Help with completing DLA forms. - any advice?

[Jenkeywoo]

We have just had our claim for DLA back today and it made me realise that without the help and advice I received from here and another message board we wouldn't have known where to begin with that horrible form.

I thought it might be good to make a list of advice and information for others who are perhaps filling in the forms for the first time.

I would say a really good bit of advice to phone up for your application form, you then get a date stamped form so when you send it back you get the money from that first date you asked for a form - it can make a big difference.

The other thing which really helped was to follow the advice here: www.bhas.org.uk/freeguides/dla_guides.shtml to the letter - it was a very miserable time as you have to focus on all the bad days and hard times but the advice on this site is really good and helps you to focus.

I hope this is useful to someone out there and please feel free to add any other info or links to other websites with info/help.

The forms are hellish

I kept a diary for a week and wrote down EVERYTHING. And I mean everything that I do for DD2. I even included things like the extra housework I have to do - if I don't hoover up every little bit on the carpet she would put it in her mouth and eat it. Put down extra washing due to incontinence, dribbling, feeding problems etc. Put down the fact that you can't get a babysitter due to your child's problems (if applies) so can never go out. Put down the lot, and think of the worst day, not the best. You are not doing them a disservice, you are being honest.

I also found this website helpful DLA advice

Just completed DS2 renewal forms using cereba site info, took me ages and i still havent sent them yet

His award is up in January so need to get them, posted off soon eh!!

Always photocopy your application before you send it off.

Ds2's DLA runs out in Feb and I've hardly started the form.

I'd highly recommend reading the manual they give the clerks when assessing these things - chapter 10 of the DWP's "decision makers' guide" You need to use the drop down menu in the top left to get the thing to work. www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/dmg/index.asp

They used to have an appendix which showed exactly what they expected a child to be able to do at each age, but I can't find it now - may have been amended out: if anyone knows where a copy can be found can they please link to it? I found it invaluable: it tells you that eg aged 2 a child would be expected to help dress themselves after a bath rather than walk off with their trousers round their ankles; stuff I never thought of till I had an NT child to compare with.

Blimey - how far in advance do you need to fill in the forms for renewal? We've been awarded till March 2009 and I was hoping not to have to think about it till much nearer that time. Do you have to do it so far in advance because they take so long to make a decision?

They send out the forms to you about 6mths before the award runs out. Ds2's forms arrived last month.

Thanks Rd3h3d - that is a really useful link

always send the forms back recorded delivery

i have sent renewal pack back today- photocopied form but never sent recorder delivery

Well now I stress until we find out if he gets it again or not and whether we have to face yet another appeal or not

God if it isnt hard enough having our extra special wee darlings we have to go thru the torture of these forms and the waiting for t he results

There is a great booklet on the cerebra website which helps if you have a child with a brain injury. www.cerebra.org.uk/Parent+Support/DLA_guide.htm

i think my advice would have to be spread the form out, dont even consider sitting down and filling the form in in one go, it would take all night and you would seriously need a drink after you had finished, i tend to do a couple of pages a day, having said that, like you jambuttie, mine is also due for renewal in january for ds3, and i havent even started it yet, only sent ds4's back a few mths ago, had just got that posted and ds3's turned up and i felt like crying lol. i have never sent them recorded delivery, but havent had any probs. the best advice is the get a photocopy, because i havent up until ds4's last one, luckily i had kept some notes i had made when filling his last one in with child development centre hv, i too must start on ds3's now, oh joy, i think this is a really good idea this list, they are such horrible forms to do, gonna have a look at the links aswell, thanks for that.
'Disability Living Allowance and children'.
why do mine never link, thats supposed to be another link there if it isnt already on can someone link it for me plz. good luck on anyone doing the forms at the mo, i guess next week is a good place for me to start, ds4 starting school on monday.

We always take a copy or get an extra form and then re write onto original that we send to the SS. We then take a copy of this one to keep for reference when the nextr time comes around as we can never remember what we have written!

Oooh, Oooh, Oooh! I have found it again! THE handbook, around which I based my DLA claim. Including a list of conditions and what "allowable" disabilities result from them and the magic appendix that tells you what they should be able to do at age X. Start with that last bit first, the whole application hinges around it.

www.dwp.gov.uk/medical/dlahandbook-pdfs/dla.pdf