with ADHD and uses it to pay for clubs which keep her attention and calm her down a bit. Its for helping people pay for things to help their life be a bit easier.

Mine helps towards childcare when I am poorly.

Original poster
yesreally · 26/07/2011 13:46

Silverfrog, where have I judged them?

I'm asking about the system.

Sometimes people are so quick to attack. I have nothing but sympathy for them

OP posts:
Original poster
yesreally · 26/07/2011 13:48

They are a wealthy family.
I stand by my previous statement that it should be means tested.

OP posts:
silverfrog · 26/07/2011 13:49

even if you know the family very well - you do not know the full details. only what is presented to you.

If the family are baffled, they could always not claim.

I do not claim DLA for dd1. she is severely disabled. but we do not need it. my life has altered completely - I am unable to work due to caring for dd1. we have had to employ people to help us with dd1. her cae needs are way beyond a typical 6 year olds.

but if I had DLA for her, I woudl probably say, even to my good friends "oh, I'm not sure why we get it, tbh. there must be plenty of people worse off. we manage ok" etc - even though we don't always manage, I would know exactly why we got it etc.

you cannot know what it is like to live someone else's life. not fully. I know my frineds have been shocked when they have seen more than the usual glimpse into my life. but my life is not bad, just very full on Grin

AnansiGirl · 26/07/2011 13:49

Do you think child benefit should be means tested as well?
And all those lovely tax deductibles for the wealthy?
And public schools with charitable status?

Birdsgottafly · 26/07/2011 13:50

DLA comes out of the welfare benefit budget and drug treatments out of the NHS/health budget, so one doesn't have an impact on the other. Totally separate.

Sleeping- that's rubbish, there are changes to the benefit system for those not able to work but for those who are going through advice centres to challange the removal of benefits (which is 1 in 10) 70% are having them reinstated because they are found to be to ill to work. The criteria has been made harder for those with neurogical/MH/SN and psychological conditions to claim, they tend to make up at least 25% who are denied their benefits, it is a tiny amount that could find work and keep their jobs.

ariane5 · 26/07/2011 13:52

YABVU i have lost count of the number of times i have had comments regarding my dcs and dla along the lines of "oh, but they look ok so why do you claim it" I just want to scream back "well ds didnt look ok at 3am this morning screaming in pain" but of course it is pointless when people are so quick to pass judgement

You do not know what extra care somebody needs unless you are with them 24/7, how their condition affects them, what medication they take or how often thet have to go into hospital for tests etc.

The dla forms and assessments are lengthy and in depth so if somebody is awarded this benefit then they have a real need for it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread