PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR CARERS  

AA/DLA – challenging decisions

GDAA0110       21 January 2011           Glasgow

This one-day course is aimed at advisers challenging attendance allowance and disability living allowance decisions. Participants will have an opportunity to use the legislation, caselaw and other useful resources. A working knowledge of attendance allowance and disability living allowance is assumed.

This course looks at:

• Grounds for revising or superseding decisions
• Tackling unfavourable decisions
• Preparing arguments and discussing tactics for appeals

Level Standard
Tutor Alison Gillies
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 4.8
CPD 5 hours

AA/ DLA – effective claiming

GDAA0210       22 June 2010                 Glasgow
GDEC0110       20 January 2011           Glasgow

Whether someone succeeds in getting attendance allowance (AA) or disability living allowance (DLA) often depends on how well the lengthy claim form is completed. This course aims to help you cope with the challenges of completing AA/ DLA claim forms effectively and increase your clients’ chances of success.

The course covers:

• Helping clients talk about their illness or disability
• Tips and guidance in completing the different sections of the forms
• How to avoid making common mistakes
• Advice on information that can support a claim
• Practice completing a claim form

A basic knowledge of AA/ DLA entitlement rules is assumed.

Level Introductory
Tutor Tim Cowen
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 3.3 and 4.8
CPD 5 hours

Benefits for carers

GDBC0110        25 November 2010        Glasgow

This course considers entitlement to benefits for people caring for someone who is ill or disabled.

It includes:

• Who can claim carer’s allowance
• The effect of a claim on the disabled person’s benefits
• What happens to carer’s allowance during a spell in hospital or a care home
• Which carers can claim income support or pension credit
• Moving in with the disabled person and the effect on benefit
• Carers’ benefits after a death
• Caring and studying
• Other benefit rules for carers

This course does not cover benefits related to caring for children (other than where the child being cared for is disabled) or community care benefits.

Level Standard
Tutor Derek Sinclair
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 4.12
CPD 5 hours

Benefits for disabled children and their families half day £25

GDBT0110        7 December 2010        Glasgow

This half-day course offers practical advice both on checking that a family is getting all they could be and on how you can help make claims effectively. It aims to help you recognise important issues, and equip you to advise directly or refer for specialist advice.

This course covers:

• An overview of the benefit system with an emphasis on families
• Who should apply for disability living allowance and how to help
• Extra tax credits and benefits that are often overlooked
• What happens when a child turns 16

The course is aimed at anyone working with children and families. No previous knowledge of benefits and tax credits is required.

"Very clear explanations – no jargon"

Level Basic
Tutor David Kelly
Time 1pm - 4pm
SNS 4.8
CPD 3 hours

Book this course at the special price of £25 per person.

Book this course in-house for the special price of £150 in total for up to 20 people at your workplace or a venue which suits you.

Email list

Sign up to the benefits for disabled children e-bulletin here. We will not pass your details to anyone outside CPAG, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Benefits for ill or disabled people

GDDB0110         16-17 November 2010         Glasgow

This introductory two-day course covers benefits for people unable to work due to illness or disability, and attendance allowance (AA) and disability living allowance (DLA). It is aimed at advisers with little or no experience of these benefits who want to know the main rules and learn how to deal with problems and queries.

On day one the course covers:

• Who is entitled to out-of-work benefits for ill or disabled people
• How the work capability and personal capability assessments apply
• How to claim out-of-work benefits for ill or disabled people
• Decisions and how to challenge them

And on day two:

• Who is entitled to AA and DLA
• How to claim AA and DLA
• AA and DLA decisions and how to challenge them

We give priority to those booking both days of the course but you can book single days if there are places available four weeks before the course.

Level Introductory
Tutor Alison Gillies
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 4.8 and 4.9
CPD 10 hours

£20 discount if you book this two-day course with Introduction to welfare rights

DLA – caselaw and tactics

GDLW0110         19 August 2010         Glasgow

This half-day course is aimed at experienced tribunal representatives. It provides an overview of the recent caselaw and other developments in DLA appeals, and considers the implications for tactics at tribunals.

Among the subjects considered are:

• Caselaw – key decisions and test cases
• Medical evidence – its importance, use at tribunal and how it is weighed
• Presenting at the tribunal – current trends and the expectations placed on representatives and appellants

This course will include the opportunity for representatives to share experiences and ideas.

Level Experienced
Tutor Simon Osborne
Time 1pm - 4pm
SNS 4.8
CPD 3 hours

DLA for children

GDDL0110         19 October 2010          Glasgow

Disability living allowance is the main way of meeting the additional needs of many children, yet it is under-claimed and hard to understand. This course looks at the DLA rules as they apply to children and considers how to fill in the form to avoid pitfalls and get the best outcome from the outset.

The course covers:

• What extra care needs must a child have to qualify for DLA
• The main caselaw on DLA for children
• Basic milestones in childhood development
• The impact of stays in residential schools, care homes and hospitals
• How DLA for a child can increase benefits for the family

"Excellent ... and the course materials are very useful"

Level Standard
Tutor Alison Gillies
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 4.8
CPD 5 hours

Email list

Sign up to the benefits for disabled children e-bulletin here. We will not pass your details to anyone outside CPAG, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Mental health and benefits

GDMH0110        1 July 2010         Glasgow

A practical and tactical look at working with people with mental health diagnoses to help secure entitlement to disability living allowance, employment and support allowance/ incapacity benefits, and to help avoid some of the pitfalls of the benefit system.

The course includes:

• Common diagnoses, symptoms, medication and side-effects
• Barriers to people getting the right entitlement
• Considerations when working in a mental health context
• DLA in a mental health context
• Medical tests for employment and support and incapacity benefits
• Tactics for dealing with other benefit and tax credit issues
• The difference income maximisation makes

A working knowledge of the benefits system is assumed.

Level Standard
Tutors Alison Gillies and Paula John
Time 10am - 4pm
SNS 4.8 and 4.9
CPD 5 hours

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