How do you use your PIP?
Comments
-
My daughter has been receiving DLA for a while now - We found that with both of us parents working we could 'fund her extra needs' ourselves and as a consequence have managed to encourage her to save her money in order to build a one level extension so that she is able to have some privacy and independence (as much as she is able, given her conditions).
An excellent idea. And the extension to the house will always remain and add value to it.
But then could it be said that saving the DLA in such a way is what some people would say that your daughter doesn't have extra needs that the DLA is there for?
I think your way of thinking is a brilliant use of the money.
Along the same track we have more than enough coming in each month to live on so too didn't need the DLA payments. These were instead given to our children to support their children through education - just make life a bit better for them.
Prior to that happening we spent a lot of money last summer in having the whole garden & patio areas levelled to make walking around easier, new steps at all outside doors and new exterior doors all round with a 'disability threshold ' in place. All ground floor rooms have exit doors that you could wheel a wheelchair through if needed (it also saved us the VAT as they were classified as a disability based adaption).0 -
I should have said that we could have used her DLA for extra needs re her disability - but we didn't, we were in a position whereby we could afford to fund her needs with income already being received - as DLA is not means tested - I think that we have been more than fair in assuring our daughter has what she deserves.rockingbilly wrote: »An excellent idea. And the extension to the house will always remain and add value to it.
But then could it be said that saving the DLA in such a way is what some people would say that your daughter doesn't have extra needs that the DLA is there for?
I think your way of thinking is a brilliant use of the money.
Along the same track we have more than enough coming in each month to live on so too didn't need the DLA payments. These were instead given to our children to support their children through education - just make life a bit better for them.
Prior to that happening we spent a lot of money last summer in having the whole garden & patio areas levelled to make walking around easier, new steps at all outside doors and new exterior doors all round with a 'disability threshold ' in place. All ground floor rooms have exit doors that you could wheel a wheelchair through if needed (it also saved us the VAT as they were classified as a disability based adaption).
Our way of thinking is ...............
1) Improve her living conditions/privacy with building her her own 'apartment' enabling her to learn to live independently whilst still being supervised for a few more years to come
2) At some time - in the probably not too distant future we shall depart this earth
Our daughter will be able to sell our house & purchase a property appropriate to her needs and still have a small nest egg to help with her needs
I probably should mention that our daughter is mentioned in our will as being the only beneficiary to our property (mortgage free) - despite there being two other children - unencumbered by any special needs or disabilities - they have both been supported/financed through Uni by us already - thus ensuring their futures (as much as they can be!)
Our wills have been disclosed to our other two children to ensure any problems are kept to a minimum - they are both agreeable and accepted of our reasons for financially supporting their sister..................
We do not feel guilty at taking the DLA - as it's not ours - it is paid for our daughter, but can imagine that in your case - you can afford to live your life comfortably without the extra help ............. that is your decision, quite frankly, you have paid into the system - you are entitled to a benefit according to your disability and are entitled to spend it as you wish.
Bottom line ................... nowadays, there are many of us paying into a system that is abused by people that have never contributed, that is my bugbear!
...................It's scandalous .............. the things we feel the need to put in place to ensure the healthy well being of our children Very happy early retired Mum, surrounded by the Welsh hills, our dogs, cats, goats and poultry
:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart0 -
Thank you for those comments. Though there is an element of posters on here that would say that if you don't actually need the money you should not be claiming it - it's immoral and scrounging. I don't agree with them. If the benefit is there and you are entitled to make a claim for it you should go ahead and claim it.I should have said that we could have used her DLA for extra needs re her disability - but we didn't, we were in a position whereby we could afford to fund her needs with income already being received - as DLA is not means tested - I think that we have been more than fair in assuring our daughter has what she deserves.
Our way of thinking is ...............
1) Improve her living conditions/privacy with building her her own 'apartment' enabling her to learn to live independently whilst still being supervised for a few more years to come
2) At some time - in the probably not too distant future we shall depart this earth
Our daughter will be able to sell our house & purchase a property appropriate to her needs and still have a small nest egg to help with her needs
I probably should mention that our daughter is mentioned in our will as being the only beneficiary to our property (mortgage free) - despite there being two other children - unencumbered by any special needs or disabilities - they have both been supported/financed through Uni by us already - thus ensuring their futures (as much as they can be!)
Our wills have been disclosed to our other two children to ensure any problems are kept to a minimum - they are both agreeable and accepted of our reasons for financially supporting their sister..................
We do not feel guilty at taking the DLA - as it's not ours - it is paid for our daughter, but can imagine that in your case - you can afford to live your life comfortably without the extra help ............. that is your decision, quite frankly, you have paid into the system - you are entitled to a benefit according to your disability and are entitled to spend it as you wish.
Bottom line ................... nowadays, there are many of us paying into a system that is abused by people that have never contributed, that is my bugbear!
