DLA for secondaries

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1

Hi all,
Thanks for your helpful comments about getting DLA for secondaries.
Can anyone tell me if you have to have permanent physical limitations to get it? I spoke to Macmillan benefits line, and she sent me info on incapacity benefit and not DLA, so i’m confused. She asked me questions about if I needed help with personal care etc which i don’t. I’ve been trying to get back to her but it’s always engaged…
Thanks in advance
Jacquie

2

Hi Jacquie

I am in the process of having mine done, my onc last week took my form and said would do the DS1500 which you can get if got secondaries and I think if you have this form you should get DLA. I am fit and able in every sense really, at present, with no probs getting around etc. I would ring 0800 882200 which is a number I was given when my original form went awol.

Hope this helps. Will let you know when/if get mine through.

Take care
Love
Dawn
x

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If a doctor (your GP or oncologist) is kind enough to sign a DS1500 form for you, you are able to skip most of the personal care questions on the DLA application and get the personal care component automatically. There is nothing automatic about the mobility component.

There is a myth going around, that once you have secondaries the doctors MUST sign a DS1500 form. The form is intended for those with a life expectancy of less than 6 months. My GP signed the form but said she expected me to last a bit longer (and I have). Nobody has queried the fact that I’ve lived a lot longer than 6 months and my DLA continues.

The first time I applied for DLA I was awarded absolutely nothing for the Mobility component but when I appealed and said I was willing to attend a tribunal, magically, I was awarded the top level of Mobility DLA! If you get the top rate of Mobility DLA you will automatically get a Blue Badge. If you get a lower level of DLA, you may still get a Blue Badge but might need something from a medical professional to support your application.

A piece of advice regarding the Mobility component, if the questions do not bring out why you feel you should have this, do add on extra pages explaining your circumstances. For example, if the maximum distance you can walk before being in pain, won’t take you from a nearby car park to the centre of a pedestrianised town or city, that is relevant. If the distance you can walk while carrying things is shorter than the distance you can walk unburdened, that is relevant. We don’t go into town just to walk around, we shop or do other activities that might involve lifting and carrying. If we have bone mets in arms or shoulders, that is a problem, because we shouldn’t lift anything heavy for any significant distance.

And of course, if we don’t have Mobility DLA we don’t have a Blue Badge and don’t get to park closer within our walking limits.

Hope that helps.

4

Hello,

My doctor put me in touch with countess mountbatten nurse, and she sorted it out for me.

She has been a great help and support and I would recommend them. She is available for help and advise and is a real asset.

It might be worth asking your doctor to see if they have any that are local to you. I am undergoing chemo at the moment for secondary cancer so dont know if that makes a difference, but no harm in asking your doctor though eh?

Fay :o)

5

My doctor and hospice Nurse sorted it all out for me. Re the mobility bit - one day I am fine but at the moment one or two stairs and I stop or even a small incline. i need my OH for shopping as can’t walk laden and certainly can’t carry out a conversation whilst walking… I am about to apply for the blue badge… I think I have to do it locally.

6

Applying for a Blue Badge
______________________

Yes, you do that locally. They are issued by your District Council (the same authority that collects your Council Tax).

You may be able to download the application form from their website. You need two passport photos to accompany the application.

Remember when you display your Blue Badge, that the side with your photograph is the reverse and is not uppermost.

7

Holeybones, Thanks for that… I must do it then I can park at work without any worries in the mornings which is a great way to start the day - myown parking space I think I might enjoy work!!!

8

Thanks everyone. I’ve spoken to friendly clinic nurse and she thinks she can get my onc to sign DS1500 for me on Monday when I’m next in. Fingers crossed. Could really do with the money as just gone down to half pay and spending a fortune on petrol etc.
All the best
Jacquie