Incap + DLA Advice

[Dave M]

I have been put on IS and IB after having 2 failed spinal operations and am awaiting a 3rd. I have been told that I would qualify for DLA at a higher rate as I have major mobility issues and need help off my wife on a daily basis to carry out basic functions.
I am worried though that the DLA forms look very long and complicated to fill in. There is someone in our area who does this service for you as they are an ex benefits agency worker, but they charge £100 which i cannot afford. I am also worried that if I apply for DLA and get it i will lose my IS which gives me my housing benefit and other benefits....

Can anyone offer me any advice on this matter or is there somewhere else where I can get this information ???

[Jilly55]

Hi you applying for DLA is not means tested so it will not effect your is or housing benefit in any way ,yer the forms are a night mare to fill in and no I wud'nt pay £100 to get it filled in theirs loads of help on these forums ,if you go on to the benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum you can get loads of info on their regarding all DLA and ESA benefits for free as theirs so many ppl in your position needing help as the forms are so hard to fill in ,I'm a paid up member of the b&w site which gives you help with downloading all the forms and how to fill them in and how to answer them ,the forum is open day/night so you can have a good read of other ppls posts but if you want to ask questions or download the forms and keep them on your pc so you can fill them in at you pleasure,but if you want to join I think it's about £19 a yr but it costs nothing to look and read ,im on DLA myself and will use that site to fill them in myself when my time is due never be afraid to ask any questions on any thing as this is what the forums are for but plz go and have a good read on the benefits and work site as their very experienced on their with loads of knowledge,and good luck with getting ur DLA at the rates that you think you are entitled to hope this helps
Jilly

[Carneucopia]

Jilly is right - there is plenty of free help and advice around. Maybe a CAB in your area - or a Social Services run advice centre or CLAC.

It's worrying hearing about a private advisor charging £100. However experienced and qualified they may be, the fact is they need some serious insurance cover to do work like that - which the likes of CAB have.
I could maybe understand working on a 'no win no fee' basis, and with strictly no other benefits advice other than doing the claim, but the point of CAB etc is that they can give other benefits advice alongside the DLA.

[Stepheninleeds]

Yes, I can only agree with what has been said. Filling in such a form for the first time is a nightmare, & if you get it wrong you lose. It is always best, I feel, to get some help. If you are lucky you have a good local CAB who will help. They know what to say & how to say it. It is not just about saying you cannot do such & such because of a spinal cord injury, you have to be very precise & detail each & every issue you have daily & why. You also have to show what help you need, not just what help you have, there is a huge difference.

[tinker]

I get income support and DLA so you don't have to worry about that. The DLA payments (care & mobility) are disregarded in the calculation for IS.
£100 is a lot to pay, do they offer any guarantee ? for example help with any queries or possible appeal.
The Benefits & Work Website do have all the help you will need once you become a member & from what you say about your condition and needs I personally don't think you should have any problems just remember when you fill the form to describe your worst/lowest condition as the natural tendency is to gloss over things.

[wobble1]

I agree also, DLA will not affect your other benefits and there is plenty of free help to fill in the forms.
Moreover, this "advisor" sounds like a crook and I would report them.

[davewhit]

B&W web site ran a item on allowing people to advertise charged services of welfare advice as more welfare workers lose there jobs some will go down that route to earn a living and fill the gap

[wobble1]

B&W web site ran a item on allowing people to advertise charged services of welfare advice as more welfare workers lose there jobs some will go down that route to earn a living and fill the gap

What was the outcome of the B&W debate? I would assume that like many sites, advertising yourself would not be allowed and due to the fact that there is no way of ascertaining someones credentials or come to that their validity.
At 100 pounds I would personaly seriously doubt someones validity.

[davewhit]

What was the outcome of the B&W debate? I would assume that like many sites, advertising yourself would not be allowed and due to the fact that there is no way of ascertaining someones credentials or come to that their validity.
At 100 pounds I would personaly seriously doubt someones validity.

some of the questions raised by the idea was what if they dont get you the benefit your after ... what sort of insurance would they have for liability if you did not get benefit due because of error on their part


why would you doubt there validity ? if charging a £100 if self employed and they take say 1 hour to talk with you and three hours to fill in form its not a bad price IMO ......... a search of newspapers and web sites that advertise jobs for welfare staff come in at 15 to 27k average

http://uk.jobrapido.com/w=benefits+a...id=14807368315

[Dave M]

Thank you all so much for the advice which I will take on board. With regard to the person charging £100 he guarantees to go to the appeal with you if you are turned down. I am told that they know him very well and when they see that he has filled in the form they rarely challenge it - i have just been texted as I type telling me that if you do not get your allowance he gives you your £100 back.
Sounds too much like a scam to me !!