Disability Living Allowance
This information is correct as of April 2008.
You can get Disability Living Allowance even if:
- You live alone and no-one looks after you.
- You work.
Can you cook a main meal for yourself?
You can claim for this if you have difficulty planning and/or preparing a meal. For example, can you plan the stages of a meal in the correct order and with required timings, peel and chop vegetables, use taps or use a cooker.
Care Component
Do you have any difficulties...
Do you need someone to be nearby because...
Mobility Component
A claim pack will be sent out and will be date stamped. If you return the form within six weeks the date of claim is taken as the date the claim form was requested.
Do not assume that the decision maker knows about your condition or its symptoms and effects. Give lots of description and detail, even about things that you find embarrassing or you think seem too trivial. The Department for Work and Pensions is relying more and more on telephone contact with people, as this is often quicker and cheaper than writing letters. If you do not wish to be telephoned at home and asked questions you may decide to leave the daytime telephone number box blank, although the Department for Work and Pensions may already have—or be able to find—your number. If the reasons you would refer not to be telephoned at home is in connection with your disability then you may want to enclose a note saying so. For example, if you have a mental health condition and you get anxious or confused when telephoned and asked questions by people you do not know, then you should ask not to be telephoned.
Complete the name of your GP and Hospital Consultant if you have one, the decision-maker might want to ask them about you to obtain a clearer picture of your needs.
If you experience pain all the time, the distance you can actually walk before you experience pain/severe discomfort and have to stop is what counts. Do not guess at distances or times. If you do you may give an answer that is not believable. If you say it takes 15 minutes to walk five yards, this is so slow that the decision maker cannot make a reasonable decision on your ability to walk.
Lower rate mobility
“Having someone with you when you are outdoors”
is about entitlement to the lower rate. This page is about problems you have walking in unfamiliar places, for example, if you have a visual impairment, you may be fine going to work or the shops, but if you had to go to a strange town it would be reasonable to have someone with you for guidance, or you may experience panic attacks because of your mental health and require reassurance from another person. It is also useful to say what you think could happen if you did go out alone in a place you did not know or describe a previous incident where something dangerous could have happened. For example, do you have fits or falls, panic attacks, trouble asking for directions or problems dealing with roads and traffic.
For entitlement to the middle rate and higher rate you will need to complete the rest of the form. The decision maker needs to know how you cope during both the day and night. You should describe your needs as fully as possible. Do not underestimate; remember what it is like on the worst days.
Step 1: Say what causes the problems with the activity.
Decision-makers are very fond of saying that claimants could do things if they chose, they just prefer not to. So make it clear, in your own words, that the reason you have problems is not about personal choice, but because of your health
condition or because you are disabled.
For example:
I have problems with this activity because of my arthritis.
I have problems with this activity because I have epilepsy.
I have problems with this activity because of back pain.
If there is more than one reason why you have problems then say so:
I have problems with this activity because of my inflammatory bowel disease and the medication that I have to take.
I have problems with this activity because of my arthritis and my angina.
You might get fed up with having to repeat the same thing on every page you complete, but it really is worth doing.
Step 2: Say what the problems are—in detail.
Give as much information as you can about the problems you have.
For example:
I have problems with washing and bathing because of my arthritis. I cannot stand for long in the shower because of pain in my legs, feet and back. I have tried putting a stool in the shower to sit on but it was too cramped and I almost fell trying to stand up again. I need help getting in and out of the bath because it is painful stepping over the edge of the bath and I am very unsteady on my feet. Washing my hair causes a great deal of pain in my arms and shoulders and there are many days when I cannot do it at all. Washing my feet causes pain in my lower back and I cannot reach behind me to do my back, even with a long brush, because of the pain in my arms, shoulders and back. Drying myself is extremely painful; I cannot bend enough to do my calves and feet.
Step 3: Give an example.
