feel as if iv been punched in face!

[champagneanddaisys]

Hiya I'm sorry to post with a dla question just wondering some opinions.
My last two dds have been born with a nuro condition causing them to have a balbar balsy, they are both tube fed my oldest via g tube my baby via nj tube.

We were awarded highest rate care for oldest dd nearly 3years ago. Since then we have had another baby affected with same condition.
I finaly found some time to do a dla form and just got it back today with decision of lowest rate care.

I just wanted some help on what to do next. My daughters both require continual sats monitoring, regular suction and continual pump feeds.
I wonder how they can asses them so differently?
I could totaly cry, the lady was so rude when I rang them and they make u feel like your such a monneygrabber. It goes against every fibre of my being to have to argue how BAD my childs condition is, its such a horrible situation to be in.
I looked at the booklet in claim pack and am I right in understanding that lower rate is for care received up to one hour a day?!
Thanks MNers please tell me what I can do next x

Appeal, with detailed descriptions of what care she needs day and night - did you put copies of reports from professionals in?
Your local county council may have a welfare benefits section with an appeals officer, you could phone and find out if they will help. Do you have a social worker involved?
Good luck x

I am so sorry this unfair decision has affected you so badly.

Firstly, don't see it as personal. Lots of people get knocked back or put on a lower level initially. Almost to see how far you will push it. Very, very unfair but true

Secondly, did you send all the evidence you have and provide information in detail. My son's application was typed and was some 47 pages long setting out all the evidence in response to every questions. Cerebra do an excellent guide here Have a look at it and see if you think you provided all the detail required.

Thirdly, you can ask for a review. If you think you need to submit more evidence/detail you can do it then.

Fourthly, if the case review doesn't work, you can appeal.

Lots of people are being rejected at the moment in order to justify the governments targets of reducing DLA payments. Don't take it personally. It's wrong that the most vulnerable with the least time have to fight harder for their basic rights but that is why they have been targeted imo.

So do you all think that if I go to apeal then I have a chance of getting it changed?
I'm finding things very hard work at the moment with two disabled children and my unafected dd who's 4 is missing a lot of my time.
Is it a very long process to apeal? I have so little hours in the day.

I know I shudnt take it personaly but its kind of like iv been putting loads and loads of hours in a regular job and then the bos just denying iv been there at all! X x

Thanks for replys

I think that you've fallen foul of the youngest being a baby? You have to go the extra mile to show that the care is above and beyond, because all babies require 24/7 care.

It doesn't mean you shouldn't get the HRC, just that you may need to spell out in every question 'a typical baby could do x, y, z or would need x, but my baby needs this.'

Lougle that is a good idea, I wondered that too as when I rang them she said that we dnt do anymore that you would do to care for a 'regular' baby.

She sleeps through the night but we have to wake her to suction and do feed bag changes ect so that's a bugger!
Not all babys r up all night, all mine would have been good sleepers if not for extra probs! I'm just finding this v hard! X