Are there any Asthmatics on the board who claim IB or DLA?

katholicos

Hi. I'm new to the board so please forgive me if i am posting this in the wrong place. I did a search for a similar thread but couldn't find one, so i thought i'd start this one.

I've recently heard about the changes for lone parents claiming income support, that we are soon to claim job seekers allowance if our youngest child is over 12 (which mine is).

Up till now i never made a claim for any kind of disability benefits because i knew i was okay on income support and that i could be ill all day and there would be no pressure for me to go to work or anything.

But when this new bill is passed (is it a definate?) I know i will not be able to return to work in my present health condition and i am worried that as a family we will be stranded without benefits.

When would be the best time to apply for Incapacity Benefit? And do any of you have asthma and claim disability benefits yourselves? I have absolutely no clue what to do and any help would be appreciated.

Just to give you a bit of background.

I became very ill with Pneumonia about 9 years ago, i was hospitalised on a drip for a week and had blood poisoning and supected meningitis. I kept getting repeat chest infections after that and eventually was diagnosed as having asthma.

Over the years this has got much worse and this past 12 months it's really been quite bad, but i don't go to the doctor often as i also have chronic daily headaches which i receive pain meds from him for and quite frankly, i don't think he is much good (he likes to give pills but not hospital referrals) and he is the only one in the area.

I have read here on the board that a medical is needed to determine if IB can be awarded, how is that determined with regard to asthma, do they do peak flow measurements or use any breathing apparatus?

Also, if you are ashtmatic and get IB, do you claim anything else? How severe and debilitating does your asthma have to be to be awarded IB?

I think mine is pretty bad, but i don't know how it is guaged by the benefits agency doctors.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me, i'm really quite anxious about this and don't know what to do. Thanks so much.

mum2one

IB is also dependant on your NI contributions, think its over the last 12 months, if you recieve DLA you get a premium on your IS. You have nothing to lose by filling in a DLA form, if awarded is in addition to your IS. From the way I understand the change over (Im not perfect!!), you go on JSA and then if unsuitable for work, there is a new benefit being brought in, obviosuly its worth doing some checking with citizens advice as they may know more.

calleyw

mum2one wrote: »

IB is also dependant on your NI contributions, think its over the last 12 months, .

Think you will find it is over the last 3 tax years .


Yours


Calley

seven-day-weekend

It would seem as though DLA is the most suitable Benefit for you, but it does not depend upon diagnosis but upon how your condition affects your day-to-day living and what help you need (whether you actually get it or not).

Ask a Welfare Rights Advisor at the CAB to help you fill it in as you have to 'word' things the right way.

kerryallc71

hi .

i have suffered with asthma & exema all of my life , since i was born im now 36 years old , i need a ventolin all of the time and i get out of breath a lot , im on 2 medications for my asthma , seritide & ventolin , my exema i have fucibet & lots of other creams including betnovate rd . my exema is really bad my hands are in a mess all of the time , they are always bleeding and i have cuts where my fingers have cracked open , its very painful and itches lots ..

i also have a metal plate & 7 screws in my left arm and a screw in my right wrist , i was involved in a rta in 1993 ..

ive also got kidney reflux , i had a operation in 1992 to replace my uriters , ive only got 3/4 of 1 kidney & 1/4 of my other kidney , i have to go for regular blood tests to see if they are not getting any worse ( upto yet they are doing well , my kidneys are still within normal limits )

i have been through the mill since i was born , ive once claimed incapcity benefit , this was due to the RTA i was involved in , in 1993 , but in 1998 i was taken off it , when the goverment brought in those tests , thats when i was taken off incapcty benefits ..

i continue to have trouble with my left arm and my exema is a right mess and im asthmatic ..

i tried to get a job but without success , ive suffer from low self esteem because of my disabiltys , i would love to work .. there is not much i can do ( no heavy lifting because of my left arm & right wrist or cleaning jobs because of my exema ) ..


sorry to sound depressive , but im just so fed up ..

im a full time mum to my 4 children , my husband has taken over most of my household chores , which makes me more unhappy about myself ..


sorry again for sounding so down ..

my question is - should i apply for dla , my excuse is if i can walk & talk i should not claim anything ..

see you from kerry ..