This could be when you tried to carry out the activity and it went badly wrong:
About three months ago I tried to have a bath when there was no one else at home. I managed to get in the bath but I slipped and fell while trying to stand up to wash my torso. I was not badly hurt, but it left me feeling terribly shaken thinking how much worse it could easily have been. A recent attempt to carry out the activity, which was not successful:
Last week I tried to wash my hair by myself because I did not want to disturb my partner. I was in so much pain by the time I finished that I had to take extra painkillers and I was unable to do anything for the rest of the day. If you never attempt the activity alone anymore, say how long it has been since you did so:
I have not had a bath or shower without someone to help me since I fell in the bath about three months ago.
Step 4: Say how someone could help.
To get the care component of Disability Living Allowance you need to show that you ‘reasonably require’ help or someone to watch over you. You do not have to show that you actually get, or want, help—just that it would be reasonable for you to have it. But if you have problems with activities and there is nothing anyone can every do that would make the slightest bit of difference, then you may not be entitled to Attendance Allowance. So always try to show a way in which someone could help (If someone is with me they can help me in and out of the bath and wash my hair and back and feet). You need to make it clear what you think might happen if you did not have supervision or someone keeping an eye on you. Describe any past incidents that could have had serious consequences if you had not had help. Falls are highly relevant. Describe how someone has helped you in the past after a fall.
It may be helpful to keep a diary of the help you need, when you need it and for how long to help you with the questions. Read through the form afterwards and make sure you have described everything as fully and clearly as you can.
This is information on your rights and responsibilities and is to be used as guidance and not legal advice. Information correct as of April 2008.
Disability Living Allowance is a benefit paid by the Department for Work and Pensions for people with ill health, physical or mental disabilities. Each year millions of pounds worth of benefits go unclaimed. Read this factsheet and see if you are missing out.
Did you know…
- Disability Living Allowance is worth from £17.75 to £113.75 per week, depending on your disabilities or ill health.
- It is paid in two components, Care and Mobility; you can get one or both of these depending on your disabilities or ill health. Each of these components is paid at different weekly rates.
- You can spend the money as you want.
- It doesn’t matter what other income or benefits you have, or how much savings—they won’t be affected.
You can get Disability Living Allowance even if:
- You live alone and no-one looks after you.
- You work.
- Disability Living Allowance is tax-free.
- You can get Disability Living Allowance for a child who has a disability or ill health.
- If you get Disability Living Allowance you can often get extra Income Support, Tax Credits, Housing and Council Tax Benefit.
- There are special rules to claim the allowance if you have a terminal illness. You will be entitled to the higher rate of the care component. You will need a health professional to complete a form for you to apply under these rules. Your application will be decided quickly.
Can I Get Disability Living Allowance?
You must be under 65. You or someone in your family maybe entitled if you can answer YES to any ONE of these questions:Can you cook a main meal for yourself?
You can claim for this if you have difficulty planning and/or preparing a meal. For example, can you plan the stages of a meal in the correct order and with required timings, peel and chop vegetables, use taps or use a cooker.
Care Component
Do you have any difficulties...
- Dressing or undressing?
- Washing yourself?
- Using the toilet?
- Taking showers or baths?
- Getting about?
- Cutting up food at mealtimes?
- Taking medicines?
- Help with reading?
Do you need someone to be nearby because...
- You are unsteady on your feet?
- You have had falls or accidents?
- You cannot hear very well?
- You cannot see very well?
- You have an illness, which comes on suddenly and puts you at risk?
Mobility Component
- Do you need help from another person when out of doors?
- Is walking slow, painful or difficult?
- Do you get breathless after walking a short distance?
- Could the effort in walking lead to a serious risk to your health?
- Are you unable to walk at all?
- Are you deaf and blind, which means you need assistance from another person out of doors?
- Do you feel agoraphobic?
- Do you have a learning disability, which means you have difficulties getting around in places you don’t know?
Income Support
If you get Disability Living Allowance you may qualify for Income Support. You can claim Income Support if you have less than £16,000 in capital.Pension Credit
If you get Disability Living Allowance and you are aged 60 or over, you may qualify for Pension Credit.Carer’s Allowance
If you get Disability Living Allowance at the higher or middle rate of the care component your carer may claim Carer’s Allowance. They can claim if they are aged 16 or over and look after you for at least 35 hours per week. If your carer wants to claim Carer’s Allowance they need to get advice because it could make you worse off.How do I claim Disability Living Allowance?
