Paediatric Diabetes – Disability Living Allowance

Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is a tax-free, social security benefit for people under
65, who need help with their personal care or mobility because of illness or disability. It
may be claimed by the parents of children under the age of sixteen or in full time
education with diabetes, who have additional needs over and above that of a child of
the same age without diabetes or other disabling condition.

DLA is non-means tested – this means it is not affected by money the child or the child’s
family have as income or by any savings they may have.

There are two parts to DLA:
 Help with personal care.
 Help with mobility.

Children with diabetes are usually only awarded the part for help with personal care,
unless they have additional medical conditions or complications that affect their ability
to move around.

The DLA is individually assessed. People who care for someone receiving DLA may be
entitled to Carers Allowance.

Diabetes UK provide guidelines aimed at families to help you complete the application
forms and also if you need to appeal. You can normally obtain DLA from three months
after diagnosis. It is worth applying before this time however to ensure you get DLA from
the first day you become entitled to it.

Claim packs are available from the DLA helpline line on 0800 121 4600 Monday to
Friday between the hours of 9am-5pm. If you prefer, you can download the claim form
or complete it online. It is available through the government website;
https://www.gov.uk/disability-living-allowance-children/how-to-claim. Your paediatric
diabetes nurse can help you fill in the section about “someone who knows you” and also
help you with the rest of the form if you find it difficult to complete.

Return the completed claim pack as soon as possible. Benefits are only considered from
the date the Department for Work and Pensions receive your claim. Please note
that you are not able to receive this benefit until your child has been diagnosed with
diabetes for 3 months.

If your symptoms or condition worsens, or if you are concerned about anything,
please call your GP, 111, or 999.

Patient Experience
We know that being admitted to hospital can be a difficult and unsettling time for you
and your loved ones. If you have any questions or concerns, please do speak with a
member of staff on the ward or in the relevant department who will do their best to
answer your questions and reassure you.

Feedback
Feedback is really important and useful to us – it can tell us where we are working well
and where improvements can be made. There are lots of ways you can share your
experience with us including completing our Friends and Family Test – cards are
available and can be posted on all wards, departments and clinics at our hospitals. We
value your comments and feedback and thank you for taking the time to share this with
us.

Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS)
If you have any concerns or questions about your care, we advise you to talk with the
nurse in charge or the department manager in the first instance as they are best placed
to answer any questions or resolve concerns quickly. If the relevant member of staff is
unable to help resolve your concern, you can contact the PALS Team. We offer informal
help, advice or support about any aspect of hospital services & experiences.

Our PALS team will liaise with the various departments in our hospitals on your behalf,
if you feel unable to do so, to resolve your problems and where appropriate refer to
outside help.

If you are still unhappy you can contact the Complaints Department, who can investigate
your concerns. You can make a complaint orally, electronically or in writing and we can
advise and guide you through the complaints procedure.

How to contact PALS:
Telephone Patient Services: 0300 123 1732 or via email at: wah-tr.PALS@nhs.net

Opening times:
The PALS telephone lines are open Monday to Friday from 8.30am to 4.00pm. Please
be aware that you may need to leave a voicemail message, but we aim to return your
call within one working day.

If you are unable to understand this leaflet, please communicate with a member of staff.

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