When applying for DLA what category do we fit in ? As i have asked Age UK to help me apply and they didn't think I would get it!!

[Prickly]

[jacksie]

why ask age uk,why not go to citizens advice,or get in touch with cadal,its a care and disability advice line.if you phone these people they will make appointment for you to see a cab advisor at your local doctors.That's what i did i don't know if you have the same system in your area,it's NHS so it should be,i think you'll get more help that way.as far as category it's up to you how much care needed or difficulty walking everyones different it's up to you how to put yourself over also your doctor should help you,mine was very supportive i hope you get on okay,jacksiex

[LindseyMid]

DLA isn't for "categories" of disability. If you need help in looking after yourself, getting around and staying safe because of a disability, then you are probably eligible for DLA.

If you email [e-mail] I can send over the Benefits & Work Guides on claiming disability benefits, along with some info.

[Zeemo]

People I have found are too ready to make assumptions before finding out the real truth and facts. As Lindsey said there are no categories in DLA DLA is made up of two components. Mobility and Care. Mobility component is broken down to two rates, Low rate mobility and high rate mobility. If you need someone to be with you when you are out of the house to help guide you and or the public keep safe, you may be entitled to Mobility component at the low rate. If you need help with getting around and cannot walk over 50 metres without having to stop to rest or being in considerable pain you may be entitled to mobility component at the higher rate.

And now on to the care component. This is broken down into three components. Low rate, middle rate and higher rate. Now this is part of DLA has a much broader spectrum. If you need help with day to day living, like washing and bathing, dressing, sleeping and leading as normal a life as possible then you may be entitled to the care component. The different levels depend on the amount of help you need. say for example you help with preparing and cooking a meal once or twice a week for a minimum of twenty minutes, then you may be entitled to low rate care DLA. If you were to need help everyday for a minimum of 20 minutes once or more times a day then you may be entitled to middle rate. They class the day as being from when you get up from bed until when you go to bed of a night. Remember that this is not just physical help. Using cooking as an example again, if you need encouragement to eat due to depression for example then this is also classed as care. Say for example you need help to get in and out of bed everyday then this may be a combination of someone telling you to get up, due to the fact that you may wish to stay in bed due to depression and someone physically helping you get out of bed. Remember that you must always describe your worst day. Do not say that it varies. If you say that the amount of help you need varies then they are likely to just take that to mean that you can do something and they automatically forget that you sometimes need help.

High Rate care means that you need help both day and night. I won high rate care due to the fact that I need help to sustain a good nights sleep. I suffer with debilitating insomnia and have done for many years. My insomnia meant that I got the high rate care component after tribunal. The welfare benefit advice person that I used for that Tribunal argued that sleep was a bodily function and that as I suffered night sweats, nightmares, sleep walked and had a tendency to self harm in my sleep I got high rate care. It was argued that I needed help and someone to watch over me during the night to help prevent harm to myself and others. The night sweats meant that some nights I needed to change my bedding and nearly every night someone had to talk me down when i became very distressed or anxious due to insomnia and nightmares. There was a landmark case where a court overturned a DWP decision that sleep was in fact a "bodily function" as without sleep it was very hard for someone to sleep enough to help them function during the day.

My advice would be to find someone like the CAB or a local Welfare Advice service to represent you and fill out any forms you may have. I know this has been very long winded but I hope it helps.

[Hidden]

No trying to depress you prickly, but be aware that no matter what you tell them or no matter what proof you give them through letters, reports, physical proof of you ill health, their doctors that examine you also can lie through their teeth and say the opposite to everything you have proof of, of course some people are lucky not to have negative feedback from the dwp, I unfortunately was not that lucky, but dont let that stop you from trying your best, you could get a nice truthful examining doctor, you could be treated fairly, and you could be lucky or have to reapply, best of luck anyway xxxxx

[hobbbllliiingaround]

Hi Prickly. I saw a CAB lady to help with my ESA and she has told me get DLA form and take it in to her to fill in with me. I was very lucky to find her she has an aunt with the same illnesses as me and is disgusted at the treatment we are getting. I don,t know if I will get it but she has taken the stress out of trying.......Good luck with yours ...xxx

[sue57]

I was lucky to have a wonderful lady to help me from the Welfare Rights department of my local council. She filled in all of my application forms - for DLA and ESA and thanks to her I was awarded both. XX

[hollykarma]

I appealed against the low rate care award I was given. They said I only needed help for one hour a day, which is untrue. I cannot get up without help, I cannot prepare a meal, I cannot go out without having someone with me because of weakness in both legs. I appealed saying I needed much more than one hour a day, but they still only awarded me the low rate. CAB told me to appeal again, but I am so tired from all these appeals that I didn't. I think they make it so hard for us so we give up.