Ring Freephone 0800 88 22 00 to order your claim pack for Disability Living Allowance (ref DLA1 for an adult or DLA1 (child) for children under 16). Contact your local Department for Work and Pensions office for Income Support, Pension Credit and Carer’s Allowance claim forms.A claim pack will be sent out and will be date stamped. If you return the form within six weeks the date of claim is taken as the date the claim form was requested.
Filling in the form
Try to be as accurate as possible and try to clearly explain the types of help that you need and when you need it. Remember that the person who reads the form has not met you; so try to give a clear and detailed word-picture of your needs and difficulties. It is very important to try and write something in every large white box that applies to you.Do not assume that the decision maker knows about your condition or its symptoms and effects. Give lots of description and detail, even about things that you find embarrassing or you think seem too trivial. The Department for Work and Pensions is relying more and more on telephone contact with people, as this is often quicker and cheaper than writing letters. If you do not wish to be telephoned at home and asked questions you may decide to leave the daytime telephone number box blank, although the Department for Work and Pensions may already have—or be able to find—your number. If the reasons you would refer not to be telephoned at home is in connection with your disability then you may want to enclose a note saying so. For example, if you have a mental health condition and you get anxious or confused when telephoned and asked questions by people you do not know, then you should ask not to be telephoned.
About You
Give as much information as you can, include the medical name for your condition if you know it. Write down everything that is wrong with you, not just the main problem. When you are listing your medication, write down what strength or quantity it is (this will be written on the bottle/packet) and how many times a day you take it.Complete the name of your GP and Hospital Consultant if you have one, the decision-maker might want to ask them about you to obtain a clearer picture of your needs.
Special Rules
The special rules relate to people who are terminally ill and where death could be expected within the next six months. In these circumstances you automatically qualify for the higher rate of the care component. A medical professional involved in your care will need to complete a DS1500 form on your behalf. You still need to complete an application and give the details about yourself and how you want to be paid for the claim to be valid. You should complete the questions aboutyour mobility needs for the mobility component. There is a leaflet that comes with the claim pack which explains how to claim under the special rules or you can call the Benefit Enquiry Line on 0800 88 22 00.Mobility Needs
There are two rates of mobility, a higher rate and a lower rate. Higher rate mobility This is about ‘walking outdoors’ and entitlement to the higher rate. This page only applies if you have physical problems with walking. For example, pain and stiffness caused by arthritis or exhaustion caused by Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. It is better for your case if you know how far you can walk before you start experiencing “severe discomfort or pain”. Do your own walking test and measure the distance you can walk and time yourself doing it. The test is based on how far you can walk before you experience pain/severe discomfort, taking into account the distance, time it takes, manner and speed in which you can walk. Give full details of any pain you experience, how you walk, e.g. with a limp or with crutches and your speed.If you experience pain all the time, the distance you can actually walk before you experience pain/severe discomfort and have to stop is what counts. Do not guess at distances or times. If you do you may give an answer that is not believable. If you say it takes 15 minutes to walk five yards, this is so slow that the decision maker cannot make a reasonable decision on your ability to walk.
Lower rate mobility
“Having someone with you when you are outdoors”
is about entitlement to the lower rate. This page is about problems you have walking in unfamiliar places, for example, if you have a visual impairment, you may be fine going to work or the shops, but if you had to go to a strange town it would be reasonable to have someone with you for guidance, or you may experience panic attacks because of your mental health and require reassurance from another person. It is also useful to say what you think could happen if you did go out alone in a place you did not know or describe a previous incident where something dangerous could have happened. For example, do you have fits or falls, panic attacks, trouble asking for directions or problems dealing with roads and traffic.
