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SN children

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Original poster

not happy with DLA

25 replies

jenk1 · 09/09/2005 16:12

got dla today for dd.
We applied cos she has eczema and asthma and various allergies.
Despite having information from my HV and hospital consultant they decided she can only have lower rate as in their opinion she only needs 1 hour of extra supervision a day more that a 17month old baby her age.

Despte me putting on the form that she is up in the night 2 or 3 times with eczema,asthma she isnt entitled to the middle rate.

I queried it and was told i can ask for a reconsideration.

Has anyone done this and what was the outcome cos i have the feeling that its not worth doing, the woman i spoke to was of the opinion that we were lucky to be getting what we have got

OP posts:

misdee · 09/09/2005 16:20

did u ever put 'sometimes' in the form?

and how long each time?

i'd ask for consideration.

Original poster

jenk1 · 09/09/2005 16:21

yes i think i did put sometimes and how long for- should i not have done that?

OP posts:

misdee · 09/09/2005 16:24

never put sometimes? make a statement fgukll stop

eg 'xxx is SOMETIMES awake several times a night due to her eczema' is not a strong a statement as

'xxx wakes up several times a night due to her eczema'

always treat it as the worst day/night. some weeks i dont get any sleep as dd1+2 eczema can be really bad, but then we may get a good spell of a month or so with minimal care, just basic emoilliants.

Original poster

jenk1 · 09/09/2005 16:26

thanks misdee, i have got to write in to them to show why i think that dd should have a higher award.
I thought of doing like a day in her life but obviousley a really bad one

OP posts:

misdee · 09/09/2005 16:26

does that make sense?

they will look at tghe word and say sometimes, well how often is sometimes? once a week, month, year?

misdee · 09/09/2005 16:27

keep a diary, (or one of a bad week you can remember) and send it in

Hattie05 · 09/09/2005 16:32

Misdee is right, never use sometimes .

You can ask for a reconsideration over the phone and tell them you will be sending in further evidence. As misdee says send them a diary, and any other statements from people who know you, particularly professionals, who didn't comment on the original form i you know any.

But they do take the age into consideration, and admittedly 17mth old babies can keep parents awake a number of reasons in the night (i didn't sleep for the first 2 years with dd). If you still get offered lower, you may find that if the problem is as bad in a year or two, they will be more inclined to offer a higher rate as by then most children will sleep through the night.

It is worth going for reconsideration, and i have had several cases changed without going to appeal (used to be part of my job). Sometimes another persons opinion is all it needs.

Good luck!

macwoozy · 09/09/2005 18:04

I got turned down for DLA, reapplied and got awarded higher rate. So it might be worthwhile for you to ask for a reconsideration. But bear in mind that when you do so, they might actually decide not to award you anything. I didn't have to take that chance.

Original poster

jenk1 · 09/09/2005 18:14

why do they decide not to award anything if they have already awarded you the lower rate?

OP posts:

macwoozy · 09/09/2005 18:39

All I know is that when I was contemplating to go for the mobility part of DLA after I had already been awarded the care rate, I was advised that they could possibly change the rate of my care allowance as well.

Jimjams · 09/09/2005 18:58

how long did you say you were up for on each occasion. Unless it is over 20 minutes it isn't counted (handy tip from a SW) so 3 times up for 15 minutes = nothing. half an hour up once counts...

misdee · 09/09/2005 18:59

must be why we got it then, as it can take 20+mins each time to reapply cream/change bedding/do inhalors etc

Davros · 09/09/2005 19:34

I asked for them to "look again" last time and it worked. I was worried about the possibility of it being reduced but I think that is very unlikely and more scary than reality.

onlyjoking9329 · 09/09/2005 21:49

they tell you they may give you nothing if they "look again" but that is just to scare people and it works, ask them to look again. my girls got nothing and when i asked them to look again they got top rate

mumfor1sttime · 09/09/2005 22:38

Interesting thread. My mum is trying to get dla as she has had Cancer and is now waiting for news of Liver transplant, also has many other medical complaints, she cant work and is up in the night with pain and needs help around the house. S he was turned down for any help.
I will ask her what she wrote on her form. (eg sometimes)

Hattie05 · 09/09/2005 22:52

mumfor1stime

Sounds like your mother should definitely be entiteld. It is very often down to the 'technique' of completing the form. Your local cab office would help. Or you can CAT me if you like and i could help via email.

