How are these medical assessments for DLA going to work then?

[rebl]

Is anyone else worried about this? My son's "medical" needs are not in your face but exist and are significantly time consuming. A stranger looking at him would say he's fine, healthy. But thats because his problems are well controlled through a lot of hardwork. Are they going to do an endoscopy everytime we apply for DLA to make sure our dr isn't lying?

Also, his other needs are learning needs, not medical needs. Alot of people on DLA don't have medical needs but have significant learning needs. How on earth are they going to do a medical assessment on these people and these people get their entitlement?

Plus, my ds already has a large number of appointments. He's under 14 different health and support professionals. So we need to add another appointment and this assessor is going to claim to know and understand him when specialists in their field struggle with my DS on some of his problems?

Its all crazy if you ask me. Why can't there be letters from all the specialists for our children?

I can't see how they can assess a child who is kept on an even keel by hour and hours of intensive work by the parents.

That child will present with no difficulties due to the parents having given up their life, job, dreams etc.

I doubt they will do any sort of physical assessment, as most children claiming DLA are under a paediatrician at the least (as well as 503846 other specialists!)

I would imagine they will use existing evidence eg statementing evidence, paeds reports, physio/OT/SALT reports etc.

I also wouldn't be surprised if the criteria for medical assessment for children is different to that for adults claiming DLA. I would think adults are more likely to undergo physical assessment due to the potential higher number of inappropriate DLA claims for adults.

I know STar and that's what we're worried Bout.

And typically ds1's is up in a year from now.

DS3- obvious what his issues are; we could even get a raise to HR from someone meeting him, and mobility (bert we wouldnt though).

But am calling for a prospectus at boardings chool as there is no 11+ childcare provision locally and weo couldnta fford rent if DLA stopped and me unable to work.

Fuck

We submitted all that with initial claim Sidge but cannot agin- after a year post dx all asd kids here are signed off from services.

School willback about aggression but I hate this- someone sees him he will seem fine, someone enters our house to talk to him I am guaranteed a beating thaqt night

More fuck

Star, thats what I'm worried about as well. He's not going to be pucking in front of them, he's not going to be screaming in agony in front of them. He's not going to be chewing crayons and licking the dirty car in front of them. He's not going to struggle to communicate in front of them. All because all those things are something I have given up a very good career to ensure he can manage/doesn't have to endure and because it'll be in the home, where he's comfortable and its set up for him.

I know people who have gone through horrible medicals for Incapacity Benefit and DLA and been turned down, despite having reams of evidence. They ask you to do things like walk across the room or pick up a bit of paper - which can't show intermittent problems or mental health issues.

They have had to go to tribunal and managed to get it awarded, but it's been a stressful process and some just give up and really suffer financially as a result.

It seems that DLA applications for children don't usually include a visit at the moment, especially if there are lots of reports included. It would be awful if more child DLA applications are turned down on the basis of a snapshot visit and without regard to reports.

That's shit Sancti - I can't believe you are signed off from all services!

I would hope that they would use a modicum of common sense for each case esp ASD and use existing reports/school info, or in Riven's case literature that explains relapsing/remitting MS based on a previous diagnosis.

But as we all know common sense and Govt services don't necessarily go together...

Well sidge in truth we are wAITING FOR EATING DISORDER TEAM BUT THEY HAVE LAREDY INDICATED THEY DION'T REALLY DO asd SO ITR'LL ALMOST CERTAINLY BE A ONE OFF CHAT.

ds3 IS SIGNED ON FOR LOTSD OF THINGS AND OUR income for him and my CA is fairly secure but since the redundancy we couldn't afford rent with the drop in TCs and there aren't any council houses we could havve a hope of getting (waiting list of 30,000). As far as Ic an see my options are:

1. boarding school.

1. take a job, let ds1 be a latchkey kid and know he will harm himself or another kid very soon.

1. Lose the house and end up in homeless accom., and I know i could not cope with 2 kids, 1 adhd and a toddler in there, just could not.

1. Hire a nanny. We looked at that; SSD were on side but I'll have to get a job paying in excess of £35k to finance that with taxes etc (going rate locally for ASD Nanny). I have a good degree but no references (last 3 employers have vanished, as is common in charity sector) and nothing around here pays that.

So, hanging on for AS Unit placement news. Review was weeks and weeks ago but LEA are at one staff memeber level with scikness so apparently reviews etc lining room and not even being opened according to SENCO who visited.

the sign off after a year policy is satndard here, you can get re-referred (eg ds3 and his epilepsy assessment next month) but it's how they keep the lists moving.

"And typically ds1's is up in a year from now."

I believe the change doesn't happen until 2013

Here - from the BBC site:
"The government will introduce a medical assessment for Disability Living Allowance from 2013 for new and existing claimants. "

I thought it was staggered?

I hope yopu're right though ourvye.

Anyway DH tells me I am going to worry myself into an early grave. I do hope so, it would be far cheaper!

Have I missed something? I thought that they only carry out medical assessment for Adult DLA claims, except in very rare occasions when you can opt for a medical assessment rather than provide medical evidence.

So have theY started assessing children, I can see ds2 hating that!

Hope you're well insured then, SanctiMoanyArse!

The Budget document's exact words are "The
Government will introduce the use of objective medical assessments for all DLA claimants from 2013-14"

It doesn't say adults claims only.

I shudder at the word 'objective'. It suggests a tick sheet to me, peered over by a man who sifts through piles of them daily without taking individual circumstances into account.

Will have to look, can't remember if ds2's is up in 2012 or 2013?
He gets high rate both & has dx of ASD, learnig diff & mild cp.
Hmmm if they asked him to walk down a corridor, he could do it. But throw in sensory stuff, the real world, kerbs, slopes etc he is crap!
Depends if it is as basic as can X walk 50 paces etc.

Oh well, guess i'll worry about it when it happens.

bloddy hell ds orthopeadic yesterday said well yes he ha sproblems no i cant understand them myself or tell you whts going happen tell you what im goin g refer you over to gosh .Oh and btw can you sign a release form so i can write it up

So how the heck some locum gp going know about it

Anon I know of a few cases where they are already sending emdics toa ssess dla claimants under 16 (one on ehre but can't name names obv)

Ourvye- far better insured than I am worth, in fact.

So Dh could get a Nanny to help.

I have 7 year old's dla claim up for a referral in September, and my 5 year old's is up in 2012.
Hohum, I just hope we have the right to appeal as usual, that seems to be the only wait to get dla for autistic kids.
To top it all dd is not sitting, babbling, slides out of my hands when I pick her up, has poor head controll at 9 months. I keep hoping she improves, not because I can't handle it if she has special needs, I just can't handle the awful struggle for services for her.

Medical assessments? Aaaargh, you can't tell by looking at me that there's anything wrong, I've not been under hospital for about 4 years, but I need the DLA to cover taxis and the extra petrol my parents use ferrying me about, as well as for when my bus pass runs out and I'm paying for buses while waiting for a new one! Will they do it for indefinite claims??

what about hidden disabilities they can't be medically assessed can they.
my ds has asd among other things but he looks like theres nothing wrong with him.

It is disgusting, the vulnerable, the poor, the single parents, always the first to be attacked. Sick and tired of it. I suppose I can at least cry, non of my kids are going to notice...
That is just awful Riven and LollipopViolet, as if you don't have enough to deal with. I could cry, I really could