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Epilepsy and driving
- Mary
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4 years 2 months ago #243840 by Mary
Epilepsy and driving was created by Mary
Hello can anyone advise please I am the carer for my son who has dyslexia and severe epilepsy I helped him to win his appeal about two years ago after losing his indefinite award for dla and was awarded pip high rate care and mobility.
John has a job and they were made aware of this and I transport him back and forth to work every day.
I also continue to give him the regular care and support he needs on a daily basis.
However as John has continued on his regular medication which is quite high we have found that due to this his grand mal seizures have for the last year seemed to have stopped.
My problem is that this has happened before where they seem to stop but then start again but he cannot come off his medication. He does not have any indications of when he may have a seizure.
He would like to learn to drive we have spoken with his gp and she has referred him to a new consultant I have always supported everything he wants to do and I want to support with this but I have been honest and said my biggest concern is that he doesn’t know if he is about to have a seizure and I worry for his safety and others.
I wanted advice about this please but also do I inform pip that he has stopped seizures bearing in mind he could start with them again tomorrow and that I am still giving him all the support on a daily basis he has always had.
Thank you for any advice
John has a job and they were made aware of this and I transport him back and forth to work every day.
I also continue to give him the regular care and support he needs on a daily basis.
However as John has continued on his regular medication which is quite high we have found that due to this his grand mal seizures have for the last year seemed to have stopped.
My problem is that this has happened before where they seem to stop but then start again but he cannot come off his medication. He does not have any indications of when he may have a seizure.
He would like to learn to drive we have spoken with his gp and she has referred him to a new consultant I have always supported everything he wants to do and I want to support with this but I have been honest and said my biggest concern is that he doesn’t know if he is about to have a seizure and I worry for his safety and others.
I wanted advice about this please but also do I inform pip that he has stopped seizures bearing in mind he could start with them again tomorrow and that I am still giving him all the support on a daily basis he has always had.
Thank you for any advice
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- Gordon
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4 years 2 months ago #243843 by Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by Gordon on topic Epilepsy and driving
Mary
If your son's epilepsy has improved as a result of the treatment he is receiving then you are obliged to inform the DWP, that said;
- the improvement must be sustained. I realise that you are concerned that he might have a seizure tomorrow but the DWP will only be concerned with the ones that he has had.
- it must materially affect the award that he has received. For example; If he scored for needing supervision while bathing due to his epilepsy then the lack of seizures may mean that he no longer meets this criteria.
If you inform the DWP then do it in writing and if you can afford it use a Tracked post. Notifying the DWP of a Change will result in a reassessment of his claim, a new PIP2 and almost certainly face to face interview, the new Decision will supersede his current award whatever the result might be.
As to the driving; epilepsy is a notifiable condition so he will almost certainly need his GP to contact the DVLA before a licence will be issued.
Gordon
If your son's epilepsy has improved as a result of the treatment he is receiving then you are obliged to inform the DWP, that said;
- the improvement must be sustained. I realise that you are concerned that he might have a seizure tomorrow but the DWP will only be concerned with the ones that he has had.
- it must materially affect the award that he has received. For example; If he scored for needing supervision while bathing due to his epilepsy then the lack of seizures may mean that he no longer meets this criteria.
If you inform the DWP then do it in writing and if you can afford it use a Tracked post. Notifying the DWP of a Change will result in a reassessment of his claim, a new PIP2 and almost certainly face to face interview, the new Decision will supersede his current award whatever the result might be.
As to the driving; epilepsy is a notifiable condition so he will almost certainly need his GP to contact the DVLA before a licence will be issued.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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