Received a DLA80 form out of the blue.. Why?

Hello Everybody,, I had a terrible shock this morning when I received in the post a DLA80 form out of the blue! and for completion in less than a month!. The covering sheet said that DWP needs "additional information about my claim"... ???..

I am 63 and I qualified for the Indefinite Higher Mobility award ten years ago which has been a life saver in my case.. This was only after having my initial application turned down and a long battle with the DWP and finally receiving a home visit from a DWP Doctor. I must say the Doctor was brilliant and his report allowed me to win my claim Indefinitely... Since then my heart condition has deteriorated and I have since had two small strokes and I have been diagnosed with Prostate Cancer (Gleeson 6),,, both of which I must admit I have not as yet notified the DWP about..

My worries are : -

1/. Has anyone any clues as to why DWP would ask me to go through this nightmare again? ..and what 'Additional Information' would they need?... Would you advise me to ring them and ask what is the reason for this form?..

2/. Last time my own attempt at filling in the application form failed and I didn't get the award until I had a home Doctor visit.. Can I say on the form that I need them to refer to my previous home visit and the only thing that has altered since then is that I have got worse and have had two strokes and have got Prostate cancer.

3/. Should I ask for another home visit by a Doctor?

4/. Several years ago somebody maliciously reported me to the DWP for I can only assume making a fraudulent claim for ESA and DLA and an Inspector made a home visit which obviously I passed and was told I wouldn't hear from them again... The arrival of this latest DLA80 out of the blue has the smell of that again.. What do you think I should do?

Many thanks and any additional comments you could make would be gratefully received..

Best Regards Rob

Hi Robster,

1) It sounds as if you are being reviewed under the 'Right Payment Program'. A certain number of claimants are chosen at random to be reviewed under this program - alhough it is not impossible that DWP have received another 'tip off' as they did before.

The Right Payment Programme

2) You can say anything that you tink might be helpful - but you should be aware that DWP might not have the previous visit still on record, so you should also give them as much information as you can. We recommend that every reassessment is treated as a new claim in this respect.

3) DWP might be able to make adecision without you needing to be seen but you can certainly tell them that you think you would need a home visit. Tell them anything you think might help your case!

4) See point 1) above.

Hi

As well as the excellent guides on B&W you could consider asking whether Citizens Advice, Welfare Rihgts or other disability organisations could help you fill in the forms, they do seem to have a higher rate of success than simply trying to do it yourself.

I would recommend reading the DLA guides here thoroughly first and perhaps making notes or filling out the form in rough. Don't try and do it all at once, you have a month so little and often is the key. I did this with my ESA claim and it certainly helped. It's too exhausting to try and do it all at once and mistakes will occur.

Keep a notepad to hand as I found I often thought of another point or issue to raise,even when I was in bed or doing something not related to my claim. Best of luck.