Is it worth it?

Hi
not sure if i can post this so if its deleted i understand.

My daughter had a scan on her lumbar area of her back as she had pain and was told she had sciatica (before the scan) and this was the cause of discomfort/pain in her lower back and legs.

She had the result and turns out she has got a bulge in the spine ( slip disk?). A friend has said because our GP said my daughter will most likely end up like me (compression of the spine/cord) and in a wheelchair later on in life she is 24!) that she should try and claim DLA as GP said this is chornic. our local hospital was not offering surgery and there was nothing they could do apart from pain killers but did not want to give my daughter them at the age of 24 as she will need them more in the long term.

so my question is: is it worth trying to claim DLA for my daughter? she does not have care problems but does find it hard to cook a main meal as she cant bend well to put in/out things in the oven. she can walk but the pain/discomfort does not start right away but soon after.

she is also my full time carer so would that have a bearing on a decsion?

any help would be good, thanks

Sandra wrote:

Hi
not sure if i can post this so if its deleted i understand.

My daughter had a scan on her lumbar area of her back as she had pain and was told she had sciatica (before the scan) and this was the cause of discomfort/pain in her lower back and legs.

She had the result and turns out she has got a bulge in the spine ( slip disk?). A friend has said because our GP said my daughter will most likely end up like me (compression of the spine/cord) and in a wheelchair later on in life she is 24!) that she should try and claim DLA as GP said this is chornic. our local hospital was not offering surgery and there was nothing they could do apart from pain killers but did not want to give my daughter them at the age of 24 as she will need them more in the long term.

so my question is: is it worth trying to claim DLA for my daughter? she does not have care problems but does find it hard to cook a main meal as she cant bend well to put in/out things in the oven. she can walk but the pain/discomfort does not start right away but soon after.

she is also my full time carer so would that have a bearing on a decsion?

any help would be good, thanks

Hi Sandra,

As a standard opening question have you read all the DLA guides in the orange MEMBERS Only area on the left?.

With regards to claiming DLA, remember it is not the condition in its self that gives an award of DLA.

It is the needs and limitations as a result of the conditions.

Any actions such as caring or indeed working, would not necessarily stop an award of DLA, unless such actions were in some way contradictory to the evidence used to make the award.

As an over exaggerated example, if someone was making a claim for the Mobility Component of DLA, due to mobility issues, but also ran cross country races every day.

If you look at the guides , and then feel you have any further questions, please come back to us.

cheers

bro58

i have had a look but my daughter deals with that but by looking at it she may not have a chance. i am unsure of how far she can walk as i cant remember what the limit is on for DLA. she also claims ESA which she has not heard anything yet. sent form in 2 weeks ago. this is a new medical condition so this would not have been put on the ESA50 form. just not sure because i was told when i claimed that if you have a physical problem when you must need care. she does have mental heath problems ie not being able to go out alone and has panic attacks. would this be considered also?
thank you

You can claim DLA for care needs arising from mental problems. Our guides cover both physical and mental problems, so if your daughter wants to claim because of both, you will need to look at both guides.

i have just thought of a new problem.....

so i have been reading through the guides for mental and physical health. now my daughters mental health problems have lasted for more than 3 months and will be more than 6 but the sciatica has lasted for about about a year and will last longer than 6 months but the Bulging disk/slip disc has only been found out since last week but the scaitica is belonging to the bulging disk in the spine so would my daughter still be able to claim on mobility or should she wait for at lest 3 months to put a claim in for mobility?

thanks

Sandra wrote:

i have just thought of a new problem.....

so i have been reading through the guides for mental and physical health. now my daughters mental health problems have lasted for more than 3 months and will be more than 6 but the sciatica has lasted for about about a year and will last longer than 6 months but the Bulging disk/slip disc has only been found out since last week but the scaitica is belonging to the bulging disk in the spine so would my daughter still be able to claim on mobility or should she wait for at lest 3 months to put a claim in for mobility?

thanks

Hi sandra,

You are correct, the condition causing the limitations or needs, must have been present for 3 months, and likely to last a further 6 months, from the date of the claim.

If you could prove that the sciatica has been present longer than 3 months, and is likely to last at least another 6 months, it would be the limitations caused by the sciatica that would be relevant.

If the recently diagnosed disc problem is the probable cause of the sciatica that would help to prove the existance of the condition.

cheers

bro58