...................It's scandalous .............. the things we feel the need to put in place to ensure the healthy well being of our children0 -
Exactly the same as Gordon Brown and David Cameron claiming for their children.:j0
-
I can't agree with that, Cameron & Brown never lost their house due to the recession in the 90's - we did - but worked bl**dy hard to turn things around, at one time for a couple of years we were both working two jobs each in order to pay off our debts so that we could get a foot back on the ladder! We could, of course have sat on our backsides - said 'woe is me' and scrounged off the system - we didn't - this was about us and picking ourselves up and starting again.Exactly the same as Gordon Brown and David Cameron claiming for their children.
When our daughter was born, she was starved of oxygen. As a consequence suffers a number of disabilities - I'm damned if we, who have paid taxes for the last forty years, are not entitled to a benefit for our daughters needs.
When the recession hit again a few years back, my husband was unable to work - did he receive any benefits apart from jobseekers allowance for 12 weeks? - No! Did we have Mortgage payments covered during this time - no! Luckily we had insurance to cover our mortgage that time around - once bitten and all that!
If we had been jobless and renting we would have had a heck of a lot of money coming in - without the risk of losing our home again - So do I feel bad taking out of a system that we have paid into - NO!
Our other two children were seen through University - by us, no grants etc They are now upstanding pillars of the community paying - guess what - taxes, both high taxes, because we ensured their education and (hopefully) have ensured that they will continue to work in well paid employment for the rest of their working lives - again ensuring that the tax mans coffers are filling up nicely!
My daughter is entitled to that money and so is any child of anyone out their that meets the requirements - just remember, without those Camerons, Browns and anyone else you care to lambaste for having a disabled child and taking what they are entitled to - you might remember that they probably have already paid/pay more into the system than some of the keyboard warriors on here right now!
Sit back and think about it;
- Higher earners pay a heck of a lot more in taxes & NI
- Without the earners paying in, how would anyone else be able to take out
- What makes you think that they want to work their backsides off to supplement your income if they are not entitled to the same consideration?
I know damn well that I certainly take a grim view of the system - a system that is increasingly abused by people that will do anything to get out of working - hey, and that includes taking up the walking stick & complaining of a bad back! Because for every Cameron & Brown out there, I wouldn't mind betting that they are outweighed by the smirkers and shirkers!
I apologise if I have offended anyone with my reply. I would not like anyone to think that this reply is directed at genuine sufferers/disabled, it is not.
To those that think I should have worked or indeed that my husband should continue to work, paying taxes to enable them to abuse a system - I make no apology
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pick my daughter up from work - I'm still 'Mum's Taxi' and always will be. She works 29 hours a week over the course of five days - short shifts, 5 miles away from home, that's 100 miles a week that I drive getting her to and from work as she cannot drive, never will do, and is paid minimum wage - Can't see Cameron or Brown doing that!Very happy early retired Mum, surrounded by the Welsh hills, our dogs, cats, goats and poultry
:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart0 -
I can't agree with that, Cameron & Brown never lost their house due to the recession in the 90's - we did - but worked bl**dy hard to turn things around, at one time for a couple of years we were both working two jobs each in order to pay off our debts so that we could get a foot back on the ladder! We could, of course have sat on our backsides - said 'woe is me' and scrounged off the system - we didn't - this was about us and picking ourselves up and starting again.
When our daughter was born, she was starved of oxygen. As a consequence suffers a number of disabilities - I'm damned if we, who have paid taxes for the last forty years, are not entitled to a benefit for our daughters needs.
When the recession hit again a few years back, my husband was unable to work - did he receive any benefits apart from jobseekers allowance for 12 weeks? - No! Did we have Mortgage payments covered during this time - no! Luckily we had insurance to cover our mortgage that time around - once bitten and all that!
If we had been jobless and renting we would have had a heck of a lot of money coming in - without the risk of losing our home again - So do I feel bad taking out of a system that we have paid into - NO!
Our other two children were seen through University - by us, no grants etc They are now upstanding pillars of the community paying - guess what - taxes, both high taxes, because we ensured their education and (hopefully) have ensured that they will continue to work in well paid employment for the rest of their working lives - again ensuring that the tax mans coffers are filling up nicely!
My daughter is entitled to that money and so is any child of anyone out their that meets the requirements - just remember, without those Camerons, Browns and anyone else you care to lambaste for having a disabled child and taking what they are entitled to - you might remember that they probably have already paid/pay more into the system than some of the keyboard warriors on here right now!
Sit back and think about it;
- Higher earners pay a heck of a lot more in taxes & NI
- Without the earners paying in, how would anyone else be able to take out
- What makes you think that they want to work their backsides off to supplement your income if they are not entitled to the same consideration?
I know damn well that I certainly take a grim view of the system - a system that is increasingly abused by people that will do anything to get out of working - hey, and that includes taking up the walking stick & complaining of a bad back! Because for every Cameron & Brown out there, I wouldn't mind betting that they are outweighed by the smirkers and shirkers!
