What counts as disability?

Indie_Kid

Bernice50 wrote: »

Hi
Does anyone know if TIAs (mini strokes) are covered under the DDA? Thanks.

The name of your disability is irrelevant. Do the TIAs (including any permanent side effects) affect your ability to walk, eat, go toilet, communicate, etc?

dane-katie

I know someone with Lupus and they receive DLA but they have care needs, so im guessing this is why she gets it.

newstudent24

lynsey78 wrote: »

Some people fail to recognise epilepsy, people who have epilepsy that is not totally controlled and have fits still are not able to drive, a big disability in itself. Obviously the council now supply bus passes and you can purchase a rail card, but no benefits are there. Some people including myself have problems working full time as it is tiredness and stress that affects people/

I was diagnosed with epilepsy four years ago, and had to give up driving so I got a free bus pass. I do get some funny looks from bus drivers and other passengers sometimes (I can almost hear them thinking: How come she's got a pass, she's clearly not over 60 and doesn't LOOK disabled!). I've only just been put in touch with an Occupational Therapist to see about getting a Council Grant to have a shower put in. Obviously it's dangerous for me to have a bath, but I still need to wash. It's annoying to think I could have sorted that out four years ago - instead I've been just 'making do'.

Personally I find the hot weather worse - I get very sleepy in the afternoons and can't concentrate as well. Stress also definitely affects it - in fact, that was what triggered it off.

mrs-stressed

I have had the 'knockback' twice from DLA and now am so stressed about the next stage that I am going to give up. I have COPD, Bronchiectasis, Asthma and depression. All this means I cant basically breathe properly and cant function sometimes. I dont wee the bed, can pick up a pen off the floor. On good days I can wash, cook and do laundry. Today I went to work but felt so desperately bad I turned around and came home. I have lost £53 in wages. I couldnt afford the parking anyway (would have been £6.20), couldnt afford any lunch (£1) and I felt so stressed that even now I am crying. The forms are simple enough to fill in but their replies makes one feel like one is a fraud. How do they know that I am in a bad way. They dont know me. The GP although very sympathetic doesnt see me when I am bad so her report is inaccurate. The Consultant only sees me twice a year and can only grunt. So how can he fill in my form accurately.

My diseases are progressive which means that in six months time I will be worse - but not worse enough it would appear. I think about suicide every single day of my life. I cant do it though as I have two adult children and an ageing dog who depends on me totally - the dog I mean not the children. I am trapped by relentless circumstance and cant break free. I have £1.12 till pay day (minus the £53). I have to tax the car (need that as I am more than 5 miles away from work), put petrol in, feed the dog and lastly myself before pay day.

So I have two weeks now to appeal and then tribunal stage to follow. I cant get representation as our local disability helpcentre is flooded with people needing help. CAB is helpful but their hands are tied. Benefit Advice centre is limited to telephone calls for only 2 hours so I cant get advice there. The community law centre is toothless and spineless. CAB sent me a leaflet from www.advicenow.org on how to proceed with DLA application but it so scary that I just simply cant go through with it. Maybe thats what they want. People to give up as it is so dammed difficult with no realistic hope in sight. I am one of them then. I need help but dont know where or how to get it anymore. I am intelligent person and if I had nuts I am continually getting kicked in them........

L6MCT

Have you contacted DIAL (Disability Information and Advice Line services) to see if they can help with advice/assistance? http://www.dialuk.info/about.asp

If you are ex-HM forces (or are a dependant of someone who is) you can get assistance with your claims from the likes of SSAFA or Royal British Legion.

mrs-stressed

Hi L6MCT - thanks for replying. Yes, I phoned them up and there is no way I can get any advice now until at least November as they are snowed under. I am not ex anything except ex wife -! Husband has a million pound pension, new girl firend, BMW, own business and is as happy as a lark and I cant eat. Strange but true....Im not bitter...........Back to DLA application though. After reading some more stuff on this website it has made my mind up not to continue. If someone who has visual impairment and cant get DLA cos only one eye is blind then how the hell I think I am going to get coz I cant breathe escapes me...............

sad, defeated and done for - mrs-stressed.

Indie_Kid

mrs-stressed wrote: »

If someone who has visual impairment and cant get DLA cos only one eye is blind then how the hell I think I am going to get coz I cant breathe escapes me...............

sad, defeated and done for - mrs-stressed.

