Should I make a claim for DLA

[AspieMe]

Considering I feel that I manage fairly well, should I make a claim for DLA? I read lots of places that people say you should claim, but just how bad do you have to be before you can seriously consider yourself eligible? Looking over the supplementary info document from the NAS I only do a few of the things

 

• Forgetting to turn the oven off
  
• don't shave often enough (maybe once or twice a week, but nobody ever reminds me, but I get the feeling this is because they don't really care whether or not I shave)
  
• definitely many of the talking and listening stuff
  
  • I avoid people (if I can help it)
    
  • find it hard to start and maintain conversations
    
  • don't know what to talk about
    
  • I forget things such as sets of instructions (unless I write them down)
    

  [*]lots of unopened post, but usually bills (which are all paid by DD so I technically don't need to open them)

Is this enough to make a serious claim? every time I talk to my partner about it she just laughs and thinks I'm being daft (she works in elderly mental health, so her experience of DLA is people who are very badly incapacitated due to dementia and need 24/7 care). I would be claiming for myself, not a dependant and TBH I feel that I've managed alright so far, but obviously if I have a right to something I would like to have it.

 

I'm 37 and only just recently received my diagnosis, if I've managed all this time (albeit with issues along the way) do I need help? and TBH I don't feel I need to pay for someone to care for me, but maybe would benefit from being able to work less by having the extra cash.

Edited September 13, 2011 by dazwan

[Mumble]

TBH I don't feel I need to pay for someone to care for me.

Then I think you've answered your own question!

 

DLA has care and mobility components. If you don't need additional care or suffer substantially as a result of not having the care you need available, then I don't think you would qualify for DLA.

[bid]

To be honest, I think it would be wrong to claim DLA in this instance.

 

DLA is meant to provide extra help for extra needs. My son who is autistic got DLA from the age of 6, but when he was 18 we both decided that he had made so much progress he no longer fulfilled the criteria and didn't renew his claim. My younger daughter was left with a disabled hand after being knocked down by a car. She gets the lowest rate of the care element, because for the past two years she has only had the use of one hand (it has basically paid for the petrol/train fares to her endless hospital and OT appointments and some specialised OT equipment). However, she had major surgery a few months ago, and has got almost all the use back in her hand. When her hand is fully recovered and she no longer needs OT, etc, I shall cancel her claim.

 

Bid

Edited September 13, 2011 by bid