State Benefits for visually impaired children/their carers

[BusyLizzy]

Hello my peeps,
I'm wondering what state benefit entitlements there are for a child who is registered as partially sighted. I would hope that by the time she reaches 16 she can apply for Disability Living Allowance and be granted it at a High level for life, since she will never be able to drive and will need help getting around (only part of the story, obviously).
Do any of you know what the current law says about this?
I look forward to your input.

[Matthew_]

Hi,
Not sure about the partially sighted rules but my wife is disabled with severe asthma and was on the highest rate of DLA. Basically, I don't think you can qualify for 'life'.The rules are in many ways iniquitous. DLA has to be re-applied for every three years and is means tested (partly). There is an immutable element which is not much (circa £300 pcm). We found that because my wages are pretty good, she got nothing else (which I thought was fair). The problem was with the re-application procedure. The doctors they sent tended to deal with absolutes- like can you travel x distance, can you walk up stairs and so on. Its a yes / no answer but KC like asthma is not that black and white. So some days, Ginny could climb a mountain, other days she could not get out of bed. So technically she might be able to do x, y or z but not every day and thats no use to an employer (we tried that). Unfortunately the standard procedure is to turn you down, then you appeal and then they say 'alright then'. Ginny got fed up with cynical doctors, and the re-appeal process which made her feel like a criminal! She decided it was not worth it and decided not to re-appeal last year. Its a shame, the process is obviously designed to weed out those who are 'swinging the lead' but it tends to scare off the people who do not have the neck to re-appeal. Benefit frauds are normally quite happy to jump through hoops because they get something for nothing in the end. Anyway, what I am saying is I doubt that you get it for life, even if you have unresolvable problem. Your daughter will probably have to apply periodically and be prepared to be put up with a fair bit. Its worth it if she is unsupported in any other way because DLA should cover all her expenses. But if she has any other income already it might not be worth it. Hope this is not too gloomy!

[Matthew_]

PS Is that Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute?

[Anne Klepacz]

Although 16 is the age at which DLA can be paid direct, children under that age may qualify for DLA which would then be paid to the parent. Obviously the child would have to satisfy the various criteria, which as Matthew says, can mean jumping through lots of hoops!
Anne

[BusyLizzy]

Thanks for your reply, Anne.

I have no doubt that the child in question fits the criteria. She has cerebral visual impairment low vision due to brain damage from a haemorrhage). There is no treatment or cure and she requires almost constant supervision for her own sake as well as everyone else's!

[Matthew_]

Sorry, didn't realise that the disability was so extensive. As you say, its not likely to be questioned in that case.