DLA form
When filling in the DLA claim pack, it is important to remember that DLA is about what help you need, not what you get. Maybe you need someone to help you dress, but at the moment, no one helps you. When you fill in the form, tell them about the help you need to get dressed.

Mobility
Walking out of doors
This is about how fast you can walk, how far you can walk, how long it takes, and what your walking is like.
It is helpful if you do a time and distance test on your walking out of doors, so you give accurate information.
You should include any information about breathlessness, stops and pauses/resting, and exertion.
Remember to talk about when you feel pain (or extreme discomfort) when you walk.
Problems when walking - you can include information on any of these types of conditions or symptoms in this section: pain, discomfort, aches, shortness of breath, dizziness, lack balance, vertigo, asthma, angina, coughing fits, muscle spasms, rigidity, uncontrolled reflexes, spasticity, holding on to a person/thing, fatigue, confusion.
Aids include sticks, crutches, walls, people etc
Effort of walking - Tell them about any pain or dizziness or limb/joints giving out etc that you experience as a result of walking.
Time-distance-frequency - It is helpful if you measure how long it takes you to walk a certain distance. Write down the information on the form, after you have measured it.
Remember, the point isn't to be an olympic athlete - walk at the normal speed and distance you would on any other day.

To qualify for the higher rate of Mobility, you must demonstrate that you have these problems regularly or frequently - the legal test is that you are "virtually unable to walk" or that to walk would endanger your health or lead to a serious deterioration in your health.

Supervision
This is about having someone with you when you walk outdoors Use their examples as a basis.

To qualify for low rate mobility, you must demonstrate because of a mental or physical disability, you need supervision most of the time when you are outdoors.
Talk about help you may need: getting up and down the steps of your house, help with opening door/gate, limbs giving way/needing some support, lacking concentration/consciousness for road safety, sense of direction,pain, need to rest, dizziness, anxiety etc write about these things here.
You should also include any help you need because of behavioral difficulties or because you are a danger to yourself or others if you are not supervised

Care Needs
To qualify for high rate care you must need either
(1)frequent attention with regard to bodily functions or
(2)continual supervision to avoid danger to yourself or others throughout the day; and either
(3)frequent attention with regard to bodily functions or
(4)someone to stay awake to keep watch over you for long periods at night.

To qualify for middle rate care, you need to meet one of the 4 conditions above.

To qualify for low rate care you must need attention in connection with your bodily functions for a significant part of the day.

Falls/Stumbles
Explain why this happens - it may be dizziness, lack of vision, joints/limbs giving way, anxiety, overheating, fits/seizures etc
Tell them where you are likely to stumble, this could include: an unfamiliar place, walking too far/bad day, bad surface, changes of level, stairs/steps, getting off pavements, where light is poor. etc
Tell them how often this happens and what the effect is on you - this may include injury, confusion, dizziness, pain etc
Tell them what help you need when you have fallen or stumbled, this may include: getting up, resting, finding way, getting home, moving etc

Moving about indoors
Tell them about the problems you have and the help you need.
Include things like help needed bending down to pick things up/ reaching up, getting in and out of chairs,getting in and out of bath/shower standing up to wash/clean teeth, moving around, using stairs, lights, doors, transferring from a wheelchair, remembering where things are.
Tell them about what adaptions or equipment you use - this may include handrails, chairlifts, sticks, wheelchair, other people's help, leaning on furniture etc.

Getting in and out of bed
Help may include encouragement, instruction,help with lifting, rolling, getting feet on/off floor,standing up from the bed, being lowered down onto it, adjusting bedding.
Equipment used could include hand grips, hoist, stick/frame,etc
Try to measure accurately how long the whole process of getting into bed and getting comfortable takes.

Problems when you are in bed
This may include turning over, getting in comfortable position, help with bedclothes/nightclothes help because of sweats or soiling.
Make sure you tell them exactly what help you need with all this (and why) and how long it takes.
Equipment you use may include special pillows, hoists, equipment to raise bedclothes off ankles etc

Toileting
Think about the help you need during the day and the night.
Such help might include using the stairs, getting to toilet, opening and closing doors, getting on and off, reaching toilet roll/flush, washing and drying hands etc changing incontinence aids cleaning self afterwards.

Bathing etc
Tell them about any problems you have cleaning yourself or looking after you appearance. You should include things like someone telling you when to bathe/wash/shave, also help you may need with turning taps on and off, standing up, getting into and out of the bath/shower, gripping or holding soap/flannel/razor/toothbrush/toothpaste reaching for things, drying, hair-washing, cutting nails etc Tell them about why you need the help.
Tell them about any equipment you use like bath mat, back scrubber, grips, handrails, stuff for cleaning feet etc

Dressing/ Undressing
Tell them about what help you need with this because of your disability, include things like: bending to put on socks/tights, doing up buttons/zips, reaching to put arms in sleeves, underwear etc Include problems with getting or selecting clothes.
Equipment - Include anything you use to help you dress like shoe horns, button fasteners, support rails/hoists, help from another person etc

Cooked main meal
To qualify for low rate care you must show that you cannot prepare and cook a normal main meal for yourself, in a reasonable time.
Include things like whether you can remember and assemble ingredients, quantities etc can you reach/fetch ingredients cutting, peeling vegetables turning on cooker, bending down/reaching up to put things in cooker/get things from fridge an awareness of time, using taps, switches, knobs etc using can openers carrying stuff, like a small pan of water, are your hands steady, draining dishing up carrying meal to table moving around/standing up, needing to rest etc
Explain what you can and cannot do and how this relates to your disability.

Mealtimes
Tell them about any encouragement you might need to eat or drink. Include what help you need with cutting up, bringing food/drink to mouth steady hands, help with spillages and dribbling etc
Explain why you use any special equipment like a level indicator, special cutlery, suction pads to keep things grounded, straws, special cups/plates(eg plastic) etc.

Medical Treatment
Include any help you may need using medical equipment like nebuliser, syringes, surgical stockings etc.
Tell them about help with medication such as encouragement/reminder, getting water, getting pills, taking at the right time and right amount, help dealing with the side-effects like nausea etc

Someone to watch over you
Include help you may need moving around, in traffic, in crowds, getting through obstacles, getting lost/wandering off, safety (you and others) (falling, hitting, traffic, violence, temper tantrums etc), sleepwalking,

Dizziness, blackouts etc
Include what the dizzy spells, blackouts fits or seizures are like, how frequent, and when they are likely to happen. Also include what help you need during the spell, such as someone to stop you swallowing your tongue, someone to put you in the recovery position, someone to wait until you come around and make sure you come to no harm. Tell them what help you need afterwards and for how long - such as someone to stay with you because you are confused or disorientated. Mental Health (p17)
Tell them about any mental health problems like negative self image, anxiety, problems dealing with other people, depression, lack of motivation etc.
Tell them what help or encouragement you need from other people because of this.

Communication
Include things like understanding/being understood, hearing, speaking, reading and writing, sign language, learning disability etc

More Information
Write here anything to support your claim that you have not explored elsewhere.
It may be general or summarising eg "I cannot socialise or exercise alone". Or "before my disability I could do xyz, now I don't do xyz because of it"
Write about pain - how it affects you how frequent it is etc
Include information on any equipment you use but have not mentioned elsewhere.
You may also give a snapshot of your daily life if you think this will help them make a decision.