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so do the DLA have secret weighing scales?

23 replies

TheArsenicCupCake · 09/10/2010 22:49

Do the feel the weight of the claim and decide? :o
I have just finished my first draft.. In word.. I have gathered all reports that are within 18 months old..
I have added in all the evidence listed everywhere lol..

Tis a bit bloody heavy!

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StarlightMcKenzie · 09/10/2010 22:53

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blueShark · 09/10/2010 22:56

how often do you have to renew? I though I was safe for few years as we only got it last month Confused

siblingrivalry · 09/10/2010 22:56

LOL Grin
DH is convinced that the reason our's was just renewed 4 weeks after we posted it was cos of the amount of stuff we sent. He thinks someone would have got it on their desk, groaned at the sight of it and thought 'Stuff it - can't be arsed to wade through all that' Grin

TheArsenicCupCake · 09/10/2010 23:05

So do you reckon on a Friday morning all the claims officers try and baggsy the not so heavy document envelopes?

So do I send this in a ring binder.. There is no way it will all staple !

On a slightly more serious note.. Anyone who thinks it's easy to fill a dla form in for a bit of extra cash .. They can go waddle off! .. There is noway I would do this for a giggle!

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StarlightMcKenzie · 09/10/2010 23:06

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TheArsenicCupCake · 09/10/2010 23:10

Well I'm guessing that would be under the .. Is there anything else you would like to tell us about your child ... Bit lol

dare you to send 6 box files!!!!!
I would love to be a fly on the wall then < fnarrrrr>

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StarlightMcKenzie · 09/10/2010 23:13

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TheArsenicCupCake · 09/10/2010 23:22

You know.. I went though my diary to calculate sleep.. We get 4 bloody hours a night!
I know I'm tired all the time but that was a shock to me!

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electra · 09/10/2010 23:24

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StarlightMcKenzie · 09/10/2010 23:27

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fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/10/2010 07:53

amazingly we got HRC by just writing in all the boxes, DD does require an immense amount of care day and night though (just had me up constantly since 3am). Although I know we are all in same boat.we were prob just lucky and renewal will get refused!

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/10/2010 07:55

maybe I unwittingly stumbled upon the magic words!? Wish i knew them!

streakybacon · 10/10/2010 08:15

Crikey Arsenic, you've rattled through that quickly haven't you? I'm spectacularly impressed Grin.

I sent my last one in a large cardboard folder with each section in poly pockets inside, plus covering letters on the outside and the whole lot in a massive jiffy bag. Weighed a ton.

I'd recommend sendign it Registered as well. Costs about £6 but worth knowing it'll get there. It's one thing having all the documents handy if they go missing in transit, but it would still take a load of time and effort to resubmit.

TheArsenicCupCake · 10/10/2010 08:50

:o .. Streaky.. Don't be too impressed.. It still needs a bit of tidying up ..lol.... And I cheat.. I use a voice recognition programme ( and am very used to using it!)
and then DH reads through and tweaks to tidy for me.

lots of answers were bulked up with examples from my diary, school letters, reports from all over the place tbh..so it wasn't so bad!

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electra · 10/10/2010 08:55

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streakybacon · 10/10/2010 08:55

Oh well that's OK then, Mrs Cheaty McCheat from Cheatsville Grin.

Still impressed that you've got so much done though.

TheArsenicCupCake · 10/10/2010 08:58

Mind you there is still no guarenteeing that ds will be awarded it..
Cripes even lower rate would cover the cost of one riding session a week ( which would be of massive benefit to him if he could do it regularly).. And it would go toward some extra social and life training stuff..
( ie I could pay a buddy to help him when he is out and about... Rather having to be with me or using ds1 to try and help put).
Sod anything else!

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Lougle · 10/10/2010 09:31

DWP Decision Maker's guide here

There are lots of technicalities.

