Click here for information on various conditions
The authors of the Disability Handbook state that-
"This handbook provides information on many illnesses, diseases and disorders that may give rise to long-term disabilities and to the need for palliative care. It describes, in general terms, the effects of these conditions and the care and mobility needs that can arise from them. For each of these conditions the handbook gives:
(i) a general description of the medical condition, its clinical characteristics and the disabilities which may arise from it;
(ii) an explanation of the likely effects in terms of care and mobility needs;
(iii) an indication of the likely duration of such need, and,
(iv) sources of further information which may be sought in individual cases which require clarification or amplification.
This handbook contains no advice or guidance on the level of award that should be made. That is a decision for the Adjudicating Authorities alone on the basis of the evidence available in an individual case. The handbook refers only to the likely effects of the conditions described and the care and mobility needs that may generally be expected reasonably to arise from them.
The handbook is intended primarily to help Adjudicating Authorities to assess the medical evidence that is presented to them when a claim is made. It is aimed particularly at the Adjudication Officers who decide claims and reviews but it will be available for use by anyone else who wishes to refer to it. As independent statutory authorities Adjudication Officers are at liberty to use whatever source of information they feel appropriate when deciding a claim.
The handbook is also intended to be used by the medical staff of the Benefits Agency Medical Services (BAMS) who may be called upon to give advice to the Adjudicating Officers and to the presenting officers at Tribunal hearings. Not all claims are likely to present a clear picture of the person's care and mobility needs. Not all conditions which may give rise to claims are covered by the handbook; selection has been based on those illnesses and disabilities which occur most commonly or are likely to pose special difficulties in defining the spectrum of care and mobility needs to which they give rise. The handbook and the general principles which underpin it will also assist the Benefits Agency Medical Services Staff in providing consistent and authoritative advice on the effects of disabilities as they relate to the need for care and their effects on walking and other mobility considerations. "
In his preface for the Second edition (1998), Peter Dewis writes-
"The Handbook was designed to be a source of reliable information on the care and mobility needs likely to arise from a range of medical conditions. Although written primarily to help adjudication officers, it was hoped that it would also be of assistance to all those involved with DLA/AA, both inside and outside the Department. Happily, this has turned out to be the case: it is extensively used by members of Disability Appeal Tribunals, as well as by adjudication officers."
With this in mind we have made the contents of the Handbook available on this site together with health information from other reliable sources. We feel that it is important that applicants know the sorts of information that Decision Makers rely on when looking at a claim and that people may be able to make use of this information when completing the application pack or launching an appeal.