DLA - supporting evidence issues

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Hello!

Apologies for my first essay like submission - I'll try again!

I have a question about supporting evidence from a GP and any advice would be appreciated.

I am reapplying for DLA. When I claimed 2 years ago, my GP wrote me a fantastic letter of support, which helped me to get the award. I have now moved, and when I went to see the GP at the new practice and explained my situation (that I am reapplying for DLA which pays for private medical treatment and housing costs), he told me he will only confirm my medical conditions and state the medication I am taking when the DWP contact, nothing more. This appears to be practice policy so I could not argue.

I am wondering what to do now. Will lack of GP support count against me terribly?

Thanks for your help,

feline x

feline wrote:

Hello!

Apologies for my first essay like submission - I'll try again!

I have a question about supporting evidence from a GP and any advice would be appreciated.

I am reapplying for DLA. When I claimed 2 years ago, my GP wrote me a fantastic letter of support, which helped me to get the award. I have now moved, and when I went to see the GP at the new practice and explained my situation (that I am reapplying for DLA which pays for private medical treatment and housing costs), he told me he will only confirm my medical conditions and state the medication I am taking when the DWP contact, nothing more. This appears to be practice policy so I could not argue.

I am wondering what to do now. Will lack of GP support count against me terribly?

Thanks for your help,

feline x

Hi F,

See G.P. Q and A's here. :


www.dwp.gov.uk/healthcare-professional/f...tly-asked-questions/

And here on guidance given to G.P.'s on filling in ESA and DLA reports. :

www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/medical-reports-completion.pdf

I am afraid that you can not force your G.P. to provide you with letters of support, etc.

Are you sure that it is practice policy?, would an other G.P. in the practice be more supportive?

You can gain copy of your G.P. records going back to childhood, these records may contain helpful information.

There will be a charge, and you can make such a request at the reception, you do not have to ask your G.P.

Hope this helps

bro58

Thanks very much for your help on this.

All my GP is willing to do is to write a list of my conditions with medication prescription, even if I offered to pay him. Would changing practices be a good idea at this stage, or is it better to just make do for the purposes of this form?

The only other evidence I can provide is from a therapist who I see privately. She is actually an ME specialist and also treats me for depression. She has written me a letter already but under her signiture has written 'Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner' as this is her main line of work, even though she sees me for counselling/psychotherapy. I'm worried that this will make her look a bit 'Mickey Mouse' and the DWP won't take her evdience very seriously. I have been seeing her fortnightly for the past year and a half, and because of the frequency of our contact, she knows me far better than my GP. Would such evidence be a good substitute for my GP? I'm not sure how the DWP view 'alternative' treatments that aren't strictly 'medical' (she's not a qualifed doctor).

Any thoughts appreciated!

feline wrote:

Thanks very much for your help on this.

All my GP is willing to do is to write a list of my conditions with medication prescription, even if I offered to pay him. Would changing practices be a good idea at this stage, or is it better to just make do for the purposes of this form?

The only other evidence I can provide is from a therapist who I see privately. She is actually an ME specialist and also treats me for depression. She has written me a letter already but under her signiture has written 'Hypnotherapist and NLP Practitioner' as this is her main line of work, even though she sees me for counselling/psychotherapy. I'm worried that this will make her look a bit 'Mickey Mouse' and the DWP won't take her evdience very seriously. I have been seeing her fortnightly for the past year and a half, and because of the frequency of our contact, she knows me far better than my GP. Would such evidence be a good substitute for my GP? I'm not sure how the DWP view 'alternative' treatments that aren't strictly 'medical' (she's not a qualifed doctor).

Any thoughts appreciated!

Hi F,


Any written detail in support of the limitations that you suffer can only help.

I obviously cannot comment as to what level of importance the DWP/ATOS will give to such written support, however it will be from someone who deals with you on a regular basis.

The fact that you see her on a private basis should not make any difference.

The best way to look at it is that it will not do any harm, and could help.

Even a letter of support from someone such as a friend, relative or carer, who knows how your limitations affect you on a daily basis can be helpful.

The response from your G.P. is most common, in that many G.P.'s are only willing to list patients medical conditions and prescribed repeat drugs.
In fact many will not provide patients with any form of written support.

If you are considering changing G.P. practices, which is only a decision that you can make, it may be wise to gain recommendations from people that you know, in that any potentially new G.P. will be more supportive than your present one.

You would obviously not want to "jump out of the frying pan into the fire".

cheers

bro58