After sending in my first application for DLA some weeks back and being turned down, I decided to apply again following deterioration of my condition (EAA), a further visit to my Respiratory Consultant and many visits to my GP since the application had gone in.
When I had previously applied, they sent out a form (many pages) for me to fill in - so yesterday, I did the same - phoned up, not realising it was the first day of the switch over to PIP. So another phone number to ring. Perhaps the format was the same with DLA - a long (30 minute) phone conversation giving the usual personal details: Name, Adddress, Drs Address, Specialist, etc... Now if like me, you weren't quite prepared and didn't have every single detail to hand - addresses and phone numbers (I was expecting them just to ask my address and post the form!) you would have perhaps also been surprised that it took almost 10 minutes each time for them to look up such details on their 'system'. Once all the necessary details were taken I was told my claim had been submitted and that a form would be sent out to me to provide further information.
What I gleaned from this costly (to me) conversation, was that the questions asked are exactly the ones I filled in on the DLA form! Was this the case for DLA applications too? It just seems pointless when I could have taken my time (as I did with the DLA application) to provide the necessary information and sent the whole thing back in one.
What I will do when the rest of the form arrives this time, is to really think very carefully what I am putting in regard to my condition and how I feel/how it makes me feel, and to provide them with detailed reports from various medical people. Do I hold out much hope of it being successful this time? Nope! But you never know...
Whinge over!
Jean