Care Needs
There are three rates for care, lower rate, middle rate and higher rate. “Preparing a cooked main meal for yourself” is about entitlement to the lower rate. If you can not prepare a cooked main meal for yourself then this may entitle you to the lower rate care. This is a hypothetical test, it does not matter whether you know how to cook or ever do cook. What matters is if you had the ingredients would you be physically and mentally able to carry out all the activities listed on the form?For entitlement to the middle rate and higher rate you will need to complete the rest of the form. The decision maker needs to know how you cope during both the day and night. You should describe your needs as fully as possible. Do not underestimate; remember what it is like on the worst days.
Step 1: Say what causes the problems with the activity.
Decision-makers are very fond of saying that claimants could do things if they chose, they just prefer not to. So make it clear, in your own words, that the reason you have problems is not about personal choice, but because of your health
condition or because you are disabled.
For example:
I have problems with this activity because of my arthritis.
I have problems with this activity because I have epilepsy.
I have problems with this activity because of back pain.
If there is more than one reason why you have problems then say so:
I have problems with this activity because of my inflammatory bowel disease and the medication that I have to take.
I have problems with this activity because of my arthritis and my angina.
You might get fed up with having to repeat the same thing on every page you complete, but it really is worth doing.
Step 2: Say what the problems are—in detail.
Give as much information as you can about the problems you have.
For example:
I have problems with washing and bathing because of my arthritis. I cannot stand for long in the shower because of pain in my legs, feet and back. I have tried putting a stool in the shower to sit on but it was too cramped and I almost fell trying to stand up again. I need help getting in and out of the bath because it is painful stepping over the edge of the bath and I am very unsteady on my feet. Washing my hair causes a great deal of pain in my arms and shoulders and there are many days when I cannot do it at all. Washing my feet causes pain in my lower back and I cannot reach behind me to do my back, even with a long brush, because of the pain in my arms, shoulders and back. Drying myself is extremely painful; I cannot bend enough to do my calves and feet.
Step 3: Give an example.
This could be when you tried to carry out the activity and it went badly wrong:
About three months ago I tried to have a bath when there was no one else at home. I managed to get in the bath but I slipped and fell while trying to stand up to wash my torso. I was not badly hurt, but it left me feeling terribly shaken thinking how much worse it could easily have been. A recent attempt to carry out the activity, which was not successful:
Last week I tried to wash my hair by myself because I did not want to disturb my partner. I was in so much pain by the time I finished that I had to take extra painkillers and I was unable to do anything for the rest of the day. If you never attempt the activity alone anymore, say how long it has been since you did so:
I have not had a bath or shower without someone to help me since I fell in the bath about three months ago.
Step 4: Say how someone could help.
To get the care component of Disability Living Allowance you need to show that you ‘reasonably require’ help or someone to watch over you. You do not have to show that you actually get, or want, help—just that it would be reasonable for you to have it. But if you have problems with activities and there is nothing anyone can every do that would make the slightest bit of difference, then you may not be entitled to Attendance Allowance. So always try to show a way in which someone could help (If someone is with me they can help me in and out of the bath and wash my hair and back and feet). You need to make it clear what you think might happen if you did not have supervision or someone keeping an eye on you. Describe any past incidents that could have had serious consequences if you had not had help. Falls are highly relevant. Describe how someone has helped you in the past after a fall.
Summary
The decision-maker needs to know how you cope during both the day and night. You should describe your needs as fully as possible. Remember, it is likely that you will need to repeat information, for example, problems with bending will be the same for many activities, e.g. getting out of bed, dressing, bathing etc. Make sure you give lots of information and details about the help you need, even if it is repetitive or embarrassing. Remember, this is about the help you need not the actual help you have. For example, someone might help you to have a bath twice a week. This does not mean you only need help to bathe twice a week. If you cannot bathe on your own, it is reasonable to say you need help with this activity seven days a week.It may be helpful to keep a diary of the help you need, when you need it and for how long to help you with the questions. Read through the form afterwards and make sure you have described everything as fully and clearly as you can.
This is information on your rights and responsibilities and is to be used as guidance and not legal advice. Information correct as of April 2008.
DLA Apr 08.pdf (7 pages, 430kb)