DLA is based on care and /or mobility needs - not the name or the type of impairment they have. (with or without diagnosis)

DarkFallout

mrs-stressed wrote: »

I have had the 'knockback' twice from DLA and now am so stressed about the next stage that I am going to give up. I have COPD, Bronchiectasis, Asthma and depression. All this means I cant basically breathe properly and cant function sometimes. I dont wee the bed, can pick up a pen off the floor. On good days I can wash, cook and do laundry. Today I went to work but felt so desperately bad I turned around and came home. I have lost £53 in wages. I couldnt afford the parking anyway (would have been £6.20), couldnt afford any lunch (£1) and I felt so stressed that even now I am crying. The forms are simple enough to fill in but their replies makes one feel like one is a fraud. How do they know that I am in a bad way. They dont know me. The GP although very sympathetic doesnt see me when I am bad so her report is inaccurate. The Consultant only sees me twice a year and can only grunt. So how can he fill in my form accurately.

My diseases are progressive which means that in six months time I will be worse - but not worse enough it would appear. I think about suicide every single day of my life. I cant do it though as I have two adult children and an ageing dog who depends on me totally - the dog I mean not the children. I am trapped by relentless circumstance and cant break free. I have £1.12 till pay day (minus the £53). I have to tax the car (need that as I am more than 5 miles away from work), put petrol in, feed the dog and lastly myself before pay day.

So I have two weeks now to appeal and then tribunal stage to follow. I cant get representation as our local disability helpcentre is flooded with people needing help. CAB is helpful but their hands are tied. Benefit Advice centre is limited to telephone calls for only 2 hours so I cant get advice there. The community law centre is toothless and spineless. CAB sent me a leaflet from www.advicenow.org on how to proceed with DLA application but it so scary that I just simply cant go through with it. Maybe thats what they want. People to give up as it is so dammed difficult with no realistic hope in sight. I am one of them then. I need help but dont know where or how to get it anymore. I am intelligent person and if I had nuts I am continually getting kicked in them........

what I see from your post is that you are trying to play with the system and to get money for free from the state ... while in financial difficulty ... and you are using as excuse you illnesses

there are 2 simple questions you need to answer:

1) are you virtually unable to walk for the majority of time (over 4 days a week on average for the last year let's say) ... if the answer is yes I suppose you are breathless for the majority of time, on oxygen therapy and using nebulisers and you had multiple hospital admissions in the last few months ...

2) are you unable for the majority of time to get dressed and undressed, to wash and clean yourself and to prepare a simple meal, to move indoors, manage stairs, etc. ... as you are going to work and taking care of a dog I suppose the answer is no ...

if you fill the forms with your bad days 'when you can not function sometimes' it is just simple fraud ...

basically you feel your life is difficult and you want support ... with non-taxed money in particular ... you don't care what is this benefit for (people that are unable to walk, get dressed, get washed, etc. for the majority of time) ... you just want the money ...

your condition will get worse ... OK ... when it gets worse and you are oxygen dependent or self neglect you will get DLA ... this is how the system works ...

after reading your post I am completely convinced that all services that are free at the point of delivery are prone to abuse through artificially high demand ... that's the case with UK benefit system ... if you have to pay charges for application packs, assessments and to pay the cost of your appeals I suppose the attitude would be a little bit different ...

but because you don't have to pay for anything (the state pays for it) you can apply for years and appeal for years with enormous costs of bureaucracy regarding your appeals and claims and assessments paid by the taxpayer ... and millions of people are doing the same ...

DarkFallout

Bernice50 wrote: »

Hi
Does anyone know if TIAs (mini strokes) are covered under the DDA? Thanks.

I know that TIAs, by definition, are episodes of impaired blood flow to the brain but with fast and complete improvement (within 24-48h) and no remaining neurological or cognitive deficits ...

so ... on what grounds do you want to be classed as disabled ... just to get the money? or to get the blue badge? or because you decided that your memory is not the same as it was? mine is not the same as well if I compare it to my memory 15 years go ...

as written above diagnosis is not important ... you may have MS and be in remission or have MS and be bed or wheelchair bound ... if during an accident at work your 4th and 5th finger are amputated, you still have full function of you hand as the thumb and the index finger are important ... UK benefit system is designed to help those with severe disabilities and restrictions in usual day to day activities and self care and not to cover a particular condition ... you may be severely disabled by unknown condition and still undergoing investigations and you be covered although not having a diagnosis ...

Indie_Kid

DarkFallout wrote: »

so ... on what grounds do you want to be classed as disabled ... just to get the money? or to get the blue badge? or because you decided that your memory is not the same as it was? mine is not the same as well if I compare it to my memory 15 years go ...

Was there any need for that?