Original poster

jenk1 · 09/09/2005 23:20

i think i put 15mins a time 2 or 3 times a night but when i think about it it is 30mins by the time ive got her resettled so perhaps thats where i went wrong,the lady said from dla that i have to show that dd needs more supervision that a 17month old baby does

OP posts:

misdee · 09/09/2005 23:24

we just scrawled across all of peters forms WAITING FOR HEART TRANSPLANT. even on bits that had no relevence to him. seemed to have worked as in april he finally got high rate care and mobility.

Original poster

jenk1 · 10/09/2005 09:37

ive also remembered that i didnt put a lot about her allergies, that she has severe reactions to egg and dairy products and that she cant go to many places or visit people due to being very sensitive to different fabrics etc. when i mentioned this to the dla lady she just said Hmmmm, as she she thought i was making it up which im not, would it help if i got a letter from say my mum confirming this do you think?

OP posts:

potty1 · 10/09/2005 09:51

Jenk - We were turned down first time for dd. I didn't ask for a reconsideration, we told them we would be appealing (in which case they 'look again' anyway). We were offered low on reconsideration and then went to appeal where we were awarded middle rate.

The 'day in her life' is a good idea. I was asked to do that at the appeal.

Good luck

RnB · 10/09/2005 09:56

Message withdrawn

MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 21:26

i requested the reconsideration for me- and leigh- mine has been agreed...still waiting leighs.

Haven't reda this in full...but read misdees bit....

the choice of words makes a hell of a difference...

use words like USUALLY,NORMALLY,OFTEN,TYPICALLY and FREQUENT ...instead of sometimes

The reconsideration allows you the chance to word a 'strong reply' to their decision- ask for the FULL report made by them by the 'decision maker' as you only get a summary in the award letter.

In your reply...really clarify EXACTLY what the night entales.... so if it's a case of getting up 3 times...give an example of a TYPICAL night...

eg
"A 17 month old should be settled for the night by 7.30 pm- and i would accept as reasonable for her to wake up once after i go to bed at 11pm...as is typical of all 17 month olds {important to state what time YOU go to bed...as an indicater of what to base the 'night time' on} However this is NOT the case. I have to attend to her (describe what 'attend' meets FULLY every 2 hours. When i do this it takes 45 minutes every time..."

also i assume the disruption to her sleep affects her during the day- so detail this too...

i sugesst a 'time-line' where you list the day in 30min blocks and you describe what you HAVE to do for her- and how long it takes....yes, some of it would be normal for any tot...but the time-line really helps illustrate the frequency!

MrsForgetMeNotFul · 11/09/2005 21:37

also- graphicly describe how she copes with her itching ...i know a lad who rubs his exzema ridden legs raw on the pushchair foot rest- as a way of releaving the discomfort- ofcourse-when his mum is not aware- and making it far worse.

His mum actually sent PHOTOS of his feet...maybe you could do that????

Eczema is a tough one as people just imagine a 'liitle rash ' behind the knees etc.....

State if she's be affected by getting splasehd with tap water outside- as for eg. that means she cannot play as a normal 17mt old can in the garden in the summer...and if she can as long as you cream her body first with emoliant etc...then describe just that.....

good way to look at it is to imaging you have to leave her for the day/night with a friend- and imagine the 'list' of do's and don'ts you'd have to write ...a 'care plan'....

I did this with leigh- i realised how well i cope...but how much i do without thinking ref his AS...that as soon as i'd have to enlist a 'carer' ...what they'd need to know to do with him....

It's not lying...it's describing EVERYTHING and imagining it all happening on 1 day...as just because it doessn't...DOES NOT MEANT IT WON'T....

romi · 11/09/2005 21:59

thanks a bunch mrs f your message is really helpful.
When i think about how much care dd does need it is quite a lot and i didnt put half of it down in the letter will do as u suggest
thanks again

Original poster

jenk1 · 11/09/2005 22:01

oops just used my other mnet name, oh well never mind

OP posts:

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