Does DLA get you anything apart from the actual money?

[Thepoodoctor]

DS, 7, has possible ASD and attachment difficulties and is a bloody handful to manage. School are going for a full time statement and I was chatting with another mum today who asked if we were applying for DLA.

We are very lucky to be in jobs that give us a reasonable income, and to both work part time which is OK with some juggling. I can't work any less without actually giving my job up, so dla wouldnt help by fundin exta child care. There aren't massive extras needed by Ds at this stage because of his needs.

Does DLA get you any recognition/access to services which would help, even if we don't currently feel the need of the additional cash to meet DS needs?

if you get DLA, you will most probably also get some extra tax credits.

If your DS does get Middle or High Rate Care, the you can apply for Carer's Allowance (about £58 per week). However, to qualify for CA you must not earn more that £100 after tax (if you pay for childcare and into a pension, then some of this is also taken into account when calculating eligibility).

if you apply for DLA, the us this guide: www.cerebra.org.uk/english/getinformation/publications/pages/dlaguide.aspx

To get a blue badge showing that you get hrm dla passports you through the application, and there has been other things I have applied for which needed proof of disability for which I've sent copies of the dla award letter.

What everyone else said. If you don't feel you need it to contribute to the family coffers then you could always put it away in a savings account or Premium Bonds for your DS. You never know whether he might need it in the future.

You pay tax which funds this sort of thing. If your DS is assessed as qualifying for it then he should have it.

Thank you all very much. I know exactly what you mean about the validation point.

Really helpful responses. We will probably pursue the statement first and then the DLA ..

You can also get discounted entry to various attractions/ or carer discount, such as cinema tickets,theme parks, museums etc.

It's another stick to beat people with for me. 'So if is ok how comes he gets dla?' No argueing with that. It proves that more than one medical professional has assessed him and found him to have significant needs. So no more 'it's all in your mind' as I'm fact it's there in black and white. The money will go towards his private therapy that the nhs and lea are so lacking in

I would say the dla is for him, not for you. We use dd's for extra speech therapy, physio and OT, all of which are expensive but make a huge difference to her. As someone else said even if he has no need now, saving it for him means that if there is something that would help him later you or he can just do it, rather than think about it. The letter is also helpful for getting concessionary rates from attractions etc or proving disability if needed. I also suspect that having dla may help support the statementing case as it adds to the weight of evidence that your child has additional needs.