"Jasmin, a 5 year old child, went to bed at 8pm and at 10pm her father took her to
the toilet. This was attention relevant to the day condition and not the night condition
as her parents went to bed at 11pm. The household therefore shut down at 11pm."

So if you normally go to bed at 10pm, but have to go through to your child at 11pm, that is night-time; If you normally go to bed at 12am but go through to your child at 11pm, that is day-time.

"George is aged 81 and suffers from dementia. He has always had a pattern of
having very little sleep for a maximum of 4 to 5 hours per night. He has always risen
early, sometimes as early as 4.30am or even earlier. He often got up early and
would go out walking. He had previously had an allotment and would often visit that
allotment as early as 4.30am. Once he was up he spent a lot of time out of doors. At
times he would become confused forgetting even his name, his destination or the
purpose of his trip. George satisfies the night ?watching over? provision as his
resident carer would consider that 4.30am was night."

So it isn't about an absolute time, it is about what could reasonably be considered night-time by the carer, even if it is 'normal' for the cared-for.

High rate mobility on behaviour grounds will fail if the child can play alone at any time:

"Jane, although displaying some behavioural problems, is capable of playing alone in
her room with the door closed. The claim to the higher rate of the DLA mobility
component failed as the carer is not required to be present and watching over Jane
whenever she is awake as the bedroom door was closed with the carer on one side
and Jane on the other."

Some people have found that having a 'safe-space' disqualifies them from having HRM or even HRC, because their child doesn't need watching over when they are in the safe space.
For instance, if your child can play with their bedro

Lougle · 10/10/2010 09:40

I wouldn't hold out too much hope for the weighing scales, though, Arsenic.

I sent DD1's in by next-day recorded delivery on 16th August. I have proof they got it on 17th August.

It had the whole claim form, with Question 6 being 6 pages of A4. It had 26 supporting documents, including her Statement, which names a Special School.

The whole bundle was around 1½ inches thick, so I used a chain treasury tag to keep it together, then sent it in a jiffy bag.

Nope, no decision as yet. The 8 weeks is up on Tuesday, so I will wait patiently until then, then phone to find out what is going on.

DD1 is on HRC at the moment - it runs out in December, when she turns 5. I asked for HRC, HRM as she needs restraint at all times when out on the roadside, either with crelling harness or Mac Major, because she is so impulsive and has no sense of danger, and will just lie down in the middle of the road if she is tired.

I feel sick every time I look for the post. If they take away her HRC I don't know what we will do - there is no way I could work right now because of her needs, and our Tax credits would plummit Sad

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 10/10/2010 09:44

fingers crossed here for both of you

TheArsenicCupCake · 10/10/2010 11:11

Good luck Lougle!

I'm in the mind set that they may say no ( then I can't be dissapointed). I will be extatic if we get even the lower rate.. As this will enable ds to access extras that maybe able to help him be a bit more independant in the long run. If that makes sense.

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maxybrown · 10/10/2010 11:28

does it depend on the area you live and the staff efficiency? Or am I being thick, does it go to one place? Blush sorry, lack of sleep today! I did DS's on line and it was back quite quickly....I think. I hadn't realised that CTC can also poss go up too. Wonder what the wage limit is on this though?

I have to say, when we heard he had been awarded it, I felt very very guilty. But the we saw a paed and he is stumped by DS and said this is no normal speech delay (he is 3 and has about 10 words and sleeps little and makes an awful awful noise (attempt at speech) and I am knackered - just in case anyone cared Grin) then I felt slightly better Hmm

streakybacon · 10/10/2010 11:43

Arsenic, bear in mind that DWP often do say No at the first look, at which point you can ask for a reconsideration. That's when they will look at it again but in more depth, rather than just skim read for key words.

They still won't read it fully until/unless you end up going to appeal. They really haven't got time to read everything that's submitted in every claim.

You just have to keep pushing if you really believe you've got a genuine entitlement, which most of us with kids on the ASD spectrum do.

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