What do people actually expect DLA to be spent on??

[Whoknowshey]

This comes off a thread I read recently where a poster was being criticised for spending DLA on a fridge .

Im curious as to what people think DLA / PIP should be spent on ? Due to various circumstances I am aware of what people spend it on and I also have a child in receipt PIP so I know how theirs gets spent . Some differs to how my child’s is spent. Some I agree with , some I don’t but the fact is it’s for the individuals needs and that varies massively. Especially with non physical disabilities it would be hard to spend it on things directly related to their needs but there are many ways in which it affects their lives that it can help with .

Some I have came across;

• theme park passes- the child cannot do what others can , going out with friends etc . The passes give the opportunity to enjoy childhood safely.
• Toys/ things for hyperfocuses - a hyper focus is a form of regulation . To some it may look like an obsession with a character but it’s actually a way for the individual to regulate.
• Towards the family income because parents cannot work.
• Furniture - lots can get destroyed due to the individuals issues.
• Save it towards the child’s future . The child may not ever be able to get a job and adult social care is appalling .

I think all those things are justified . But I have seen comments against that.

My child has PIP as a young adult. They have a part of the money as theirs to do with what they wish ( which can be wasted hence why they do not have it all and I am their appointee - but also they have no way of having extra money as cannot work nor claim any benefits , have to stay in education to hold on to that EHCP and to help with their life skills etc ) A part goes into the house because I care for them financially as though they are a child - yet usually parents do not have to do this with an adult child. They know exactly what they are paying for with this - rent, shopping etc, social groups. It doesn’t really touch what I spend on them as the majority actually goes on a mobility car , because they have to be taken to most places . This way they are paying bills etc as they see it - an itemised of what they pay - because I know if they go in to supported living it will be eaten up by that and I don’t want them to get used to just having all that money, I think the way I do it is justified as it is for their needs ( food aversions so more expensive shop , get through clothes very quickly due to sensory issues , hyper focuses , social groups specific to their needs ) .

A bit fed up of seeing people attacked because someone doesn’t deem what they spend as “ for their needs “ yet those needs are so vast .

Interested on thoughts.

Not if you’re over 16 you’re not. It’s PIP and it’s very difficult to secure.

DLA is for children. PIP is for adults and you wouldn't get it unless you really needed it, so in your circumstances you would likely be refused as you wouldn't meet all the criteria.
So don't worry, no one is getting something you could be getting.

The best therapy recommended for my daughter’s disability is hippotherapy. It is considered so effective, physios use a machine which can mimic the movement, but isn’t really suitable for children.

Riding for the disabled is available but it is really difficult to get in to as so many kids need it and nobody will fund it. (They made an application to Sport England during covid for a small slice of the £100m the government gave them. SE sent a letter refusing, saying they had to prioritise - doctors got free bikes though 👍🤦🏻‍♀️) If I could get my daughter anywhere near a horse, I’d be paying for those lessons. As it was, we opted for sit-skiing. This is another recommendation from her physio as it works the core muscles in a way nothing else will. At £65 quid a lesson, it was pricey, but the improvement in her strength and ability to walk and balance was obvious. In both of these therapies, to take a child who is unable to do many things their peers can do, and see their world open up is incredible. To say these children shouldn’t benefit in this way because “some people never get that chance” is a real race to the bottom.

If taking an autistic child to a theme park is something that will really help them, give them some access to the outside world, then they should have it. If we think more non disabled kids should have access to that, it’s a completely different argument. It’s like saying someone who gets child benefit should never go on holiday because some people can’t afford holidays. The fact an incredibly tiny amount of the 4% of government spending is funding that is entirely irrelevant.

Shows how much you know about the system, that you are so vocal on. It would actually be PIP that you would need to apply for!

I don’t see morals coming into many people’s thoughts here at all. It’s just ‘how much am I entitled to?’

My NT child is cheaper to feed nutritious food than my autistic child because he doesnt have sensory issues or issues with routine. They both deserve a nutritious diet for thier growing bodies. Its just so cheap and easy with my NT son.

Yes, interacting with horses is really beneficial for disabled and ND children. My sister runs/owns a stable and does a lot of work with kids like this (like mine). They don’t just ride, they help in the stable, clean and sort the tack, groom the horses - which many of them love: the very fact of stroking a warm gentle animal, the repetitive action of brushing their mane is deeply therapeutic and teaches them empathy, instils calm. They are hardly competing in gymkhanas (though my sister runs special events like this too, in addition to pony camps, where they can win rosettes.) The way their self esteem blossoms is magical.

