What counts as disability?

dane-katie

the_mighty_spurs wrote: »

Dear All,

I have Hypothyroidism. ( Addisons and hashimotos disease ) I also have psioratic arthritus.

I was off work for 6 months because of this last year, and tried to make a claim through the DLA. I have never claimed in my life, and was confused by all the paperwork, but i managed to get the forms sent and a claim applied for.

Its now April, and i have been waiting 13 months for a decision on my claim. Does anyone know why this is taking so long? I was bed ridden for most of my time off work, and although i have returned back to work, i am covered under the DDA act. Could anyone offer any advice. Thanks.

Have you been in touch with them? mine took about 10 weeks to be told i was getting DLA, have they wrote to you to say they received your forms?
It shouldnt be taking so long.

Invasion

the_mighty_spurs wrote: »

Dear All,

I have Hypothyroidism. ( Addisons and hashimotos disease ) I also have psioratic arthritus.

I was off work for 6 months because of this last year, and tried to make a claim through the DLA. I have never claimed in my life, and was confused by all the paperwork, but i managed to get the forms sent and a claim applied for.

Its now April, and i have been waiting 13 months for a decision on my claim. Does anyone know why this is taking so long? I was bed ridden for most of my time off work, and although i have returned back to work, i am covered under the DDA act. Could anyone offer any advice. Thanks.

Did you ever receive a letter to say that they had received your claim? Did you get proof of postage/recorded delivery? It sounds like it either got lost or never got there.... Worth phoning up to see if the office know anything more!

Indie_Kid

the_mighty_spurs wrote: »

Dear All,

I have Hypothyroidism. ( Addisons and hashimotos disease ) I also have psioratic arthritus.

I was off work for 6 months because of this last year, and tried to make a claim through the DLA. I have never claimed in my life, and was confused by all the paperwork, but i managed to get the forms sent and a claim applied for.

Its now April, and i have been waiting 13 months for a decision on my claim. Does anyone know why this is taking so long? I was bed ridden for most of my time off work, and although i have returned back to work, i am covered under the DDA act. Could anyone offer any advice. Thanks.

They usually send letter saying "we have received your form on <date>", "we need more time because..." or something about contacting medical people. You had any of them? If they have enough information from you, they won't send you s letter about the latter.

It normally takes 11-13 weeks; but can take longer if you have a complex case or they need to contact various people.

wssla00

I thought i might share my story..... a couple of insane times!

I'm a brittle asthmatic, with really bad allergies and nerve damage. Consequently the old lungs make it difficult to propel me along and the nerve damage means i can't put pressure on my leg. However the allergies make my cheeks red so it looks like i'm the picture of health lol

One time I was walking with my stick S-L-O-W-L-Y and a man said to me "You should stop drinking and lose some weight...then you will be a normal person" I couldn't believe it.

Another time I was gasping for breath and by the time I got to the supermarket I could barely stand. I hate getting the whellie electric trolleys but had to on this instance. A lady came up to me and said "Thats the last one" I nodded and her husband said "Do you mind letting us know when you are finished with it? We'll be in the cafe" I nodded again (speaking is difficult when you can't breathe lol)
and the lady shouted out across the supermarket "Yeah because I have a real disability unlike you!"

I am astounded at people's reactions. I NEVER judge and always try and help but sometimes it is really hurtful. I know im only in my late 20's but I can't help that!

dodgyfeas

Hi All

I was diagnosed with Avascular Necrosis and of my left Femur Head and last week had a Core Decompression op. I went to my GP who told me that the problem will never be cured just preserved by the op. He said that I should apply for a blue card as walking will always be a problem for me.

My question is, as I do a lot of driving for my profession, and don't want to give it up, could I get any help with purchasing an 'automatic' car?

Indie_Kid

It depends, do you receive higher mobility DLA?

deeplyblue

About this question of older people feeling that they have a monopoly on "disability". There's lot of coverage in the media and elsewhere showing how someone who is "disabled" can manage to do this that or the other, despite their problems.

