Pat, Can you advise me please. l have been getting DLA for about 30yrs. High mobility rate - lower care component - awarded indefinitely. Over the years my mobility has change a lot for the worse. And l really ought to try to get a higher rate care. As l have to have help with most things. Shopping/housework etc.
Did you write to them - or phone them.
l did have severe disablement allowance - but that stopped when l became of pensionable age.
l will not have to worry about PIP as l am over 64.
I’m not sure spacejacket but I would think you phone them, tell them the situation and ask what to do. I would think you have to re-apply.
To get the high care you need to show that you also need help at night. Remember you do not actually have to have care at night… although I think it helps if you can name at least one person who helps you. So you need to show that you need help more than once, or for 20 minutes or more, a night.
For middle rate, you need help with your personal care from someone several times right through the day.
The phone number is 03457 123456. I phoned to check why they sent DLA form and not PIP, and they answered quickly and the lady was very nice and helpful
To fill out the form, you can’t beat the guide on ‘Benefits and Work’.
Best of luck,
Pat xx
Just to be clear, for HIGH care component you need to show you need the day care AND night care 7 days a week.
Pat xx
Gordon Bennett Pat you just filled it in 5 minutes ago!
I’ll score virtually nothing on the care component and high on mobility.
Hi Mr Grumpy, long time no see!
I think with the care component it’s important to remember you don’t actually have to have someone there to help you, but have to show how having someone there could help you.
If you think about the difficulties you have… say with cooking a meal for yourself from scratch (they make it clear on the form that it doesn’t mean ready meals or microwave meals) then you might see that in fact it is a problem. I think we get so good at working out how to do things that we forget that for ‘normal’ people these things are easy!
Anyway I hope you’re doing well and settling into your new house.
Have a good Sunday,
Pat xx
Hi Pat
I couldn’t really make a meal when I was able bodied so heaven help me now!
I’m currently off work sick now and in hindsight, I probably tried too hard not to be off sick and in the end my batteries wore out and there was nothing left in the tank.
Looking to get medically retired and it’s looking likely so I may be able to call in more often.
The major change to my house is getting the bath taken out and replaced with a walk in shower. I’m the cleanest person in the street now. My OT helped with getting handrails fitted for me on my front path.
Take care.
All sounds good Mr Grumpy!
I too pushed myself too hard before I finished work. Actually it was a case of shingles on my head and face (not fun!) that did it for me… but I’m sure I got the shingles because I had been pushing myself so hard through fatigue.
NOT working can come as a great relief. After a while you begin to wonder how you ever had time to work!
Walk in showers are bliss aren’t they!! Love mine!!
See you on here again soon I hope,
Pat xx
Hi Mr G
I think a lot of us (me included) pushed really hard to stay at work, and perhaps went on a bit too long.
Mind you I am in the group what Pat refers to …wondering how did we manage to fit work in as well.
Hope to see you here again soon, take care.
Pam x
Pat you explain things so well, and it’s so true that we struggle on and find ways of doing things and then don’t think to put it on the forms as it just becomes normal to us. No wonder we’re always so stressed on claiming, and most of us aren’t getting the benefits we’d be entitled to if we knew just what they considered to be “unable to manage”. ( I don’t know how well I explained that, brain fog is at its best today…)
Mr G it is hard looking at medical retirement, I know I found it very difficult to start with, but looking back I was really not coping with what my job required and it was the right decision. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one who wonders how I ever managed to find the time to work. I must admit that it didn’t take me a fraction of the time to do something as simple as have a shower, shave and shampoo, and then recover afterwards.
Cath x