Completing DLA benefit form - any tips/advice?

[PavlovtheCat]

I am waiting for the form to arrive. I have been told that it is quite a hard form to fill and I know people with greater disabilities than me who have struggled to get the benefit awarded, due to not wording sections in a certain way or not including things that are relevant but they did not think of. It has been likened to completing a job application form!

I have attempted to get a date with my local DIAC (disability information and advice centre) for help to ensure I write it properly but there is an 8wk waiting list.

I have not had a chance to read the form yet so not sure what things it asks yet! My disability started, well, hard to say really, about 2 yrs ago the start of it but not a disability then, the condition became disabling at about christmas 2011, and has got steadily worse. It has only been through several people talking to me about applying, and my job and life being so seriously affected and costing more money to cope in ways I did not have to before, that I am coming to realise that this is a disability, and that i would benefit from, and actually be entitled to some financial help.

Also, do i state if I am applying for one/both elements/blue badge etc, or is that decided for me based on my application, can i just apply for a blue badge/be eligible if not eligible for DLA/only low element - my condition affects my walking and mobility and even if I was only entitled to a badge and no financial help that would be a huge help as it would mean I could drive myself to work, there are spaces outside my work at £8 per day, but disabled badge holders are free. I normally get the bus to work, or walk as it is only 10 mins on the bus/30 mins walk, but i can often not walk from the bus stop to my office now so DH is driving me to and from.

So, any tips or things to think of in terms of how to word it well and things to remember to include would be helpful.

Thank you!

Use the Cerebra guide to filling in the form Here.

Apart from that, I'm no help! I'm terrified for when Ds' renewal comes through in the next few months.

I know it's based on applying for a child but it is one of the most comprehensive guides I've seen.

oh thank you for that, do you think they would mind me asking for a copy of their guidance, seeing as I do not have a child with neurological disability, rather, it is for me with nothing like that wrong with me. Feels a bit like I would be taking their resources.

I could ask them and see what they say.

Good luck with your own application when it is time.

A few tips, hopefully they will help;

Describe everything on the basis of your worst day.

It will ask you to detail the help you need, you do not have to be receiving this help, just show a need for it.

Lots of information, fill each box, give examples. I cannot do this. This is why I cannot. If I did this would happen.

Don't worry about repeating yourself endlessly

Very important Supporting information, doctors letters, hospital letters, anything that talks about your condition. Some GPs will write a supporting letter for you.

Mobility and care needs are both included in the form so just fill it all out and then they will assess.

Hopefully this helps a bit. It will be clearer for you once you have the form. It's an evil thing to fill in but will be worth it. If you need further help once it's arrived let me know

I haven't done one for a while, but seem to remember the wording being very deceptive.

So questions like "How far can you walk?" actually mean "How far can you walk without stopping to rest, with reasonable repeatability during the day, without causing undue pain or fatigue even after the walk?"

So if you can struggle for 100m but have to take painkillers to manage it, rest afterwards and not be able to do it again for 4 hours, state exactly that. Also say how far you can walk without pain (if at all). Remember to say if you're using any mobility aids or made other adaptations - sounds obvious but I once got to the end of a form without mentioning my wheelchair because there wasn't a question for it.

Blue badges are at the whim of the local council. Mine will issue one once you can show that you receive mobility DLA (can't remember if that's true for lower rate). It may also issue one if you don't get DLA but have a sufficiently strong note from a doctor. Have a look online for your own council's regulations.

(Iirc that you're having problems with your GP, this is yet another reason to change GP! I did and my life improved immensely. Honestly, what do you have to lose?)

Benefits And Work has excellent guides, but it is a subscription site and I find it hard to navigate. Well worth it for the quality of the advice, though.

Good luck.

Oh yes, and photocopy the damn thing before sending it in.

thanks you for this, I am absorbing it all. If I go on a Bad Day as my example well, then I can barely get out of bed due to pain, let alone walk anywhere!

Serialkipper yes, my GP is a lovely, almost retiring, takes his time about everything, nods in sympathy but does little type of gp. However, even he now accepts that this cannot go on and is moving less slowly now. I actually think, despite his faults he might well write me a supporting letter.

In terms of evidence. I stupidly threw out my physio referral letter as I did not think i needed it, but it simply said i had been referred, not the issue. My MRI report was used by DD to draw on! But, that was given to me by the GP so I am sure he will be happy to give me another copy, he simply printed it off for me. And, I have quite a thorough Occupational Health Report which talks about work limitations, that is is a Disability under the Equality Act due to substantially reduced ability to undertake daily activities, and that this is likely to continue for the foreseeable future and cause absence from work - could I/should I include that as evidence?

It's a long form and I'd recommend filling it out over the course of a few days rather than trying to fill it in during one long session.

The mobility section of the form concentrates on walking so try to work out how far you can walk or stand. It might be easier to ask another adult to help you estimate your walking speed etc.

