I have been awarded 'disability living allowance' and now...

[colnelcustard]

I don't feel right about taking it.

My son has a growth hormone disorder and I was told by a friend of a friend I could claim. So I put the claim in and thought no more of it. I have just had the call to say I'm entitled to £70 a month.

Now I feel terribly guilty as I am sure there are lots of other children who need it more than me.

DS (7) has to have an injection everyday until he stops growing. He also constantly wets himself although we are not sure if this is a by-product of the growth thing or if its a psychological thing.

Then I think about how much money I have to spend everytime we have to drive up to London for tests and what he goes through in a bid to make himself bigger.

Then I feel so bad about other children who may need more money.

What do you think? Should i cancel the claim?

NO ! 70 pounds is not a lot in the overall scheme of things so don't feel guilty also it sounds as though you need it. No one with a child without the disorder would have the tests/expenses you have - that;s what DLA is for.

Certainly not! You've been awarded lower rate care, which helps to offset the extra expense.

Your son's condition may seem mild, to you, but kids with more severe care needs get much higher rates of care and, sometimes, mobility allowance. If you weren't really entitled to your share, believe me, you wouldn't have been awarded it!

And think of it as your son's money, if that makes it any easier for you.

just to echo what others have said - don't be silly!
The DLA helps to cover extra expenses incurred as a result of your child's SN, and to give you some sort of 'reinbursement' for all the extra effort. Just to put things into perspective, £70 per month is not a lot of DLA anyway - dd2 gets approx. £110 per week.

It's for your ds - if you feel uneasy about just 'pocketing' it, maybe it can go towards incorporating a nice treat into his trips to London? We just incorporate the DLA into our monthly income, but feel much better about buying expensive gadgets etc. for dd2 - I've just ordered her an ipad for instance, or paying for stuff like private speech therapy. There's always something good to spend it on.

Thank you very much for your messages. I just can't bear the thought of taking money away from a child who would need it more. His 'need' seems trivial to what some of people who post on this board are dealing with.

From what I've seen on other threads DLA is really hard to get so they must think that your DS needs it!

Oh I know what you mean about feeling guilty! I think part of my guilty feeling is accepting ds has extra needs! There are different levels of DLA and it relates to the amount of extra caring time our children need relative to other children of the same age. It sounds like £70 is one of the lower rates and I am sure you have to work around your childs needs and hospital visits too and deserve it.
The fact that the parents of children with very severe disabilty do not get enough respite/help/financial support is a separate issue - ie not your fault.

the fact you feel guilty isnt a bad thing just means your more likley a person who is less expecting and feels everything should be handed to them..

keep the claim as others ahve said its to offset expenses

catchymonkey, are you there? Could we chat re ds & gorwth? Think we've touched briefly on it before. Am in similar position, keen to swap notes?

ps don't feel guilty and yes, buy an iPad "for him" to keep him occupied during the long trips & many appts.