letters of support

lynsababe wrote: Is it a good idea to include the previous letters from Health Professionals/GP etc., with the DLA Renewal form? The new letters I have show that my condition has worsened from last year, so I thought it might be beneficial.

A Cautious yes, you need to be very careful that are clearly labelled as being in relation to your health as it was at some point in the past and not your health as it is now, people have a tendency to read what they expected to see rather than what is actually there.

Gordon

lynsababe wrote: At the moment, my wife has prepared a letter of support explaining the problems I face in every day situations, would it be a good idea to send it with the DLA renewal form (I also have recent letters from GP and a HCP, as well as the ones they wrote for the previous DLA application). I would welcome some guidance as to what to include with the form.

Any positive evidence is worth considering to be sent with the form, but that does not mean that you should send everything that is available.

It can be tempting to send anything that you have that is related to your claim or health, but it is worth you passing a critical eye over the information that is available, the points you should consider are how directly does this information applies to the DLA criteria and how positive (or negative) a picture does it paint?

Whilst they cannot be ignored, I am afraid that testimonials from close relatives are likely to viewed with less weight as it will be expected that the information may be overly advantageous to the claimant.

Other areas you can look at are your medical records at your GP Practice, they may include letters from consultants, etc. that you have not previously seen.

Requesting your medical records

Charging for medical records

Gordon