Now take someone who is 75, frightened about their fuel bills, finding getting round the shops much more difficult than they used - out of breath, and "feeling their age", a spouse with angina and with arthritis turning from a nuisance and an ache into a pain and severe restriction. They see a young person who seems to need nothing but a pair of sticks, and have nothing wrong with them apart from being out breath a bit. And they think, "You are young, and there's more wrong with my body than there is with yours, and I've seen programmes on the telly about how you can climb mountains, but you get lots of money, a free car, free parking and everybody's sympathy. And who cares about the poor old pensioners?"

And perhaps, having no one else to lash out at, they lash out at you. Ill-informed, prejudiced, perhaps even selfish - yes. Incomprehensible - no. If those of us in daily contact with the problems of disability expect our point of view to be considered, perhaps we too should bear in mind the problems of being elderly and those who are just-not-disabled enough to "count" for disability benefits.

Mind you, I expect that disability benefits will be a prime target for cuts after the election, and I'm betting that there will be widespread support for this in the tabloids, and elsewhere. Everyone will say, "Of course we want to deprive the genuinely disabled, but I saw someone using a blue badge the other day and I'm certain he wasn't disabled. There's a lot of fraud there." Stopping fraud is, like efficiency savings, a form of fairy dust. You sprinkle it on a budget and you make cuts without any honest person being any worse off. It also has the same connection with the real world as fairy dust.

db

deeplyblue

As a postscript to my previous post:

I've been looking at some stuff about parking bays, and then ended up looking at an interesting document from Kent County Council. Firstly they appear to have a curious notion about Alzheimer's:

Those with a psychological disability, such as Alzheimer’s disease and who experience considerable difficulty in walking will be given consideration for a badge under the discretionary criteria.

https://shareweb.kent.gov.uk/Documents/adult-Social-Services/blue-badge/detailed-information-about-our-eligibility-criteria-for-blue-badgespdf.pdf

If anyone lives in Kent, perhaps they could contact their council and tell them that Alzheimer's Disease is a degenerative disease of the central nervous system, and not a psychological condition - though psychological complications are almost inevitable. There's a good picture on wikipedia.

But there is also one paragraph which may explain some of the hostility:

Physical frailty through old age does not give automatic entitlement for a Blue Badge unless the person has a permanent or substantial disability as outlined above.

This is in many ways sensible, and justifiable - almost logically inevitable (give enough people blue badges, and you will need so many parking bays for them, that some of the bays will be too far from their target areas to be useful).

However, if you feel yourself to be so much less capable physically than you used to be, it may be that physical frailty feels to you like a disability. And anyone younger can look like someone who has lots of life left in them, and quite possibly lots of strength in them. It's not rational, but there's a feeling, "The "Me" I know has a body that works, and now it doesn't and it's NOT FAIR." After which other people's problems seem less important, and less severe than your own. Sometimes, when you're disabled that can happen too.

Sometimes people are just plain inconsiderate - "If I want something, I'm going to take it. Stop me if you can." But some are resentful not just of someone who has something they don't , but of what is happening to themselves, their bodies and their friends." Think of those who are elderly and angry as having had an empathy-removal operation; they have a sort of psychological illness.

All of this won't change their behaviour, but may make it easier for you to cope with it!

db

stefano

I have been involved in a very serious road traffic accident, and already spent 153 days in hospital, and will be discharged very soon.
Obviously, I am severely impaired, and will spend the near future on a wheelchair, and being aided by crutches. The original injuries were classed as life threatening and amounted to 10 fractures, with a long term prognosis of serious arthritis.
Will I have to wait the mandatory 12 months before I can tap into the disability pot, as far as help, concessions and allowances are concerned?

Indie_Kid

stefano wrote: »

I have been involved in a very serious road traffic accident, and already spent 153 days in hospital, and will be discharged very soon.
Obviously, I am severely impaired, and will spend the near future on a wheelchair, and being aided by crutches. The original injuries were classed as life threatening and amounted to 10 fractures, with a long term prognosis of serious arthritis.
Will I have to wait the mandatory 12 months before I can tap into the disability pot, as far as help, concessions and allowances are concerned?

If you mean "can I claim disability living allowance?" you only need to have had the needs for 3 months and expect them to last for another 6.

I don't think I've ever come across anything that says you have to be disabled for x amount of months before claiming concessions.