I apologise if I have offended anyone with my reply. I would not like anyone to think that this reply is directed at genuine sufferers/disabled, it is not.
To those that think I should have worked or indeed that my husband should continue to work, paying taxes to enable them to abuse a system - I make no apology
Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and pick my daughter up from work - I'm still 'Mum's Taxi' and always will be. She works 29 hours a week over the course of five days - short shifts, 5 miles away from home, that's 100 miles a week that I drive getting her to and from work as she cannot drive, never will do, and is paid minimum wage - Can't see Cameron or Brown doing that!
youre situation is totally different from rocking billy.
he had DLA and chose to give it to his children.
your daughter receives DLA and it is being saved for soomethbing that will 8improve her life.
you could just as easily use her DLA for her day to day needs, allowing you to save what you pay out for the extension.
tockingbilly's DLA did nothing to improve his life0 -
Thank you, In the main it will give us some peace of mind, knowing that we have put as much in place as possible to enable our daughter to 'learn' to be as self sufficient as possible - We abhor the thought of her ending up in the Institutions that will be available to her and hope that her brother & sister will be in a position to enable her to live as independently as possible and for as long as possibleyoure situation is totally different from rocking billy.
he had DLA and chose to give it to his children.
your daughter receives DLA and it is being saved for soomethbing that will 8improve her life.
you could just as easily use her DLA for her day to day needs, allowing you to save what you pay out for the extension.
tockingbilly's DLA did nothing to improve his lifeVery happy early retired Mum, surrounded by the Welsh hills, our dogs, cats, goats and poultry
:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart0 -
youre situation is totally different from rocking billy.
he had DLA and chose to give it to his children.
your daughter receives DLA and it is being saved for soomethbing that will 8improve her life.
you could just as easily use her DLA for her day to day needs, allowing you to save what you pay out for the extension.
tockingbilly's DLA did nothing to improve his life
You are wrong. We have spent thousands on our home over the past 4/5 years due to the expectation that both of our disabilities will only become worse in time.
Over the past year as I have already explained, the whole of our gardens and patio were dug up and re-laid on an even level. No more steps. New exterior doors throughout enabling a wheel chair to glide easily outdoors from the house.
Previously we revamped my wife's bathroom with a bath that was longer and wider for her to use, likewise a new toilet to make it easier for her to get on and off.My bathroom hasn't been touched yet and is still to be done. I haven't decided what I would like doing to it.
The kitchen was completely revamped with all cupboards and drawers at waist level. Those on the wall are now only used for things that we hardly use. A new floor surface in the kitchen. On the ground floor a new solid oak floor was laid (getting rid of the carpets) to make it easier to clean and making more suitable to wheelclhairs etc.
The downstairs WC has had a shower installed.
All in all approx. £30,000 has been spent so far on anticipating a deterioration in health. Some of that money came out of income, but the majority came out of capital.
So at the rate of £110 a week for both care & mobility - DLA it would have taken us 275 weekly payments (5 years & 3 months) to pay for it all. But as we had the income and the capital we paid for it when the job was completed. Consequently the DLA payments were redundant as such unless you would consider saving them to re-instate the capital spent acceptable. As we then didn't need the money we treated our children instead.
You seem to forget that because I worked hard and saved hard over the years we have the capital and income to pay for these sorts of things. Not everybody lives from hand to mouth on a weekly basis waiting for the next DLA payment to hit the bank.0 -
I knw I shouldn't rise to the bait @rockingbilly, as others have warned us off entertaining you, but can't help myself...
Wondering why 2 disabled people need 3 adapted bathrooms?
Refurbishing your home "just in case" isn't a need.
Solid oak floors isn't a need.
Anticipating a decline jn health isn't a need.
What you are describing makes your life more comfortable disability or no disability and is frankly disrepectful to even try and justify it as being in the same vein as thousands of disabled people fighting to get even the most basic quality of life that affords them the dignity we should all be able to live with.
Learn from the mistakes of others - you won't live long enough to make them all yourself.0 -
mbeamethyst wrote: »I knw I shouldn't rise to the bait @rockingbilly, as others have warned us off entertaining you, but can't help myself...
Quite frankly, the post you are referring to is so contentious it's embarrassing and surely does not warrant acknowledgement
- Notwithstanding that a solid oak floor, new bathroom interiors, all that exterior groundwork with a new kitchen must have come with a heftier price tag that £30k (in the real world anyway
) Very happy early retired Mum, surrounded by the Welsh hills, our dogs, cats, goats and poultry
:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart:grinheart0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 343.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 250.1K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 449.7K Spending & Discounts
- 235.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 608K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 173.1K Life & Family
- 247.9K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 15.9K Discuss & Feedback
- 15.1K Coronavirus Support Boards