A lot of people also aren't aware that you don't actually need a diagnosis to claim DLA/CDP. I certainly wasn't 9-10 years ago. It was my health visitor who advised me to claim. She referred my son to the Child Development Centre before he started nursery. He seen a paediatrician and OT while there. He also had Speech and Language input. This all started from age 2. He was diagnosed with Dyspraxia (DCD) aged 4 and a half and then ASD age 11. They also helped me fill out the first form and provided evidence alongside my claim. The DWP renewal process for DLA is a complete shambles. You have to repeat everything everytime and provide the same medical evidence over and over again i found. Having now done a renewal with Social Security Scotland, it is a much easier process, nothing had changed in our circumstances except getting that officiial diagnosis and a new prescription, which is all the information I had to tell them, they had the information DWP had passed over when they changed it from DLA to CDP. They also recognise that his level of care needs are unlikely to change in the future. However it is on me to tell them if they do before his 18th birthday.
When I pop off and am no longer in this world.if I have spread the word about PIP/DLA, and have educated ( nod to vav there
) at least one parent about the claims criteria for these benefits. Then my job is done.
You are 100% correct that a diagnosis is not needed to claim. A claim is successful when the form has been filled in. And the information is clear and well set out. The decision maker might not know anything about the diagnosis a claimant may have. They do not necessarily have any medical background.so don’t ever assume that these people have knowledge about medical conditions. Saying your child ( adults too) has cerebral palsy/asd/Down syndrome etc means nothing to someone without medical training. It is not down to the assessor to research those conditions to determine what help they may need. That is not their job. Their job is to allocate points for certain activities ,and they have only the information in the form to go by.
This is why the successful application is one where the form has been filled out in great detail, outlining ALL the help needed and for how long ( minutes in the day) and how often the help and assistance is needed.and for a claim for a child,how much more help the child needs in comparison to children of the same age, who have no difficulties.
And help is not just physical.help can also mean how much encouragement and prompting the child needs to complete tasks.
Which needs a lot more information than a diagnosis alone can give.
If a child ,or adult is in need of DLA/PIP then they are entitled to make a claim.and it is not means tasted.claimants can work and claim .and should do so.it is there to help.and nobody should ever be put off claiming for whatever reason.
Another myth that needs to be knocked on the head is how the money is spent.
It is nobody’s business.it does not need to be accounted for. Nobody needs to justify what these benefits are spent on. No more than an earned wage should be justified. Nobody’s business.
My last points in this rant are that the Scottish system that all disability benefits are migrating across to, is a much more dignified and humanised one. We are no longer dealing with the DWP, where everyone claiming seems to be treated as if they are trying to defraud the system.
Eg if you are terminally ill and claim PIP,the claim will be fast tracked ( with confirmation from doctors/ diagnosis) that the condition is terminal. As will a claim made to the Scottish system. The difference being that for PIP there must be an expectation that the claimants prognosis should be that they have a year left to live.
The Scottish system have removed that 12 month time scale.
Terminal in Scotland means that the claimant will not recover from their condition, and that they will probably die from their condition.but places no time limit on this. A lot more humane way to treat the terminally ill.
So if in doubt, claim.
If the form is too difficult to fill in ,get help.there are a few charities out there who will help with it.
Don’t wait for a diagnosis.it can be added into a claim at a later stage.
Disability benefits are a right. It’s not charity. And if it’s for a child, and they have a disability. Claim for what they are entitled to. For them. they can’t do it for themselves.
Apologies again for this long rant. It is my mission to make sure parents/children get what they are entitled to.
omg so true. She really does have very unfortunate shaped legs
🫶
don’t know who she’s trying to kid
