HOW IS DLA AWARDED?

Hi All

What is the criteria for being awarded DLA?

I've looked through the DLA guides (albeit quite quickly), but I'm still unsure how it works. I know that ESA is a points based system - is DLA the same?

I know nothing about DLA so apologies if this question sounds a bit stupid.

I will read the guides more thoroughly when I get a chance, but just wanted a very brief idea on how it works.

DLA isn't a points-based system like ESA. For care, it depends either on your ability to prepare a traditional cooked meal from scratch or on the amount and frequency of care you need with "bodily functions" which includes certain mental functions as well as physical functions.

For mobility, it depends either (for lower rate) on whether you need supervision in unfamiliar places, or, (for higher rate) whether you have behavioural problems or have difficulty walking.

All these factors seem to have a certain amount of flexibility about them. For example, with the walking, it's not just how far, it's how fast, how much difficulty etc. The bodily functions are defined by an appeal decision, but still subject to interpretation. There are lots of appeal decisions defining all the aspects of entitlement.

So whilst we could, in theory, summarise the entitlement quite briefly, it would be misleading because of all the various case law on it. Hence the need for the detailed guides to applying.

When filling in the forms, the key thing is not to consider what your needs should be to get DLA, but to concentrate on filling the forms in accurately and giving plenty of information.

Thanks survivor,

very good advice.

I will proceed as you suggested, using the guides as an aid, and giving as much information and evidence as I can.

C&L wrote:

Hi All

What is the criteria for being awarded DLA?

I've looked through the DLA guides (albeit quite quickly), but I'm still unsure how it works. I know that ESA is a points based system - is DLA the same?

I know nothing about DLA so apologies if this question sounds a bit stupid.

I will read the guides more thoroughly when I get a chance, but just wanted a very brief idea on how it works.

these two links do a decent job of telling you

www.disabilityalliance.org/f23.htm

www.disabilityalliance.org/f2.htm