DLA how long?

nearlybionic

I have recently made my first application for DLA and was wondering how long it is until I should hear anything?

mandy_b1967

Hi I put in an application in November 2008 and still waiting. I think it depends on what they needs as proof ie doctors or consultant reports. I am ringing about mine tomorrow for an update. Good Luck
mandy

eckstardeluxe

They told me yesterday 11 weeks over the phone. I applied 5 weeks ago and have had a confirmation letter explaining they are writing to my GP, when I spoke to them yesterday they said they have written to my GP and received confirmation letter was received. No response from my Dr yet but the Consultant's report from last week is just going on the system today so I assume they are waiting to see what that says. Good luck

honeykins59

hi i applied for a renewal in october 2008 and got turned down in november i asked them to look at it again then in january 2009 i was turned down again so now i have appealed and going to a trinbunial so it has caused alot of upset :shock: i dont think these pen pushers understand what it is like living with this so in answer to your question i hope you have better luck than me and dont give up[/quote]

nearlybionic

Thanks for your replies. I`m sorry that you have had such a rough time Honey. This is what I am scared of. Lengthy drawn out process and I`m scared they`ll make me feel like a fraud. I know what I am going through and I was advised to apply. I`ll just have to wait and see. Good luck with your appeal.

nearlybionic

Hi all
Just an update. My DLA form was sent in end of last month, and today I received a letter informing me that they had written to my consultant for a report. Not sure what he can tell them other than my diagnoses and preposed surgery. As I have only seen him once, (have been referred to this one at specialist centre for orthopaedics from previous consultant at local hospital) and not sure how much he can tell them about how OA affects my life, etc...
Anyway I can only wait and see.
Anyone else heard anything?

eckstardeluxe

Nothing yet for me. I know it was sent a certain day in December as it was my daughter's BD. Into week 7 now. Phoned the DLA last week and they said it had been given to one of the Dr's to complete. Like you, I worried as I haven't seen this Dr at all and would have preferred one who knows me to complete it. I had to speak to a Dr last week to get signed off jury duty, I mentioned my DLA letter was with this other Dr. The Dr I spoke to was the one who sent me for the MRI so she said she would have a word with the other Dr to advise him of my issues. Might be worth a ring to your surgery to see if they can do similar. I would rather have someone who knows me better to give info to DLA it could make the difference between being accepted/declined. Good luck x

nearlybionic

Hi
It isn`t the gp , it is a consultant that they have written to. So not as accessible to speak to. Unless I get a date for surgery asap (ha ha) I won`t see him til I have my THR.
I will just have to wait and see!
:shock:

colinone

Hi Mandy You should talk to Bertyboy is has just got his and he is up on the forum. However as i was told from a guy at the Social
It can take quite some time on your first application as not only do they write to the people who look after your health needs, Once all your paperwork is back with them
Your case goes before a panel and it is them who make the final decision. Your application may have just missed a panel and is waiting for the next sitting. I think depending on the area you live they meet every three months.
Take Care
Colin

mandy_b1967

colinone wrote:

Hi Mandy You should talk to Bertyboy is has just got his and he is up on the forum. However as i was told from a guy at the Social
It can take quite some time on your first application as not only do they write to the people who look after your health needs, Once all your paperwork is back with them
Your case goes before a panel and it is them who make the final decision. Your application may have just missed a panel and is waiting for the next sitting. I think depending on the area you live they meet every three months.
Take Care
Colin

Thanks Colin for your help. I had a reply last Saturday and it was a no so I have put in appeal. I was surprised they said no even though I rang them before their decision was made and told them that I had a rheumy appointment on 18th feb!!! But they still made their decision without all the facts!!!!
mandy

colinone

Hi Mandy if you get anothe chance go to CAB or an unemployment centre to fill out the forms They really are a great help, know all the right things to say and on your side from the outset
Take Care
Colin

ikesother

[
Hello again. If its any help I applied for DLA as soon as I was diagnosed with needing a THR. My consultant at the time was very good and gave me all the imformation needed. When I went to local job centre I was told not to be discouraged if I was turned down the first time and to appeal. I sent off all the forms, expecting a battle on my hands. A couple of weeks later had a letter saying they needed more imfo and was going to contact hospital, then afew weeks later was awarded HR mobility As a result of receiving HR mobility I applied for car tax exemption and later a blue badge.I know it sounds bad at 41, but i've been glad of lately!
Last year when my condition worsened,I applied again and received LR care allowance. Hope thats of some help jk

eckstardeluxe

Hi update - Contacted DLA today after they sent me an apology that no decision made yet, they said still with the Dr after 5 weeks!! They phoned them up to chase them, I phoned my Health Visitor today and told them, she said she was going in to talk to the DR then I got a message afterwards to say it's now been sent back to the DLA. It seems from their letter they actually want things done quicker but the Drs hold them up.

