when applying for dla

I thought Id pass on the info I was told be a solicitor I know, when you send your dl pack off, it gets read by someone who has the dla a handbook, if you dont meet the criteria as its laid down in that book you wont get it, you must write hell of alot about your symptoms and then rwrite some more , dont just stick to the boxes and etc info and seperate sheet of paper, and details, and perhaps dates of when youve fallen , cant get into the bath etc, dont you really must go into extensive details

It also will help you to have a copy of the handbook they use

[fairytails]

thanks for that lally i have also got a letter from my boss at work backing up saying she has seen how even oneday st work totally wipes me! i hope we all get the help we deserve ! its not asking much really just to help with living a life ! xx

[Hidden]

Hi Lally,

I just had a snoop on the DWP website and they say the handbook was made obselete on Monday 30th April 2012 and that all medical information must now come from the NHS choices website.

I'm not sure if that's an improvement or if it makes things even harder?!

Good luck with your application any which way!

Kind regards

Peachy

[Hidden]

PS If the link in the A-Z of medical conditions has no link to the NHS choices website then there are manual directions to "Decision Makers are advised to discuss with the Departments Medical Services provider if necessary."

[Hidden]

by all accounts the handbook is still used

[Vectra]

It would also help if you had a social worker to help you fill out your forms as they carry some clout as well.

[Hidden]

i did with mine I still didnt get it

[eirwen]

go to a site called benefits & work, it gives you step by step how 2 fill the forms in.

[eirwen]

DLA Tip1. Claiming DLA for window shopping

Dear carol,

“You can’t claim DLA for help with grocery shopping. But you may be able

to claim for window shopping.”

The reason you can’t claim for shopping for necessities dates back to a

1981 decision by the late Lord Denning, who was the senior civil judge in

the UK at the time. He decided that the activities for which you could claim

benefits “do not include cooking, shopping or any of the other things which

a wife or daughter does as part of her domestic duties”.

And yes, we did say that decision was made in 1981, not 1881.

And claiming DLA for window shopping?

Well that relates to another case known as Mallinson. The judges in this

case held that DLA was intended to allow people to live as normal a life as

possible and that social and leisure activities were part of a normal life.

Therefore help you need with these activities can be included in a DLA

claim.

For example, you may suffer from depression and anxiety. You really

enjoy walking round the shops, just getting out of the house, looking in the

windows and watching passers by. If you can’t get out for a few days you

start to get ‘stir crazy’ and your depression and panic attacks can get much

worse. But you can’t go out alone because you just get far too anxious to

even make it out of your front door.

However, if when you have your partner with you, they can

encourage and cajole you to go outdoors and keep you distracted and

relaxed enough to keep the panic to a minimum, allowing you to stay out

for half an hour or so, then that should be included in the claim pack under

'Having someone with you when you are outdoors' at question 31.

Give as much detail as possible. Explain what’s gone wrong when you’ve

tried to do it alone. What difference having someone with you makes.

What’s happened to your mental health when you’ve been stuck indoors

for too long. In short, why it is, or would be, reasonable for you to have

help with window shopping.

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It’s not just claimants who belong to Benefits and Work. Hundreds of advice agencies, law centres, solicitors, disability charities, local authorities, housing associations and more join as professional members. For example:

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Maldon Essex Mind

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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Or if, for example, you have developed a serious visual impairment but still

like to play golf you may have a ‘buddy’ who helps you to find the ball and

play safely. This would count as attention with the bodily function of seeing

and could be included in a claim.

So, whatever your condition, if there are social and leisure activities that

you do, or genuinely would do if you had the help you needed, then give

details in the claim pack.

Getting social and leisure activities accepted as part of your claim isn’t

easy. Decision makers generally hate the idea of people getting DLA for

enjoying themselves. You may have to go to appeal and fight for them to

be included and there’s never any guarantees. But being disabled

shouldn’t mean you can’t enjoy leisure activities as best you can,

just like anyone else.

For some claims it may not be worth it, but for others it can be vitally

important.

This is because, to get the middle rate for daytime attention needs, you

have to show that you reasonably require help both ‘frequently’ and

’throughout the day’.

Many people have no problems showing attention needs at the start and

end of the day, with things like dressing, undressing and washing. But they

struggle to demonstrate these attention needs in the middle of the day.

Which is where social and leisure activities come in. If they are things you do,

or would do if you had help, during the middle of the day on at least four days

a week, they should be included because they may show your entitlement to

additional DLA and premiums.

Making a successful DLA claim isn't only about having a condition that affects

your life in ways that make you eligible. It's about knowing how to show that

you're eligible. If you've found this tip useful, there are many, many more

in our detailed, step-by-step guides to DLA claims, medicals and appeals.

Find out more about becoming a Benefits and Work member and getting instant

access to all our guides and other materials.

Tomorrow: Why using your worst day is the worst DLA advice.

Good luck,

Steve Donnison

Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd

Company registration No. 5962666

TO UNSUBSCRIBE OR CHANGE YOUR DETAILS, PLEASE USE THE MANAGE MY SUBSCRIPTION LINK BELOW.

(c) 2010 Benefits and Work Publishing Ltd

This message was sent to [e-mail] from:

Steve Donnison | PO Box 4352 | Warminster, Wilts BA12 2AF, United Kingdom

[eirwen]

Oooo im getting better at this,, i hope the above helps you all xx

[madddyyy]

One simple rule when applying. It is not the condition you have, it is how it affects you. So its not the illness but how it affects you, plus research to hell on the net on how it should be worded correctly for the DWP.