Registered blind- whether to query DLA

Samantha wrote: Hi there, I've been registered blind since birth, and have been getting lower rate mobility and care components of DLA since my late teens with a lifetime award (or whatever it's called!). The DWP contacted me when the law changed and sent me to a high street optician to assess whether I was eligible for higher rate mobility. The appointment was a complete farce as she didn't know what she was doing, but ultimately, they said I'm not eligible for the higher rate. The process was so stressful that I didn't query it.

I have been told several times by charities etc that I should probably get middle rate care.

A friend of mine with very similar sight and difficulties recently asked for her DLA to be looked at again, she was shocked to be awarded higher rate care and mobility. This has made me query whether I should ask to have mine looked at again, but I'm concerned that this may mean I get looked at for PIP far sooner than I would otherwise have been.

Any advice would be gratefully recieved,
thanks

To qualify for Higher Rate Mobility due to your eyesight you need to meet the following.

• Be aged under 65 on 11 April 2011.
• Be certified/ registered as severely sight impaired/ blind
• Have a visual acuity, with appropriate corrective lenses if necessary, of less than 3/60 or
• Have a visual acuity of 3/60 or more, but less than 6/60, with appropriate corrective lenses if necessary, a complete loss of peripheral vision and a central vision of no more than 10 degrees in total (sometimes called tunnel vision).

I am unclear on the requirement that you be under the age of 65 on 11 April 2011, but you will certainly need to be under the age of 65 to be able to claim HRM.

See www.actionforblindpeople.org.uk/resource...ty-living-allowance/

The change to the regulations only affects HRM, so if you believe that you meet the requirements for Medium Rate Care then this must be the results of a Change of Circumstances that means that your care needs have increased.

Please have a look at our DLA claim guides for more details

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/dla/#dlaclaims

A Change of Circumstances will not result in a transfer to PIP until October of the year, so if you qualify it will be for DLA.

Gordon

Samantha

First a quick amendment, it should have read "this year" not "the year".

The problem you have with your Care needs is that as you did not challenge your care needs as set by the last Decision on your claim, they have been accepted as being at the current level, so to apply for a higher level you will need to show that they have changed since then and why that has happened, this is why it would be a Change of Circumstances.

Any review of your current claim can change it for the positive or the negative, so possible results are that it is increased, it remains the same, it is reduced or removed. If it is revised then it is perfectly possible that your current indefinite award could be made into a fixed term award.

My best advice is for you to go through our DLA Claim guides to see whether you have a strong case for Medium Rate Care or not and then make a Decision based on this.

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/dla/#dlaclaims

Also, if you can, try and get face to face advice, a trained advisor will be able to tell you whether a claim for MRC is reasonable or not.

Where to get advice?

Gordon