Eligibility for Disabled Living Allowance for Child

[moo2]

Just wondered if anyone on here knows anything about this?
I have always worked full time up until going on maternity leave and planned to return to work after my 9 months paid SMP.
My son was born with a complete bilateral cleft lip and palate which wasn't diagnosed during my pregnancy. His condition is considered to be one of the most severe forms of clefting and will require medical intervention to put right until he is about 20 years old but the first 2 years in particular are going to be pretty intense. He had his first op last Friday, he'll have another in October and at least 2 more next year.
I'm not going to be able to go back to work until this main bulk of ops are over and I wondered if I may be able to claim DLA and if so how do you go about it?
Any info gratefully received

Vickie xxxxxxxxxx

 

[bex]

I got info from my community nurse and also my health visitor told me about it.

I was told i could claim if i had to do anything different to care for my child. So when niamh had her feeding tube in we were eligable to claim but the child has to be over 3 months and niamh had her tube out at 10 weeks old!!
I did have the phone number but threw it away yesterday and i think i threw the claim pack away aswell.
As far as i know we are not eligable anymore, you might be though as george has more problems than Niamh.

I think that we should be eligable for some financial help though. It costs us a fortune to come to birmingham, then parking is almost £8 and Niamh also has to see a consultant and dietician at our local hospital and the parking there is £4 a time.

Let me know how you get on.

 

[Jemma_x]

You can get a claim form from job centre plus or you can claim online. Im not sure how it works if your claime for a child. This is the website about it: https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DG_10011731

and this is the link to claim online: https://www.direct.gov.uk/en/DisabledPeople/FinancialSupport/DisabilityLivingAllowance/DG_10011925 and then you just go to were it says claim online

 

[moo2]

I got info from my community nurse and also my health visitor told me about it.

I was told i could claim if i had to do anything different to care for my child. So when niamh had her feeding tube in we were eligable to claim but the child has to be over 3 months and niamh had her tube out at 10 weeks old!!
I did have the phone number but threw it away yesterday and i think i threw the claim pack away aswell.
As far as i know we are not eligable anymore, you might be though as george has more problems than Niamh.

I think that we should be eligable for some financial help though. It costs us a fortune to come to birmingham, then parking is almost £8 and Niamh also has to see a consultant and dietician at our local hospital and the parking there is £4 a time.

Let me know how you get on.

Thanks Bex,
I'm going to give it a shot I think, they can only say no!
I'll let you know if I get anywhere...
I know what you mean about the parking, even though we don't have to travel far to the hospital the parking fees are mega. Do you go in the NCP? We spent £18 while we were in for 2 days last week and it will be another £8 tomorrow. You can only claim it back if you are on certain benefits, I think income support is one? We'll need income support if we have to keep paying for all this bloody parking!!!!!!!!!

I think we do have different things to do to care for our children, my friends with babies don't have to attend constant rounds of hospital and doctors appointments every week - surely that counts for something?
I know you've had problems with weaning too?
I will have to start massaging Georges lip scar in a couple of weeks Not looking forward to that...

I'm feeling pretty 'angry' about everything at the moment so I'm going to use all this negative energy to fight the system

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[Tegans Mama]

Hey hun.
My LO gets DLA at the highest rate, but thats because she has Spina Bifida and a few others things, and needs catheterising twice a day, medication 4 times a day, physiotherapy six times a day.. She is sometimes sick all over herself in the middle of the night so we have to clean her up.. To be classed as needing extra care than an average child your LO must need medication more than once a day, physiotherapy more than once a day (I think the time it takes must be excessive of 10 minutes or something) or help with bodily functions. Obviously as a baby there are only certain things that babies don't need - i.e catheterisation and giving suppositories or enemas on a regular basis.

If you want to apply it is worth it. They can only say yes or no! It is ridiculous how bad things have to be for you to qualify for DLA for a child though.

If you're getting income support you can get help with parking fees and travel expenses.. Other than that it is pretty crap that we are entitled to very little help!! My daughter was in hospital for 8 weeks when she was first born, and I didn't get a single penny from the government to help. I would mention that your LO might get the Mobility component of DLA when they are older, but if they have no problems with walking then they won't.. Which also means you won't get a blue badge which entitles you to free parking.

 

[bex]

I do think its totally crap that we can't get any kind of financial help so that we can stay at home to care for our poorly children. I've got to go back to work in september and don't quite know how i'm going to manage to keep up with the appointments, work and also trying to fit it having a LIFE.
It would be a huge help for us even if we could have our travel and parking costs covered.
When your pregnant and your told at your scans your baby is fine you don't budget for this kind of thing. I'm still angry about everything aswell hun xx

 

[moo2]

Hey hun.
My LO gets DLA at the highest rate, but thats because she has Spina Bifida and a few others things, and needs catheterising twice a day, medication 4 times a day, physiotherapy six times a day.. She is sometimes sick all over herself in the middle of the night so we have to clean her up.. To be classed as needing extra care than an average child your LO must need medication more than once a day, physiotherapy more than once a day (I think the time it takes must be excessive of 10 minutes or something) or help with bodily functions. Obviously as a baby there are only certain things that babies don't need - i.e catheterisation and giving suppositories or enemas on a regular basis.

If you want to apply it is worth it. They can only say yes or no! It is ridiculous how bad things have to be for you to qualify for DLA for a child though.

If you're getting income support you can get help with parking fees and travel expenses.. Other than that it is pretty crap that we are entitled to very little help!! My daughter was in hospital for 8 weeks when she was first born, and I didn't get a single penny from the government to help. I would mention that your LO might get the Mobility component of DLA when they are older, but if they have no problems with walking then they won't.. Which also means you won't get a blue badge which entitles you to free parking.

You have obviously got a lot more to cope with so big hugs to you and your LO xxxxx

I feel awful complaining when you are through so much.

With my LO the extra care is more sporadic but then it is quite intense. My problem is I have always worked full time (I'm now 37 and George is my first child so that is a long time!), I had planned to go back to work at least part time but I am struggling to find child care that are will to take a child on that needs extra attention and an option I feel happy with. Georges special needs won't be forever, maybe just until he is about 2 but until then life without any extra financial support is going to be very difficult. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

 

[moo2]

I do think its totally crap that we can't get any kind of financial help so that we can stay at home to care for our poorly children. I've got to go back to work in september and don't quite know how i'm going to manage to keep up with the appointments, work and also trying to fit it having a LIFE.
It would be a huge help for us even if we could have our travel and parking costs covered.
When your pregnant and your told at your scans your baby is fine you don't budget for this kind of thing. I'm still angry about everything aswell hun xx

Totally agree!!!!!!!!!