DLA Appeal.

[lottiejenkins]

Ive been turned down again for Highest Rate. We asked for a reconsider,, they have and have said no they are going to leave it at middle rate.....What will happen at an appeal?? I think i will have a man from Welfare Services out to talk to me but i would like to hear from you great MN's please..........

We are in the same position lottie. Im still pretty clueless about how the whole system works- I find it very confusing. We have just written to ask for an explanation of how they made the decision. I was told that as we hadn't supplied any info from a doctor/pead (just SALT OT ED PSYCH and advisory teacher) they were unlikely to award what we hoped for.

Hi, we have just been given higher rate for dd2 (ASD), from what i can gather you only get higher rate if you are up in the night with your child more than 3 times most nights. We got our reply from dla after 3 weeks, they phoned me after one week and explained that we might not get much as dd2 is still young and her needs ar'nt alot differant than a normal 2.5 year old. We expected to get lower but as we are awake with her in the night we got higher.

We have high rate care but are at appeal this month for mobility. I'm quite up for it now, as I KNOW that J meets criteria for HRM and I'm just so sick of this farce with the DWP.

What was their reason for not awarding higher - because that will affect your chances of success at appeal?

givemesleep am thinking this is my next fight TBh cos we just been turned down for higher care and mobility.

Ive just had welfare rights officer out and she was very helpful explained the process and exactly what we should do now.

Bonkerz, does he sleep well? That's apparently the main issue for HRC.

Will let you know how the Tribunal goes! In the papers for it, DWP accept that J is entitled to HRC so the issue is only HRM. such a pain

DS3 has had his dla downrated too, again because we're not up enough in the night- a midnight setlling time doesn't count, its only once you've gotten to bed yourself . DS1 still gets t, but only becuase of a laetter frm Paed stating he needs 24/7 supervision.

DS3 became eligible fr mobility 1 day after award was given (age) but haven't got energy to fight it.

Peachy, know how you feel. I was going to not bother with the appeal, but some of the stuff written about J by the DWP during the numerous changes of award over the last year were so inaccurate and insulting in their lack of understanding about autism, and were so obviously written by somebody who hadn't actually read the supporting document, that I'm kind of appealing on principle!

My favourite was the idea that, because he has no physical disability, he should be able to behave in an age-appropriate manner with regards to self-care and safety! Ok...

Peachy, when I filled in the request for mobility when J turned 5, I only had to fill in a short form about mobility. Might be worth asking if that's still the case. I was dreading doing the big form again, but the little one was not so bad.

I HATE DLA stuff. I am really hoping that the appeal panel will also extend J's award of HRC even if not giving him HRM, cos otherwise, it's up for renewal next year! And this whole farce will begin again!

thry awarded ds3's until he was 16 (2019) which was a bonus, at least, and we decided worth settling for! HATE those forms

yes givemesleep DS started wetting the bed about 8 months ago now and does it atleast 4 times a week and now has a big problem settling at night which means one of us has to be upstairs from 8pm at night incase he wakes up (which he does 2 or 3 times a night!) because he will wander around, go in bathroom tip out all toothpaste etc or just blatently turn on tv very loud etc. Have now had to mive his bed in front of window because he managed to find keys and unlock window and thought it was great fun to climb onto porch!
Apparently the only problem is i enclosed DSs statement and my parental statement to prove how much support he needs and his problems etc and apparently in the report i had written back in May 2007 for the statement i had put DS sleeps fine! They said comparing now to then was too much of a difference! My own fault really BUt now i have the ASD DX and report which clearly states the incontenece and night waking so think appeal will be fine.

As ever, our boys are so similar Bonkerz! But in J's case, he wanders around and turns the lights on and off (as he has obsession with switches). Don't they get that kids' sleep patterns can change?

Have tried to point out to them that report was written May 07 and in between May and Dec 07 DS was excluded numerous times from one school and started a second then pushed into a PRU unit which all played havoc with his anxiety but alas they have not taken that on board and dont understand it could take years to break this bad cycle he has got into and not just weeks like a @normal' child!

Will let you know how my appeal goes. Wrote a quite long letter to appeal panel referring to lots of other similar cases which were won on appeal...we'll see.

Just want it out of the way now!