I still have the postal receipt for ds3's DLA application- £8.50 recorded, and that was a few years back (awarded until 16, autism, speech and language difficulties and little attention- SNU place, can't work and won;t raise a family or marry sadly- do you think i;d choose £275 pcm over that? blimey if you do)
It was still refused and I had to appeal, even then he is on a lower rate than should be but I gave up.
A whole BIBIC assessment (every single thing a child can do assessed by age as to where he is, funded by children in need as we could not get SLT- I credit that charity with ds3 talking at all); statement ; Paed reports... and still an appeal. Because we could fake all that right? Not as if his teachers or the LEA SN dept or anything might notice?
And absolutely to all the people who conflate DLA with out of work benefit: I wish people would ensure they know of what they talk before they post.
DLA and the things we try with DS1 are what will enable him to work. Big difference. Should my eyesight fail (a fair chance apparently, has been for years bit by bit) low rate DLA will mean I can still get to a place of work. DLA enabling someone to carry on in work is far cheaper than ESA and all the housing benefit etc attached to it, and is a massive investment I beleive when looked at that way. of course some people won;t work, but these are the people most politicians even state they want to help; if they are in any way supportive of ATOS though they are liars.
LMAO at the judgy pants today though: just had a comment about the 'nice new car' mobility is supposed to have bought me: except we don't get HR Mobility and it's a loan car because an Iceland van hit our ancient Multipla and it's in for a respray at their cost. nice try though judgers! 
SWC 'worthless meditterraneans' normally I disagree with you but love you anyway; that's a phrase I would never expect you to use. However absolutely IB had massive issues, given a GP could sign it off on a patient's say-so. But we no longer have IB so that's a ridiculous point. And YY to good reasons for a rise: more children surviving prem births and disability they would other wise die from, people living longer with severe illnesses such as cancer and AIDS, better detection of underlying disability instead of labelling children as stupid or bad. Frankly SWC something we should be glad of for teh sake of our children.
'Few people would object to proper assessments, but I think we are gearing up for an expensive farce.' Absoluely: but proper ones. Anyone reading ds1's statement and reports (he is at an ASD Base) would know ds1 has issues, but he won't tick ATOS boxes so won't get the PIP that might keep him in study then work after 16, or indeed after 2012 when nexta ssessed. DS1 won;t hit the boxes at 16 becuase he is not phyically disabled beyond speech: fully mobile.
But as I said on another thread- I think that every MP that supports this, and indeed every person in a position to hire, should be forced to take on someone like ds3 who is severely disabled but slips through ATOS boxes. Because frankly if you do the shit you can clear it up . They won't though, they will say 'oh He is not able to work' and completely fail to grasp how stupid that is. If ds3 can;t concentrate for them, he cannot for anyone.