How do I make an additional claim with a change of circumstances?

[Cbeard1979]

Hello,

I hope someone may be able to point me in the right direction with this - My son Liam (6) was born with severe club foot deformity, along with additional other complications. A couple of years ago I applied for DLA on his behalf and after a long process of applications and appeals we were finally awarded middle rate carers allowance.

Three weeks ago Liam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I am told it is possible to claim for this but have no idea where to start with informing the DLA?

Q. Do I need to fill out a new application detailing all his medical needs or can I update his records?
Q. What advise can anyone offer with re-submittin an application?

Chris

[Stepheninleeds]

Yes, you need to make a fresh claim, detailing everything again, & any new conditions, how they affect him, etc.

The best advice is get some help from someone such as CAB, local welfare group, etc. You need to give great detail as to how his conditions affect him daily, when he cannot do & why. You cannot just say he cannot walk more than this distance because of that condition, you have to detail the problems he has. Some with anything else that affects his abilty to function. You could not say he cannot bath himself because he cannot use his right arm, or has a missing leg. You have to be specific as to what he cannot do & why he cannot do it. And you need to detail as many things as possible. If you have a good GP put them down as contact. As his carer you can give more details on what you do for him, so you can add other things & show again why he cannot do them on his own.

[davewhit]

Hello,

I hope someone may be able to point me in the right direction with this - My son Liam (6) was born with severe club foot deformity, along with additional other complications. A couple of years ago I applied for DLA on his behalf and after a long process of applications and appeals we were finally awarded middle rate carers allowance.

Three weeks ago Liam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I am told it is possible to claim for this but have no idea where to start with informing the DLA?

Q. Do I need to fill out a new application detailing all his medical needs or can I update his records?
Q. What advise can anyone offer with re-submittin an application?

Chris

you need to see if the new condtion affects him in such a way there is a change to his needs... as he is on middle rate care there is a good chance you wont get higher rate as to get higher rate he has to have needs day and night and they would have to be for some period of time .......... taking him to the loo in the night would not IMO be enough

[Carneucopia]

I agree with davewhit. High rate care is very difficult to achieve unless there is substantially more care needed. A child of 6 will obviously need to have his insulin administered for him, and probably regular thumb prick tests done, but unless those things need to be done during the night as well there seems little chance of satisfying the high rate care criteria.
DLA for children assumes that they may need a degree of nightime help anyway (toileting for example) and also that they need help feeding. It doesn't take account of the help a healthy child of the same age would need.
You do need to let DLA know about the diabetis though. And if his diabetis medication or management is causing significant extra problems you might still want to go for high rate care. If that is the case you simply ask for the DLA to be looked at again and a special form will be sent out.

[wobble1]

I think you need to be clear as to why you are asking.
Do you wish to re apply for the Higher rate care? Do you feel that his needs have changed to such an extent that he needs full time care?
Is it just the care component you want to apply for?
You do have an obligation to notify DLA of any changes, however, generally these are changes that would affect your entitlement to more or less benefit. Personaly I don't think you will be moved to the higher rate but you can always phone the DLA and ask for their advice, they're not that bad all the time.