bertyboy

sorry i have not been on but been alot going on in my cause of dla claim i was expecting a battle , i did tell my doc that i had applied for it ,and that she would probably get forms to fill in so i think she was on the ball all i can say really , but good luck to all still waiting ,dont give up ,xxxx

denpen

Hi
3 weeks ago I applied for DLA and a week later I received a phone call asking a few questions and I have just had rejection letter, it explains that I can walk so I will not be getting it. Even though the consultant has said that I will need a hip replacement but is giving the steroid injection first (just to try it to see if it works). They didnt even bother trying to contact the consultant.
Denise.

eckstardeluxe

denpen wrote:

Hi
3 weeks ago I applied for DLA and a week later I received a phone call asking a few questions and I have just had rejection letter, it explains that I can walk so I will not be getting it. Even though the consultant has said that I will need a hip replacement but is giving the steroid injection first (just to try it to see if it works). They didnt even bother trying to contact the consultant.
Denise.

I would seek advise about that, sounds like they didn't even do any proper investigating. I can walk too but I need medication to do it. I think most of us are like that on here. Speak to Welfare Rights or CAB. It doesn't sound very fair at all.

mash65

hi,all & im sorry thers no good stories about claiming dla.all i can say is dont give up thats what they want u to do.
my 1st claim was turned down & is now at appeal.attended appeal it was adjorned for further medical evidence & on thurs i had the emp dr visit,now waiting to go back to appeal in march.
my 2nd claim i was awarded lrc with no mobility so again iv took this straight to appeal,my gp is furious as he has supported my blue badge application & i have got the badge. he's well aware of all my problems(im there every wk)they didnt even ask him for a report.
so iv got 2 battles going on with them.
none of us need or deserve this treatment from them on top of our health problems,the added stress has made me worse.
i hope u all get a good result with ur claims. keep fighting. debsx

sadandshocked2

Isnt it disgraceful?
You have to be 100% well to get up and fight with these people in the first place, thats without dealling with the nhs.

In my experience as a support worker for the Wallich Clifford Community in Cardiff, all first applications for DLA were turned down, its like they are trying to find out how determined you are? Welfare Rights have a good site and have example letters too that you can down load.

Then we get someone going on 'This Morning', saying isnt it terrible benefits remain unclaimed? Get a friend, anyone to help you THEIR impatience at the DWP might remind YOU, who's working for who here? Good Luck :roll:

eckstardeluxe

Well after I was turned down and sought advice I've now resubmitted a 5 page letter, all my letters from the clinics I go to, a further report from my Dr which says 100% this lady should get DLA and I've advised them to pull my notes. I'd love to be a fly on the wall if they do that, lol there's 33 years of kidney, spinal and mental health stuff in there, the man at Wefare Rights said "they'll be thinking - well we asked for that". lol

nearlybionic

Hi
thought I`d just do an update. I have spoken to someone at DWP re my DLA application. It is now with the decision makers! Ooooh the power! My consultant and GP have sent in their reports so I am still playing the waiting game. I am quite nervous now that someone is sat in an office reading all about me, and can then have the overall power to decide whether I am `bad enough` to warrant this benefit.
Hey they don`t call us patients for nothing do they?!!
NB

honeykins59

sarahh wrote:

How's everyone doing with theirs?

I'm also at the revision stage for DLa with help of CAB as my renewal came back in Feb saying that they stripped the mobility part completely, with a letter now worded that although I obviously walk slower than normal but saying I could walk perfectly well, managed things like stairs with ease and awarded me low care.

The rhuemy clinic are now aware what has happened with the DLA and should be getting some report off the doc I have seen more than once as the nurses got hold of the secretary while I was there.

I did find out last week though at the rhuemy clinic I go to that a hell of alot of others with arthritis at the same clinic have also had their dla either reduced or stopped altogether and that the rhuemy clinic are well aware of this problem and are trying to deal with it as best they can.

