DLA Anyone??

This is a little off topic, but I'm curious

Under the severe category for care it states:

They may be distressed at night and on occasion this may require someone to watch over them in order to provide reassurance and prevent injury or danger to themselves or others.

I'm in the US so I don't know what the UK has for services, but do they really provide people with someone to watch over them during the night? There have been times in my life when this would have been extremely helpful..

Hey Cheze2,

no they don't have services like that here, it's a shame but unless you're admitted to hospital they don't have a service which will do that. The question is talking in terms of family members or friends watching over you. They need to get an idea of how much help you require to keep yourself safe. In that section I talk about how difficult it is for me to get to sleep when I am distressed and have a racing mind. And how I suffer with nightmares that wake me in the night leaving me even more distressed or how if I get up in the night for the toilet I struggle to get back to sleep because of my racing thoughts. It's through the night I have a lot of trouble with not acting impulsively on my feelings and it would help a hell of a lot more if I have someone with me to comfort me during this time so I don't hurt myself.

I hope this makes sense.

I made a post about this on yahoo answers and I received the following answer
Also I would just like to say I am from Scotland/uk and I am in the process on applying for DLA like most I got turned down before do not worry though this is normal. Also the more support you can get from like a physciotrist, doctor, social worker and a cpn the better. It would be a good idea that they sign one of the pages backing up your claim for dla because of bpd and bd, here is what my now friend said

"Hi there.

Firstly, don't listen to ANYBODY who say's you CANNOT claim D.L.A.
Mental problems are regarded as TOP PRIORITY and I have even been told via the D.W.P people **MYSELF** that when D.L.A changes to P.I.P from 2013 - 2016 (dependant on which area you live in) it is going to be the case that a lot of people who are on Low Rate Mobility will actually be eligible for High Rate Mobility and will be able to get a car (should they wish). If anybody dares to even try and remark and contradict me on this, then feel free.. I will rip you apart because you DON'T know what you are talking about!!!

Anyway hunny. Disability Living Allowance (D.L.A) has 2 components ("Care" and "Mobility") and 3 sub-categories for "Care" and 2 sub-catefories for "Mobility". This being: "Low Rate", "Middle Rate" and "High Rate" for "Care" and being: "Low Rate" and "High Rate" for "Mobility".

I started off claiming "Low Rate Care" and "Low Rate Mobility" since I was 14 or 15 Years Old for having Chronic Depression and several types of Anxiety (but at the time it went to my Mum due to being under 16). I also got diagnosed with BorderLine Personality Disorder when I was 13 Years Old (but for some reason this wasn't mentioned to the D.W.P until I was 16 Years Old due to misplaced paper work or something, I can't really recall) but I do know that due to my diagnosis of the BorderLine Personality Disorder, it immediately went to "Middle Rate Care" and still the "Low Rate Mobility".

And around 2 and a half Years ago, my diagnosis changed to Paranoid Schizophrenia and I got awarded "High Rate Care" and also still the "Low Rate Mobility". My guess is that you will be awarded "Middle Rate Care" and "Low Rate Mobility".

To get some idea of what questions they ask you and the answers you need to give them (these are genuine statements written on my D.L.A form) then you can have a look at these. Not all will be relevant but it will give you some sort of insight. I will say to you also and cannot stress enough.. Always describe your "Worst Day" as "Every Day". You will not be rewarded for thinking you are being honest with them, also, I must point out to you that I am not telling you to lie to them either, I wouldn't encourage anybody to do that. But what I will say is that to qualify for at least "Low Rate Care" you need to pass the "Cannot cook myself a meal" Question (i.e.. Maybe you get confused? Forget things? Can't co-ordinate? Etc..) and to qualify for "Low Rate Mobility" you need to give reason why you would need somebody with you when out doors (i.e.. Maybe you have Sucidal Tendencies and need somebody to make sure you don't act upon them? Maybe you again, get confused and wander off? Etc..)

Anyway.. To get some insight.. Read below what was put on my form:-

I will tell you what was answered for these questions for me...

For:- "Not being able to prepare or cook a meal if you had the ingredients" - Lin suffers from Mental Angst, Fatigue and Blockage and has bad memory problems leading her to forget about boiling pans, a chip pan or igniting the gas after it has been turned on. Lin also frequently gets extremely anxious about situations where she is under pressure to do things in a set amount of time and has trouble coordinating with said timings. Lin has been advised by her Psychiatrist to avoid using knives or any other sharp instrument as she gets urges to Self-Harm that she tends to act upon.

For:- "Needing someone with you to prevent danger to yourself or others or if you hear voices" - Lin suffers from Dissociation and also hears voices and often goes into a world of her own directed by these voices to be baneful towards herself or others. Lin acts upon this and in the past on command of these voices has committed Arson and Theft. Lin also frequently gets Suicidal thoughts which she has acted upon in the past so it has been advised that she has someone with her when out doors to prevent her from doing so.

For:- "Needing motivation" - Lin's severe Depression means that she has to be prompted to get up, dress, eat and drink. Also to take her medication which she frequently forgets to do. The medication is kept at my house (Mother) and I give this to Lin as she has been known to take too little or too much of her medication.

For:- "Watching over at night" - Lin suffers from both Hypnagogic and Hypnopompic Hallucinations which frighten her to such an extent that she wakes suffering severe Panic Attacks. She has to have somebody with her to calm her down. If left unattended she has been known to wander out bare foot, leaving her door unlocked onto the busy main road just outside her home. Worried Neighbours have had to call me when she has been screaming that Demons are tormenting her, etc..

I don't know if this is of any help to you but I hope I have helped..

Take care hunny.
If you need any help or support, feel free to message me on PeggyLuXXX@Yahoo.com

All the best!..

Lin. x
Source(s):
On Benefits myself (Sickness/Disability and ***NOT*** J.S.A). I am not a 'Scrounger' or a 'Doleite'. I have an array of Mental Conditions and have Mobility Problems (Registered 'Disabled'). Used to work for C.A.B Voluntarily. Just because I am articulate and can compose a decent answer does not mean I don't have anything wrong with me. I still have problems with Dissociation/Panic-Attacks/Hallucination… I am just not stupid is all and am not illiterate.
That's me gone. Signing out folks. Bye. (Have a nice read) - Ha ha! "


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