advice needed for benefits

[debs1974]

I need advice, my son is 19 this month. He has learning and behavior disabilities. He starts full special ed college in march. We was turned down for child benefit even though their website states * started, enrolled or accepted onto a full time course before their 19th birthday* ( they told me on the phone it was a no because he is not on a full time course now ). I cannot appeal now because i have been waiting over 1 month for their statement of reasons. His jsa will stop when he starts college, and cannot claim ESA ( though he is entitled ) because all 6 of our family drs said he was not ill and will not give medical cert. We have made a claim for dla, they have written to drs for a report. Just need to know what my son is entitled to, its getting so hard now that i have chest pains

[leclerc]

Re: advice needed for benefits

Does he qualify for DLA(Disability Living Allowance)?

[debs1974]

Re: advice needed for benefits

mm well waiting for an answer from them, they are awaiting a doctor report

[leclerc]

Re: advice needed for benefits

mm well waiting for an answer from them, they are awaiting a doctor report

IF they turn him down then please appeal the decision because it is my understanding that DLA is being turned down regularly when a claimant would usually automatically qualify for it. On appeal the case is usually won. I'm not saying that this is always the case but please appeal it if they turn it down. It would cost you just the price of a stamp and there is a 50:50 chance.

[labman]

Re: advice needed for benefits

I trust you know most DLA applications are turned down on initial application and have to be appealled. It doesn't sound as though he is going to get a lot of support from the medics though from what you write.

CAB are usually superb with benefits - it may be worth your while going to chat to them.

[debs1974]

Re: advice needed for benefits

from personal experience..my husband was turned down for dla when we was helped by the CAB, but when we appealed by ourselves we won. We asked a group called Money Matters to help with my son's form as they stated that it is how the form is presented.

[MissFM]

Re: advice needed for benefits

Debs

I am so sorry for what you are going through - I also have a son with severe learning disabilities/behavioural problems. I'm afraid it is a fight all the way but you can win so that he has what he needs. If it's any help, my son now does after years of fighting and some despair.

Your son is most probably entitled to DLA but you do need to fill in the forms (which are harrowing) in a way that ticks the official boxes. It's terribly distressing because you normally spend all your time trying to look for positives but for these forms you have to look at worst case scenarios and it gets very upsetting.

I don't mean to pry but what learning disabilities does he have and are they officially diagnosed?

Are his behavioural issues diagnosed?

Do you have any support network?

I will help you all I can - from bitter but ultimately successful experience - and if I can't help you I will try to point you to a network that can.

If you would like to PM me please do.

FM

[debs1974]

Re: advice needed for benefits

His learning disabilites is his reading and writing which is extremely poor. He cannot understand people when they talk to him. He gets scared in new places. His connections advisor wrote he had dyslexia ( something i knew nothing about as he was living with his father at the time ). he has Emotional and behaviour disorder ( diagnosed at 8 years old ). Conduct disorder too. He also has enceprisis since 8yrs old.

[labman]

Re: advice needed for benefits

His learning disabilites is his reading and writing which is extremely poor. He cannot understand people when they talk to him. He gets scared in new places. His connections advisor wrote he had dyslexia ( something i knew nothing about as he was living with his father at the time ). he has Emotional and behaviour disorder ( diagnosed at 8 years old ). Conduct disorder too. He also has enceprisis since 8yrs old.

Given the above pre-existing conditions which he has had for about 11 years, I assume there must be a huge paper trail from the school and from people such as Educational Psychologists?

[MissFM]

Re: advice needed for benefits

Has he seen a psychiatrist with specific expertise in learning disabilities? (I am asking this not to cause alarm, but it is a magic gateway to services and benfits in my experience, and as difficult to access as.. )

[MissFM]

Re: advice needed for benefits

Do you mean encopresis? (ie involuntary soiling)

[debs1974]

Re: advice needed for benefits

encopresis yes sorry, my spelling is terrible. my son did have a statement for school but that ran out 2 years ago. he has been to camhs since the age of 8 too. i did request copies of reports from camhs but 9 weeks later im still waiting for them. he has been signed off from camhs because he is over 18 and doctor will not refer him to a special place in my town because the dr says my son does not have mental health problems

[MissFM]

Re: advice needed for benefits

Debs

Looking at the diagnoses you have given above, without further detail, I think your son is entitled to a huge amount of support, both practical and financial. It's just a matter of accessing that support - and I am sorry to say it will be a fight. Much of it is paperwork.

Let me help you if I can!

[MissFM]

Re: advice needed for benefits

encopresis yes sorry, my spelling is terrible. my son did have a statement for school but that ran out 2 years ago. he has been to camhs since the age of 8 too. i did request copies of reports from camhs but 9 weeks later im still waiting for them. he has been signed off from camhs because he is over 18 and doctor will not refer him to a special place in my town because the dr says my son does not have mental health problems

This is making me very angry indeed Debs - these people are employed - payed huge salaries out of the budget intended to help our children - and yet they just absorb all the money and get in the way of services for the people they are employed to help.

Does your son have a social worker?

Does he also have a keyworker or are they one and the same?

[labman]

Re: advice needed for benefits

encopresis yes sorry, my spelling is terrible. my son did have a statement for school but that ran out 2 years ago. he has been to camhs since the age of 8 too. i did request copies of reports from camhs but 9 weeks later im still waiting for them. he has been signed off from camhs because he is over 18 and doctor will not refer him to a special place in my town because the dr says my son does not have mental health problems

Surely the medics would have been involved while he was in full time education though? Usually where Educational Psychologists are involved, Statements of Special Educational Needs are awarded (was this a full time statement, if not what were the terms of it?) and some of the symptoms above are manifesting themselves, the medics would already be involved. Was this not the case?