Yeah it’s just the sheer sense of entitlement.

The people I know that have horse riding lessons would not be doing anything else if they did not have those sessions.
Their parents and carers have tried a lot of things and stuff with horses has been what has helped.

Of course I know that. I grew up dirt poor, I didn’t go on holiday at all in my life until was 16 and went abroad to work with £50 to my
name, and slept on the beach in Ibiza for 3 days before I got a job and a place to stay. My children have never been abroad, my sister has only ever been on one holiday in her whole life at 37. I know about poor.
But in the last 4 years my mum died after 2 years of nursing her through leukemia, I was diagnosed with osteosarcoma that had been missed for 4 years and so lost my leg at the hip, had chemo and radiotherapy, and am still on 3 monthly scans. I nearly died twice due to infection, all of us are autistic, my 2boys severely so, and the disruption to their routines has caused huge distress, one of them had to be hospitalised because he stopped eating entirely due to the upset. Their dad then died 6 months ago very unexpectedly. So, i won’t feel bad for this holiday. I highly doubt all the people going skiing and to the Bahamas are feeling guilty so why the hell should I? I work and pay my tax the same as everyone else.

Theme park passes can be reasonably required special educational provision to meet needs to aid with things such as communication and interaction, accessing the community, engaging with others, PfA (e.g. money, travel, planning…), meeting sensory needs, motor skills, emotional regulation... Which is why they can be funded via EHCPs sometimes.

Sometimes theme park passes can be funded via EHCPs.

Ah, the ‘I’m poor, so everyone else should be as poor as me, even if they’ve been independently assessed as disabled’ crowd are out in force.

Haha haha haha.

Why didn't I think of that?

Thankfully, the law disagrees with you. Horse-riding can be reasonably required in the eyes of the law. That is why they can sometimes be funded via EHCPs. If needs could be met in a cheaper way, they would be. Some people decide to fund horse#riding privately via their DC’s DLA/PIP rather than pursue horse-riding provision via EHCPs. That doesn’t mean it isn’t required.

The problem is that disability is so broad nowadays. So at many independent schools, parents (or the school themselves) have diagnosed e.g. dyslexia. Something like 25-30% of all privately educated kids have a 'disability'!! It's lower but still high in state provision.

These kids then can claim DLA at uni, get tech/laptop etc. But I've seen so many get this when they're kids really are not severely impacted (managed to get top grades, hold down jobs, charming kids) get this even though they own £2m houses and have a huge income. I think DLA should be means tested unless we are talking about children with severe care needs and who are not able to function in mainstream schools.

Why is it a higher standard of living ? These benefits are meant to facilitate full participation in society. Therapy for disabled people involving horses is well known to promote well being. Why should children be denied this just because they’re disabled. Comparing this with families who have less income is pointless and irrelevant. It’s the disability that’s the important thing and sometimes these therapies can make a world of difference to disabled children. Are people here so utterly mealy mouthed that they would deny them that when other areas of their lives are so difficult ?

That is not what I am saying and you know it.

Yep, and they're forgetting it's usually the poor who are also disabled, hence poor.
They live in another world and look down on others.

In this world apparently! A quick Google search tells me I could easily make a successful PIP claim if I hammed it up enough, including on our official government website.

Threads like this show that we have created a culture of "other people should go to work to pay for my child's [insert hobby] lessons and cash ISA balance"

So I had to leave a well paying job when I got my disability (car accident). I got another job within 8 months of my accident, longer hours for less pay. Pip has helped me close that pay gap and also allows me to buy adaptive items. Food is also more expensive as I buy pre-prepared items (chopped onion/garlic/veg/chicken etc) which always costs more. I also had to buy a new car and add adaptions (not eligible for that part of pip). People would probably say I’m not entitled to it so I don’t tell everyone.

Go do it then and report back on here. A lot of us will be waiting.

Well your quick google search is wrong. It is not easy to get at all .

Its for the extra cost incurred by disability isnt it. So as per your example, your income is compromised because of the needs of a disabled child

It's incredible to watch people justify why other people's tax money should pay for their kids' horse riding lessons and savings account balance. The entitlement is unbelievable