Penny-Pincher!!

kerryallc71 wrote: »

hi .

i have suffered with asthma & exema all of my life , since i was born im now 36 years old , i need a ventolin all of the time and i get out of breath a lot , im on 2 medications for my asthma , seritide & ventolin , my exema i have fucibet & lots of other creams including betnovate rd . my exema is really bad my hands are in a mess all of the time , they are always bleeding and i have cuts where my fingers have cracked open , its very painful and itches lots ..

i also have a metal plate & 7 screws in my left arm and a screw in my right wrist , i was involved in a rta in 1993 ..

ive also got kidney reflux , i had a operation in 1992 to replace my uriters , ive only got 3/4 of 1 kidney & 1/4 of my other kidney , i have to go for regular blood tests to see if they are not getting any worse ( upto yet they are doing well , my kidneys are still within normal limits )

i have been through the mill since i was born , ive once claimed incapcity benefit , this was due to the RTA i was involved in , in 1993 , but in 1998 i was taken off it , when the goverment brought in those tests , thats when i was taken off incapcty benefits ..

i continue to have trouble with my left arm and my exema is a right mess and im asthmatic ..

i tried to get a job but without success , ive suffer from low self esteem because of my disabiltys , i would love to work .. there is not much i can do ( no heavy lifting because of my left arm & right wrist or cleaning jobs because of my exema ) ..


sorry to sound depressive , but im just so fed up ..

im a full time mum to my 4 children , my husband has taken over most of my household chores , which makes me more unhappy about myself ..


sorry again for sounding so down ..

my question is - should i apply for dla , my excuse is if i can walk & talk i should not claim anything ..

see you from kerry ..

Yes you should!!

mum2one

Kerry.
yes you should apply for it, as DLA is 2 parts one mobility, 2nd care, ie do you need 1hr a day care, assist with medication etc, apply and see what they say. x

Pink_Eyes

kerryallc71 wrote: »

i tried to get a job but without success , ive suffer from low self esteem because of my disabiltys , i would love to work .. there is not much i can do ( no heavy lifting because of my left arm & right wrist or cleaning jobs because of my exema ) ..

Have you spoke to a company called Remploy?

katholicos

Thanks anyway folks.

Kerry, hope your situation improves and you get things sorted out.

SuziQ

Katholicos,with Asthma as bad as that you deffinitely should be seeing a specialist at a hospital. It could well be that your condition would be helped massively by the new treatments for Asthma and your GP is doing you a disservice by not referring you. I believe your best course of action is firstly to persue proper treatment and monitoring rather than benefits,your quality of daily life would be so much better.
There has to be a GP you can change to-find out from your Primary health care trust which GP's locally are taking on patients. Alternatively go back to your GP. If there is a practice nurse she may be a better bet to get you sorted. If not,practice manager,if he is too small a practice for that (which seems unlikely if he is the only GP in the area!) then you need to go back and do some firm talking to him-ie my daily quality of life is rubbish I am too ill to work and I want to see an Asthma specialist so that I can get on with my life. If he refuses,tell him you are going to take the matter up with PALS (the patient liasion service.) If he does agree the refreall,ask him when he is likely to have it ready,and can he fax it or you would prefer to collect and deliver it. Then find the name of who he has referred to and make friends with his secretary-phone her up,ask her how quickly you are likely to be seen,be very pleasant and ask her to put you down for any cancellations she gets.

This worked for me getting my ex seen very quickly for what turned out to be a gall bladder problem.

Please do not post back why you can't do the above-in this situation only you can effect change.

ETS Also do you have a child still at school,and do you get child tax credits? You seem to be suggesting that without IS you will be getting no benefits at all,which means you are missing out.

Chronic headaches-if they have been investigated and everything else ruled out-are often due to a rebound effect from constantly using pain medication.

You really need a very good GP,the difference to you could be lifechanging and to just accept mediocre care is bad for you and your children.

kianicky

i applyed for DLA earlier this year as i suffer from severe asthma and have done for 22 years. they turned me down