
Originally Posted by
Stepheninleeds
I have been saying this in a lot of Threads, & I only joined yesterday, lol. Get in touch with your local Citizens Advice Bureaus. They are the experts on benefits. They have staff who are qualified in all areas of what you are entitled to, how to claim, how to appeal, etc. Putting in a fresh claim stops any previous claims you have made & any awards you received. It is considered a fresh claim. If you have an award they will not stop it while a new claim is being assessed. Now that sounds like a contradiction, & it is, but that is how it works. I would NEVER advise anyone to put in a new claim while an appeal is in progress. It is always best to wait until the appeal has been completed, that way any money you are owed, if the appeal goes in your favour, you will receive. Once this happens you then put in a new claim.
What everyone needs to remember is that even if you win an appeal, or have have been awarded DLA in the past, a new claim can lower that award as it is treated as a new claim. You would think that if you got a certain award previously & your situation has not improved or has worsened, you would get the same or a higher rate of Mobility Component or Care Component, or both. Sadly, this is often not the case, & you end up appealing again. I would always advise someone to appeal if they feel the amount awarded does not reflect what they feel is the right amount for their situation. This should be done with someone who has experience in this area as appealing it a nightmare, & again, where the CAB comes in.