Forum Home → Discussion → Disability benefits → Thread
DLA + changing bedding for skin problems
Child requires bedding changed and washed every 2 days because of skin problems (flakes of skin left on the sheets make her condition worse). Is this relevant to our DLA appeal? In what way? (the bedding is changed and washed during the day). Is this potentially treatment for her condition? Are we looking at the extra time spent in changing only, or washing too?
Can the child change/wash her own bedding or does another person need to do it for her? Assuming she doesn’t do it herself, It is the time taken by the other person assisting with changing and washing which is relevant, in addition to whether her need is in excess of the needs of another child of similar age who does not have the condition.
I’ve currently got a case where the child’s clothes need changing more frequently than normal, & have included that in the claim. We are waiting for a decision. I hadn’t thought about the extra washing!
If you go on the principle that the care has to be substantially more than for a non-disabled child of the same age then changing & washing bedding every 2 days would seem to me to qualify unless it is ruled out on the basis that it is not personal enough - i.e. doesn’t have to be done to the child or with the child present.
Hopefully, others will have more experience.
The child is 12 years old. Her mum does the changing and washing. I guess the child COULD change her own sheets and learn to operate the washing machine.
unless it is ruled out on the basis that it is not personal enough - i.e. doesn’t have to be done to the child or with the child present.
This doesn’t sound too good! Any insights on this?
If you look at the notes with the claim form all the relevant ones refer to the child needing “encouragement prompting or physical help” to do the task. This ties up with my rather vague recollection that there may be cases which conclude that something done for the claimant but not in the claimant’s presence is not sufficiently linked to qualify as care. However, I may have got this completely wrong! Hopefully others can clarify or correct me.
Incidentally, have you asked SSU (now Expert Advice Team, I believe) for advice?
This will be ‘too remote’ to qualify as a care need - as stated earlier, the general test is whether the care can only be given in the presence of the disabled person. If it can, then it counts - if there’s no need for the disabled person and the care giver to be together in the same place and at the same time, it doesn’t. This is why for adult claims, things like shopping and housework don’t count - it’s not an arbitrary reason to exclude them.
There are some cases where the changing of bedclothes (e.g. immediately following a bout of incontinence) might be able to constitute a care need. But this isn’t one of them.