It sounds odd but it was sort of a relief to find out I wasn't the only one it was happening to, but also a concern as it just seems like they're singling out certain diseases to make it as awkward as possible.

hi sarah i was refused in nov08 asked them to look at it again refused a secon time now i am at the appeal stage and waiting for a date for the tribunial i was on high rate mobility and medium for personnel care they have changed the wording for the mobility apparently you have to be virtually unable to walk and the fact with arthritis we can walk just at a slower pace and a slower speed but according to them we are still able to walk and if u are able to work then u are not that disabled according to them as for the personnel care if u can prepare a light meal for one and only need assisstance for small part of the day it is not enough to qualify for the care componnent u have to need 24 hour care 7 days of the weeek and virtually unable to prepare a meal for one now for me my daughter helps me to get upin the morning helps me to the toilet and to get washed and she puts on socks, underwear and bra as i cant do it before i go to work then when i come home she helps me to get in to the bath and wash which can take quite a bit of time and she is 13 years old and she prepares the meal for us as carring pots etc is too heavy yet dwp say it is not enought to warrent any care componnent as it is not 24 hour care it is short intermittent care as for the mobility i have a motability car which was due to back in a couple of weeks but motability have extended it until july as they know i am apppealing asgainst it i can only walk short distance and even then it takes alot out of me but according to them i can still walk even though it is short distances on top of that my consultant filled the paperwork in wrong undr propgnosis she wrote good because at that time my levels were ok ay she thought that what they meant now she realizes she should have wrote at the moment it is good but arthritis is so unpredictiable but i note they seemed to be doing it to alot of us about the mobility and the care this probably all the millingers who dont want to go out to work and they are nothing wrong with them and for years have been on one benifit after another and now the gov are clamping down that the genuine are getting roped in with them so we are all paying for them but i will keep on fighting as i know i am genuine and not a mallingera i want to be as independant as possible but they are not making it easy for me sometimes feel like giving up work and jumping on to the bandwagon and say now you look after me what do u think

nearlybionic

Hi
well its seems the decision makers have made their decision! And I have not been awarded any components!
They say I will improve, which , yes I hope so. But I still have hip dysplasia which I need further surgery to improve things hopefully and help my walking. I have had hip and back pain for over 20 years and really do hope that this op has improved things. I don`t want to have disabilities, or to ask for help, but its the hand I`ve been dealt.
My family have told me to appeal, but I feel so flat at the moment, I need to think. Is there any point? They have had reports from doctors, so why would they change their minds.
NB

bertyboy

hi NB don't give up lucky for me i was awarded mine with out a fight and am still gobsmacked about that , yes i can walk not as fast by any means , can climb stairs if i really must ,but what i cant do is do any off it with out pain and with out a stick , or with out medication morning noon and night , so get all the info you can ,y all appointment letters ,diagnosis papers ,medication details , details of how it all affects you from getting up to going to bed , walking house work any thing that is relevant to your day , then get your self down to cab or welfare rights , and appeal , take care .xxxx BB

eckstardeluxe

Nicola, I was tunred down too. The dWP wrote to a Dr who had never even met me and he left Section 6 on the report blank!! You'd think someone would have noticed. Anyway I went for advice from Welfare Rights and back to my Dr, Welfare Rights said no way a Dr would write a letter free as they get paid from the DWP £33 to do them. Well luckily, I got a full apology from two of the Drs I'd seen and sent it back to them for reconsideration. I included a full letter from me, my husband and a letter from the Sherriff Court exempting me from a High Court Trial I'd been called as a juror for. I also sent back all letters from clinics and I've also just this week accessed my medical notes. That is well worth doing, I found admissions of negligence in there going back 21 years! They have been sent to my solicitor now to see if we can excuse the statute of limitations which is 3 years in negligence claims. Now I have arthur as a result it's highly possible. Get as much as you can, like I said before Welfare Rights said when they get bombarded with stuff it will be impossible for them to ignore. Like another poster said and they did also, they knock most folks back, especially younger ones as they don't want you on DLA, especially if it's likely you'll be on it for the rest of your life as in my case.

nearlybionic

Hi Alex
I hope that you get the result you deserve this time. And you sound like you are finding some needed answers out too. I will keep my fingers crossed for you.
I have felt quite down this weekend, as I feel I am being made out to be a fraud and a mallingerer (sp?) But this morning I decided to take control. I rang DWP and asked for copies of evidence used so I can find out what was written. I have used advice from these same doc`s to apply in the first place, so I will see whether they have told DWP the same things!
As you say, maybe it is preventing younger people from being awarded DLA, as they are worried that they will be eligible for longer.
I will wait for the evidence to arrive!
Nicola

ikesother

Hi there,

Ive just read your update and Im really shocked that you werent awarded any components for DLA. It stinks. I read some of the forums on other sites relating to disabilities and I think that generally its getting tougher to recieve any help. there seems to be a clamping down and people really have to fight their corner. I would definitely appeal; try and get someone from Citizens Advice to help; they seem more familiar with all the forms and criteria. , as my consultant says to me " its the start of a long friendship, when you have a THR" so go for it jk