Disability Living Query

[mrs_overall]

Someone I know who is in receipt of DLA was in hospital for 2 weeks in February and she hasn't received a penny of her DLA since then. She rang the DLA office and gave them the date she came home but they say they can't take her word for it. (For info, DLA is suspended if someone is in hospital for 28 days or more).
The DLA said they will have to pass it to another department to look into and then will have to write to the hospital and wait for their reply. I suspect this could take weeks and weeks and in the meantime this poor person is struggling financially.
Any suggestions?

[woofgang]

she should have brought home some discharge paperwork with her, also the GP gets a copy. this should show the date of discharge om it

[scooping]

Who told them she was in hospital?

[DrFilth]

contact your local mp or councilor for help or try your local cab office

[mrs_overall]

She did have a discharge letter but binned it/lost it (hindsight is a wonderful thing lol)

[scooping]

You can get a copy of your discharge paper from the hospital but it can take two weeks to reach you. But you can ask that the hospital send the discharge paper directly to DWP. That will take about a week.

[DrFilth]

mrs o if you could speak to the local cab office they may help be getting the ss involved

the lady near me who was ill finally got sorted out after the ss helped her

[mrs_overall]

I don't know who told them she was in hospital but whoever it was should have told them when she left hospital!
She is really struggling financially without this money.
I will pass your comments on. Many thanks.

[jennyjoan]

Mrs O I worked for 37 years in the Civil Service and the same thing happened to a friend of mine but she was waiting a year.

I got her NI number and followed it around the buildings of Belfast until I nailed it where it exactly was. They will just fob you off - if a member could sit in the office and demand answers cos she will wait. Friend got £2,000 (many years) first payment was sent £1,000 and then second payment of £1,000 for safety reasons. You do need sit and demand answers.!"!!!

[jennyjoan]

^^^^^^ friend

[woofgang]

jj, you can't even get into the offices now, they are all limited access for security reasons....also i live in Hampshire and mine is in Wales which is a bit of a journey!

[EDDIE51]

No answer but why the hell did she say she was in hospital in the first place?
Should not have even mentioned it untill the 28 day deadline.
Virtually nothing you can do now, until the full paper work is now sent to DLA office they will hang on as long as possible to delay having to pay. You can't even get an emergency loan now as that has been handed over to the local council .
CAB are the best bet they can 'pull strings' .

[THECORBYLOON]

The DLA unit would have been notified by the Hospital anyway as that is the process. The notification is usually not for a couple of weeks unless there has been a previous spell in hospital within the preceding 28 days in which case it's sent immediately.

[mrs_overall]

Eddie, SHE didn't say she was in hospital - the hospital told the DLA

Corby, she did have a 2 day spell in hospital in January but added onto February's stay only makes 16 days in total...no where near 28 days

[NoMercy]

She should contact the ward or the Secretary of the consultant she was under and ask for a copy of the discharge summary.

[THECORBYLOON]

I wasn't suggesting the spells come to 28 days but it's just the way the system works. Hospitals inform DWP and then it has to be confirmed how long the spell was. The thing is that hospitals notify when someone is admitted but don't do the same upon discharge. When pensions used to be reduced after six weeks, it was possible to 'phone the hospital records dept and get dates of discharge over the 'phone but it seems DLA don't do that (if they ever did.)

[furrypusscat]

Your friends GP should have received a discharge letter within a few days of discharge. A copy can be obtained from them which may be the quickest way of dealing with it.