i am so mad i recently asked dla to look at my 6 year olds sons mobility award again the refused to higher it to high rate whicj i am not arguing but they have lowered the care part to middle rate as they said his needs are no greater than a boy the same age which i think is rubbish i have written a letter explaining his needs would you guys with much better knowlegde have a look and see what you think should i be happy with middle rate or do you think it should be higher
dear sir/Madame
I am dealing with the claim for .
I received the decision on his disability living allowance and I think the decision is wrong.
You have lowered his help with personal care to middle rate from higher rate and I think it should be higher rate here are my reasons why
His personal needs are as follows
? he has no communication skills as he cannot talk and can?t express himself and does not understand much at all of what is said to him.
? He needs to be fed his meals as he can not do it him self
? He needs dressing as he cant do it himself
? He needs washing as he cant do it himself
? He needs his nappy changing several times a day as he not toilet trained and may never be
? He often rips his nappy off ( under his clothes as he doesn?t understand he has to keep it on) therefore he wets his clothes or soils them and needs changing this happens nearly every day
? He often will mess with his hands down his nappies after he has soiled it and wipe it all over his clothes and anything he touches meaning he needs washing and changing
? He will put anything in his mouth and lick shoes etc so he has to be watched he isn?t doing that even playing in the back yard he has to be watched that he isn?t eating leaves and flowers etc
? His needs are like that of a 12month old my 2 year old daughter needs less help with her personal care than he does
His night time needs are
? He does not go to bed until 10.30 pm every night
? Even when he goes to bed he isn?t quiet he is running and shouting around his room ( he does not understand to be quiet because its night time) and he often wakes his little sister
? He does not go to sleep till between 12-1 most nights, in the time between he has gone to bed and gone to sleep he will have taken his nappy off numerous times and usually have wet his clothes and bedding which then needs to be changed
? He often will mess with his hands down his nappies after he has soiled it and wipe it all over his clothes and anything he touches meaning he needs washing and changing
? We have to keep going in till he goes to sleep to check and change his nappy and put him back into bed as he pulls his bedding off and can not get it back on the bed or he is sat on his window sill and we have to put him get into bed
? once he is asleep we have to change his nappy again so that he doesn?t get wet as he a lot older he drinks a lot more therefore wets a lot more
? he is often wakes in the early hours running around his room etc so we have to get up again and change his nappy and stay awake until he goes back to sleep or morning comes whichever is first
? when wakes up in the night even though he has a gate on his bedroom door he is at an age and height that he tries to climb over it and we have to get up again to make sure he stays in his room because if he got up Ryan has no sense of any dangers at all that he may harm himself (turn oven on, run hot taps, turn fire on etc?.)
? He was prescribed MELATONIN from his doctor to help him relax and get to sleep but this didn?t work it helped him get to sleep but then he would be up at 2/3am so we don?t use it any more
Basically he needs help with personal care throughout the day and night. he does not like wearing clothes nappies or anything and it?s a constant battle 24/7 to keep him dressed or at least in a nappy or he would just wee and poo anywhere we have even tried
Cello taping his nappies on but then this causes a hazard because he can get that off and then he eats it...
From my points above I hope you can see that he needs a lot more care both day and night than of a boy his age without the disabilities that he has
I accept your decision at this time not to award high rate for mobility (help with getting around)
I am very distressed by this whole matter I have a lot to cope with him and feel that I should not be having to fight for the higher rate