Something I can warn you about - DWP are not interested whether your condition affects your ability to work. Being unable to drive (because you can't sit for long) is also ignored. I found this out the hard way!

Do you have trouble preparing meals? You will automatically be entitled to the lowest care rate if you can't make a meal with fresh ingrediants. So think about whether you can lift a dish out of the oven, stand up to chop vegetables and so on.

Is your condition likely to improve in the future? I think this is one of the main factors in the decision to award DLA and the same applies for a blue badge application.

You are best to apply for both care and mobility DLA if you are unsure. Send in an application for a blue badge too, as I received mine a long time before getting DLA.

mouldy that is really useful to know about driving and work, i wont bang on too much about it in my application then! Are they interested in how it affects ability to care for minors, or is it purely about how it affects me?

Also interesting to know about the cooking of meals, i had not thought of that. On a bad day, i can't even stand up! I can't ever take things out of the oven partly because it is not working at the moment! seriously, i cant bend lift from oven height, even on a good day, lifting pans can hurt, but chopping etc is fine. I am going to take my time writing it out. I had wanted to do it online as I am better typing things than writing, but i have a macbook and it is not compatible .

I will definitely need to get someone to measure my walking distance as I am no good at spacial measurements, have no idea how far 100m is although more so now I have been watching the olympics! although tbh, i cant walk at all without pain, although i do. If talking about a bad day, cant walk at all without crying!

I will look at the blue badge application process for my local authority, did not know i had to apply seperately so thanks to both who told me this.

Pavlov, they are only interested in how your condition affects you.

If you can walk 100m, even with stops along the way, I'm not sure if you would get the mobility part of DLA as I believe the limit is around 50m but it's worth checking this.

Are you able to go up and down steps? Have you ever stumbled or fallen over while walking? Would you be able to get up again without help if you fell? Can you get in and out of the shower and/or bath without help? Do you need to use a wheelchair, scooter, crutches or walking stick some or all of the time? These are the things that are most relevant when considering your mobility for the DLA form.

No they aren't interested in how you care for minors, or things like wether you can do housework etc (though I was a bit surprised by that to be honest)

As others have said just focus on your care needs and the problems you have with getting around indoors and outdoors. Getting someone to observe you walking is a great idea, they can describe the speed, the way you walk (if you limp etc) how far

Also it can be a good idea before you start the form to keep a sort of diary starting from when you wake up of anything you struggle with or need help with, how long it takes you etc then you can refer back to it when completing the form

Also gather together a list of all your recent appointments and contact details for your hcp's as well as a list (or even better a printed prescription list) of your meds and any aids you use to help

oh great this is really helpful stuff. I do actually have a diary, not in as much detail as I might start doing, but I have been doing it in order to try and identify what things are exacerbating my condition so that I can learn to do those things differently. I will make it more detailed so I can think about what things are difficult, and why and get it recorded.

I have no idea how far 50m is either! When I look at how far I can walk/how I walk, is this aided (elbow crutches) or unaided. Do I look at how I would walk without max pain meds, or how I do walk with max pain meds? I ask about the meds as I don't always take the maximum doses as I cannot function fully on them in terms of working/children, so around half my day is on half strength and that affects how well I move.

appointments - are these specialist appts or do I include GP appts relating to the condition too? Do I need to have copies of letters inviting me for appts, or just be able to say when they were? first physio for example was sent by letter (which i threw away not thinking I would need it once I had been) and the subsequent appts are given on little appt cards. Can I get a printout from GP re appts? i mean would a gp do that? I might speak to him about my application, as I am sure he has had involvement in them many times, so he will know what things he is able/usually provides, if anything.

I am not convinced I will be entitled to anything. Some days I feel I am very disabled and struggle to cope with my life as it is, and other days, I feel better and 'manage' and feel a fraud for even thinking about applying. If I were entitled to the lower level, it would help so much, as I would be able to see chiropractor and get help with some things around the house, especially when I am at my most acute phase as I cannot dress myself on my worst days let alone hoover or do some washing!

How you walk is with aids and painkillers (if you take them) but basically it also asks how often you have problems, so if for example some days you can walk 100m but some days you can only walk 20m then you can write that down. There are tick boxes but for every question there is room to write in detail and the more detail you put in the more it helps. So for example some days I need my wheelchair and somedays I don't so I just put that down. It will also ask how many days out of 7 you need help so that's helpful if things are variable

Don't worry too much about the letters and appointments, it just helps to know roughly when you last saw people and their contact details, but most gps are happy to print out anything important such as referral letters and results. I also got my gp to write a letter supporting my application and giving a brief description of my condition but it did cost me £25. Usually they will get in touch with the gp to confirm things (which is free lol)

The forms are long and horrible but the more detail you can put in the better. And i don't know how true this is but I was told by someone 'in the know' that lots of detail and explaining how things vary from day to day is more effective than just writing down how things are at your worst