PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR CARERS

AA/DLA – effective claiming NEW

LDEF0111       10.00am – 4.30pm      9 November 2011

Whether someone succeeds in getting an award of Attendance Allowance (AA) or Disability Living Allowance (DLA) can depend on how well the lengthy claim form is completed. This course aims to equip you with the skills necessary to make an effective claim in order to give your client the best chance of success.

The course covers:

• encouraging clients to talk about their illness or disability;
• tips on how to complete each section of the form;
• how to avoid making common mistakes;
• advice on information that can support a claim;
• practice completing a claim form.

Level Introductory
Tutor Catherine Connors
CPD hours 5
NOS LA49

AA/DLA – revisions, supersessions and appeals

LDAA0111       10.00am – 4.30pm      7-8 July 2011
LDAA0211       10.00am – 4.30pm      18-19 January 2012

This two-day course is aimed at more experienced advisers taking on the problems that arise in claims for attendance allowance and disability living allowance.

Participants will have an opportunity to use the legislation, case law and useful resources such as Sweet and Maxwell’s Social Security Legislation to look at:

• claiming AA and DLA effectively;
• the revision and supersession procedure;
• tackling unfavourable decisions;
• obtaining effective medical evidence;
• preparing arguments for a revision, supersession or appeal;
• test cases e.g., Halliday and Mallinson and Moyna.

The course involves a lot of practical work and participants are encouraged to bring along case examples.

A working knowledge of attendance allowance and disability living allowance is assumed.

Level Standard
Tutor Tahnyet Faroqui
CPD hours 10
NOS LA50

“I have been on several courses but found this by far the best. The tutor was excellent and the facilities great.”

Claiming DLA for children

LDCD0111        10.00am – 4.30pm        8 November 2011

Families who are caring for a disabled child are more at risk of experiencing poverty and can experience difficulty obtaining advice about claiming the benefits to which they are entitled.

This course aims to provide all those working with children and families with the ability to identify which children may qualify for disability living allowance and give practical tips on how to complete claim forms to increase the chances of success.

This interactive training will cover:

• barriers parents/carers face claiming DLA for children and the importance of promoting take-up;
• basic conditions of entitlement to DLA;
• extra conditions for children under 16 and helpful caselaw;
• claim form filling tactics;
• the decision making process and the role of supporting evidence;
• examples of how DLA awards affect other benefits and tax credits;
• impact of changes in circumstances and how hospital/residential care stays affect payments of DLA.

Level Standard
Tutor Catherine Connors
CPD hours 5
NOS LA49

Disability living allowance: caselaw and tactics seminar

LDDL0111       1.00pm – 4.30pm       24 November 2011

This seminar, aimed at experienced appeal tribunal representatives, will provide an overview of the main caselaw and other developments in disability living allowance appeals, and consider the implications for tactics at tribunals. Among the subjects considered will be:

• caselaw – key decisions, test-cases;
• medical evidence – its importance, use at tribunal, how it is weighed;
• presenting at the tribunal – current trends and the expectations placed on representatives and appellants;
• the impact of welfare reform on DLA.

The seminar will include the opportunity for representatives to share experiences and ideas.

Level Experienced
Tutor Edward Graham
CPD hours 3
NOS LA50

Community care and social security

LDCC0210      10.00am – 4.30pm       1 February 2011
LDCC0111      10.00am – 4.30pm       9 June 2011
LDCC0211      10.00am – 4.30pm       2 February 2012

Care in the community is an issue for many advisers, particularly those working with older people, people with disabilities and carers.

This course will assist those who want to maximise their clients’ income and minimise loss of benefit when receiving community care services from a local authority. It will include discussion of relevant community care legislation and procedures. The course covers:

• the role and responsibilities of local authorities in providing and financing care packages;
• benefit rights in different community care settings and in residential care and nursing homes;
• charging for community care services;
• the impact of hospitalisation and having a health funded care package;
• challenging decisions.

Level Standard
Tutor Lynn Webster
CPD hours 5
NOS LA50 and LA51

“Wish I’d done this ages ago as so helpful”

Cpag publication

Paying for Care Handbook
A guide to services, charges and welfare benefits for adults in need of care in the community or in residential or nursing care homes

Benefits for carers of sick and disabled people

LDBC0210      10.00am – 4.30pm      2 February 2011

This course will cover entitlement to, and impact on, benefits for those caring for people with illness and/or disability. It will include the following:

• carer’s allowance (CA): who can claim - what counts as regular and substantial care and gainful employment; breaks from caring; overlapping benefit rules; and impact of claiming CA on the benefits of the person being cared for;
• claiming income support or pension credit as a carer: who can claim; and impact of claiming CA on these benefits and on other means-tested benefits and tax credits;
• backdating rules when awarded CA;
• impact on carer’s benefits where the person being cared for goes into hospital or respite care;
• live-in carers: whether treated as non-dependant; and impact on carer’s benefits where absence from home is temporary;
• JSA : availability for work rules for carers and ESA if the carer is also in poor health or disabled;
• caring and studying: impact on benefits;
• linking rules relevant to carers.

This course does not cover benefits relating to caring for children (other than where the child being cared for is disabled) or community care and benefits. See Community care and social security and Looked-after children, their carers and families.

Level Standard
Tutor Lynn Webster
CPD hours 5
NOS LA49

Mental health: claiming ESA and disability benefits

LDMH0111       10.00am – 4.30pm       18 October 2011

A one-day, practical and tactical look at working with people with mental health diagnoses to assist in securing benefit due to incapacity for work and/or disability. Some familiarity with DLA qualifying conditions is assumed.

The course will include:

• barriers to benefits and mental health;
• common diagnoses, symptoms, medication and side-effects;
• considerations when working in a mental health context;
• the sickness route to benefit – employment and support allowance;
• claiming disability living allowance and attendance allowance in a mental health context.

Level Standard
Tutor Judy Stenger
CPD hours 5
NOS LA37 and LA49

“Very good training session – first time I ever stayed alert and interested in an after lunch session. Well done to the trainer who is very approachable and engaging.”

see also

See also Disability living allowance and Attendance allowance – an introduction and ESA – an introduction in the introductory courses section and suggested route of learning page.

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