to not want to apply for DLA

[starshaker]

My dd suffers from RAS. She has had a couple of sizures in the last week or so and my HV suggested i should apply for DLA. AIBU to think there is really no need for this.

The HV said its because if she had a RAS while at school it would mean i need to be on call pretty much all the time.

Thanks to another poster i now know a good website that explains the RAS better than what i can.

here

i didnt aply for dla for my ds who has aspergers...

If your dd's condition means your career or job is screwed by having to be constantly on hand/ up at night and exhausted as a consequence then yes, you should claim it. That's what it's for- or at least carer's allowance is. If your dd is assessed as impaired in daily living then it's only fair to claim on her behalf, as extra help is expensive.

You are not unreasonable if you want to claim it or if you don't if it make no difference to the care your child has, it is a personal choice.

I would be entitled to DLA for myself but we've decided not to claim as we can afford to get by without it, I don't see that as better or worse than claiming though, it's just a choice.

Oh, but yanbu not to want to- the forms are a nightmare, and it's shit realizing that your life has been turned upside down. But please don't turn not claiming into some sort of noble sacrifice, as parents who do claim it could really do without being made out to be sponging pariahs, thanks.

At the moment im preg with twins and not working so im on hand for her anyway. She hadnt had 1 for nearly a year then shes had 2 in the past week.

That is to nobody in particular, btw, but I am girding up in case the thread Goes Bad....

BOF of course im not saying that. Im just saying i dont feel we warrant it. There are people out there who do need it and deserve it. I just dont think we do

Why do you not want to claim it ?

yabu(sorry)
you will only get it if you are entitled.
so why not try

YANBU it is your personal choice at the end of the day. Plus the forms are enough to put anyone off (people who think it is easy to be awarded are having a laugh).

I claim it for DS, it keeps us in luxuries like food and heating.

I just feel like if i was to claim it then it would almost feel like fraud iykwim. It doesnt really affect her every day life. Just if she hurts herself she will be out of it for about an hour and then shes back to herself

Your HV isn't entirely right or wrong lol - DLA is awarded on your daughter's needs (so your career isn't really the point - carer's allowance is supposed to be what you get to make up for your loss of earnings (if you currently earn less than the minimum wage, that is). Have you seen the DLA form? Give the helpline a call and ask for a claim form, then read through it and see what you think. You don't need to make any decisions at this point.

But think about what extra help your dd does need, and how much time/ money it takes. Do attacks occur at night? There are essentially three levels to the award (i'm guessing she wouldn't qualify for the mobility component), so she would be awarded a different amount of money depending on her need.

No idea how RAS fits into the criteria specifically, my experience is with cerebral palsy. I will say though, that when dd2 was awarded DLA, I thought that there had been some mistake, and I felt like a bit of a fraud. But my HV pointed out all the different hings we have to do with her that we wouldn't have to do with another child of the same age, and I sort of understood. So I know where you're coming from.

And just by applying, doesn't mean it will be awarded, tbh. Lots of claims are turned down or go to appeal.

So long as you are honest on the forms about the effects of the condition, then if you do get it, it won't be fraud. It's up to the people who assess it whether you are eligible or not.

to be honest, if she's only had 1 last year and then 2 last week, you won't be entitled. the forms are based around an average 24 hour period, and want to know how long it takes you to care for her/ support her (in minutes) during that time, day and night.

(that sounded a bit short, sorry. not meant to! just that i wasn't sure if you knew how 'need' was calculated in the eyes of the government department lol)

an average day. how much extra help does she require (in minutes on an average day, in comparison with a child of the same age... that's how entitlement is worked out.

I claim DLA for my ds, it's a pain in the ass form, and as previous posters have said, each case is assessed and then you may or may not be awarded DLA. There's the personal care element, and the mobility element, which you may or may not be entitled to. I'm fortunate that I don't need it for household expenses so it is used solely for ds - paying for 1-1 swimming lessons, horse riding through riding for the disabled, and audiobooks as he cannot read. I decided however, not to take a mobility car (although I could have), as I already have a car - and would have that car whether son was disabled or not. I figured that I should leave that for someone who might not otherwise be able to afford a car. I also chose not to apply for carers allowance because that is meant to make up for loss of wages etc, and again I am in the fortunate position of being a stay at home mum through choice and would probably still be if ds was not disabled. Slightly rambly, sorry

I was told to claim for my DD's heart condition. By the time the forms were processed she'd had her first operation and it had improved the quality of life. Fingers crossed she's full of energy and going through a very well stage. I withdrew the forms.

I was reluctant to fill out the forms as I was in denial that I had a child that needed it. At the time I was doing 24 hour care, she had a feeding tube and was very poorly.