Ok, this isn't for me, its a friend of mine.
(L) currently receives high rate DLA including Mobility, which she has received for 7 years. She has a brain tumour which doesn't cause any problems in day to day life (infact you would never guess) she has 2 kids one age 6 and one age 2 months, both have been born after diagnosis and DLA awarded.
I know the new DLA assessments are different for every case. But i've read alot about things like...being able to walk a certain amount of steps, being able to bathe/shower by yourself, ect. Even though she is able to do ALL of those things by herself and lives a fairly decent day to day life, she does have alot of help from family members (with other things like making meals and childcare) because she is single, not because of the disability.
So, she is getting alot of pressure from her family that should she be called up for another assessment, she should say her family do more than they actually do. I have told her NOT to go down this route. Currently she hasn't committed any sort of fraud, as these questions haven't been asked, her doctor has simply signed her off. But should she exadurate her family's help, she will be (committing fraud).
I have been telling her NOT to do this, for obvious reasons. But also, I have been trying to put the point across that, the assessors, will see that she has had 2 children since the diagnosis and that they will surely wonder who looks after the children? And also, why she had 2 children even though she has a bad dissability.
So my question is that - what happens with regards to children at the assessment - will she be able to say that her family help out with majority of childcare, or would she automatically fail because she has 2 children and lives in her own house.
I know this is tricky, and maybe no one has the answers, but I would really like some advice, if I could convince her that this ISN'T going to work, then I can effectively stop someone committing fraud.
Thanks.
(L) currently receives high rate DLA including Mobility, which she has received for 7 years. She has a brain tumour which doesn't cause any problems in day to day life (infact you would never guess) she has 2 kids one age 6 and one age 2 months, both have been born after diagnosis and DLA awarded.
I know the new DLA assessments are different for every case. But i've read alot about things like...being able to walk a certain amount of steps, being able to bathe/shower by yourself, ect. Even though she is able to do ALL of those things by herself and lives a fairly decent day to day life, she does have alot of help from family members (with other things like making meals and childcare) because she is single, not because of the disability.
So, she is getting alot of pressure from her family that should she be called up for another assessment, she should say her family do more than they actually do. I have told her NOT to go down this route. Currently she hasn't committed any sort of fraud, as these questions haven't been asked, her doctor has simply signed her off. But should she exadurate her family's help, she will be (committing fraud).
I have been telling her NOT to do this, for obvious reasons. But also, I have been trying to put the point across that, the assessors, will see that she has had 2 children since the diagnosis and that they will surely wonder who looks after the children? And also, why she had 2 children even though she has a bad dissability.
So my question is that - what happens with regards to children at the assessment - will she be able to say that her family help out with majority of childcare, or would she automatically fail because she has 2 children and lives in her own house.
I know this is tricky, and maybe no one has the answers, but I would really like some advice, if I could convince her that this ISN'T going to work, then I can effectively stop someone committing fraud.
Thanks.