Dla Tribunal Help With Cooking Test

[hector205]

My husbands illness's includes Depression/stress/anxiety/ocd/diabetes/neuropathy/overweight. At a recent appeal I attended as a witness for my husband. The panel accepted it would be difficult for him to manage to cook with several pans, however they suggested "would he be able to cook a simple meal of fried fish with two vegetables using a small lightweight pan"?

 

This theory sounded quite feasible, so I said yes. However afterwards when I could think clearer about this, I was sure that they had not taken into account his diet requirements for diabetes i.e would need some form of carbohydrates with his meal and how these would be cooked in the same pan using a frying method?

 

I do not know the outcome of this tribunal yet as they are sending this by post as they were running late.

My question is:

 

Did the tribunal approach the cooking test correctly?

[MilkTrayMan]

I don't know about 'the cooking test', but slices of potato can be cooked in a frying pan + they are rich in carbohydrates...

[ScarletPimpernel]

I don't know about DLA tribunals, but I do know something about cooking, and it seems to me that the tribunal have not thought through their suggestion that everything can be done in one small pan. It strikes me that it requires a degree of competence in cooking that many will not possess. If it's a small pan then the ingredients wouldn't all fit at the same time, so would have to be cooked separately. Knowing in which order to do this, and ensuring that the first-cooked items stay hot can be quite difficult - rather like using several pans, perhaps...

 

Maybe the Tribunal will give a demonstration next time.

[honey5]

^^^ thats true they are but.................. diabetics should limit the amount of fried foods that they consume

honey x

[Guest louis wu]

Surely, boiling the fish and veg would be more nutritious, perhaps this is what they had in mind?

[ScarletPimpernel]

Surely, boiling the fish and veg would be more nutritious, perhaps this is what they had in mind?

 

Possibly, but surely they wouldn't suggest that this is all done in one pan, at the same time?

 

In any case, it strikes me that if this is a 'cooking test', unless the appellant has had the opportunity to demonstrate his cooking ability (or lack thereof), it's just the tribunal's subjective opinion, which makes it a nonsense.

[Ell-enn]

You're right about it being a nonsense SP- are these people real???? why don't they assess the OP in his home instead of suggesting things that they have no way of knowing are possible - and Honey is right about minimising fat content in the diet of diabetics.

 

Hector205, I do hope you get a result from this appeal that suits your husbands particular situation - can you enlist the help of your family doctor?

 

Kind Regards

 

Ell-enn

[ruralgirl]

This situation concerns me because I wonder if the OP has played down the actual help she gives her husband on a daily basis. You know, the things we do without thinking.

 

Hector205, you said he could cook a simple meal of fried fish and two veg. in a small lightweight pan (an absolutely ludicrous suggestion) but what about turning the cooker on and remembering to turn it off? Could he buy the fish and the two veg and then prepare it? Would he bother to eat at all if you weren't there? Would he even get up, get dressed, washed and shaved if you weren't there to prompt him? If he's unwell, can you go off on your own (hairdressers, etc) or do you need to be there to keep an eye on him? I could go on forever but it's the stuff you actually do that the DLA people need to know about and if you don't tell them, they don't know.

 

Please think what you do for your husband on a bad day (jot it down to help you remember) and tell them how it really is.

[Robdblynd]

Always always always tell them about the worst day, unless you do they assume that when you say you can manage, you mean all the time.

[lady-in-red]

vegeatbles in water have to be carried to the cooker and be drained thats heavy if you are unstable, what if he gets burnt!! is there going to be anyone there to make sure he doesnt get burnt, this is plain stupid and any way to save the |DLA money more governement cuts for the greedy tories pocket

[terriersaregreat]

I agree with Glitterlady. I attended a tribunal with a friend. Lovely lady on the panel, ex nurse, askd him if he could cook a main meal and whether there were risks of dropping pans etc., had he dropped any pans etc. He was living with his wife at the time but she wasn't interested if she could cook for him. He was granted lower rate DLA. This was a recent decision.

[Nystagmite]

vegeatbles in water have to be carried to the cooker

 

No they don't. You Put some boiled water (using a kettle) into the pot that's on the cooker. You then chop up the vegetables and put the vegetables into the boiling water.

[lady-in-red]

Nystagmite: and what about the draining whos gonna do that it has to be put in a colander or use a lid to drain it HOT WATER? even a kettle boiled is HOT WATER so making a cup of tea he could get burnt,

[lady-in-red]

Do you not wash your vegetable before you put them in water i always do at the sink i let water run over them for a good 10 mins then carry them to the cooker, oh yes but you could wash them in the sink then take them to the boiling water couldnt you but why should you?

[Nystagmite]

Nystagmite: and what about the draining whos gonna do that it has to be put in a colander or use a lid to drain it HOT WATER? even a kettle boiled is HOT WATER so making a cup of tea he could get burnt,

 

Well, you don't need to fill the pot up with boiling water do you? It doesn't have to be put in colander. I never did and I managed. The risk would have to be reasonable. There is nothing in the OP's post that states that her husband is more likely to burn himself than the average person. It's only a meal for one - so it's not as if someone needs to have huge pots.

 

The dietary requirement thing mentioned in the OP is irrelevant, imo.

[terriersaregreat]

My husband suffered with severe depression. I recall that if I hadn't cooked for him and encouraged him to eat he would have deteriorated rapidly. This poor man has even more going on medically. Seems to me that he should have been entitled to middle rate DLA which I think means that you could have claimed carers allowance. My husband never claimed DLA but believe me he should have!

[lady-in-red]

i agree terriersaregreat, depression is an illness and its very scarey to have this, you do let your self go and dont cook and at times not sure if you are in the real world, its a reconised illness, even washing and dressing is a big job and you have to be prodded to do these things,