What counts as disability?

LLiam

I have been disabled since my birth but it has taken most of my life to get any recognition from the medical doctors. It did not become really apparent that I was disabled until I was 30 years of age. Then it took another 17 years to get a clinical diagnosis, such is the nature of mental health disability. Disability trashed my ability to earn a living.

19 years ago, I began to practise meditation. I learned how to accept my condition. I was without a paid social security benefit for ten and a half years. In that time, some very kind and loving people came to my aid. They taught me how to detach myself from the pain:

When I had no money, they taught me this meditation on loving kindness:

Love is firm, not grasping;
Love is unshakeable, not tied down;
Love is gentle, not hard;
Love is helpful, not interfering;
Love is dignified, not proud;
Love is active, not passive.
Hate restricts, but love releases;
Hate brings grief, but love brings peace;
Hate agitates, but love calms;
Hate divides, but love unites;
Hate hinders, but love helps;
Love guides to right understanding;
Love guides to right thought;
Love guides to right speech;
Love guides to right action;
Love guides to right effort;
Love guides to right mindfulness;
Love guides to right concentration.

Today, I get about £65 a week for Severe Disablement Allowance. That means that I have been assessed as 80% disabled.

Recently, I went shopping for a sports jacket. The cheapest one that I saw was £99. Most were about £250.The most expensive one was £350.

What all these shops had in common was a marked absence of customers. They were all empty, except for me.

Cherryscone

Would love to know what counts as Disabled i have osteopenia ,Diagnosis of recurrent deep vein thrombosis,highbloodpressure ,severe back pain,an arm which requires surgery afrer breaking my redial head which cant be done because of the risk of thromboisis,i receive income support with an add on because ive been ill for so long ..i have an apeal lodged with DLA at the minute it doesnt look hopeful

am i disabled :rotfl:

zolablue25

lilmisstrouble wrote: »

When you're claiming disability benefit you don't fill in the form saying what you struggle to do now - you have to get yourself in the mind set of 'what would i pay for help with if i could afford it' - thats what the benefit is for. So if you struggle to lift a saucepan to thepoint of endangering yourself you should put on the form that you cannot lift a saucpan without assistance. Don't emphasise what you can do - tell them what youcan't do without assistance. If you have to go to their doctor and its up 2 flight of stairs and you have mobility problems, don't struggle up the stairs - ring them and tell them you can't get up - then blast them for not adhering to DDA regs. They only know what you tell them so without meaning to be offensive, don't play the martyr.

The extra advice that we were given were to complete the form using the worst case scenario i.e. how does my wife cope when she has a severe attack. Worked for us. She did receive a home visit from a DWP doctor but that was fine. All she had to keep reiterating was how bad she can be.

anotherdayanotherworry

My husband has Left ventricular hypertrophy with hypertension and depression. we applied for DLA but this was refused!! He has a big problem with walking (even with his walking stick) His LFH or heart failure, is now moving from Moderate to Severe. i have read all the Goverment sites and they all say he should be getting top rate! this condition will not improve in fact the outlook is very very bleak!! has anyone got any advice please, he is getting ESA £89.90 a week, nothing else no carers allowance they said we cannot have it!!:mad:

$17mma

Can anyone confirm or point me in the right direction. From the covering note on the thread it mentions below that

long term means that the effect of the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)

What are the rules or where can I find the rules covering recurring or fluctating conditions?

Also is DLA and Mobility two seperate entities and if so what is the limit of higher rate Mobility etc?

Thanks

Invasion

DLA is made up of two components, care and mobility. There are two levels of mobility, and 3 levels of care.

In general- and this is just general, there will always be exceptions- the limit of higher rate mobility tends to be being unable to walk further than (around) 50 metres before severe discomfort/having to stop, this does depend on your gait, balance and the speed at which you can walk.

If you're looking into applying for DLA I would highly recommend the Benefits and Work website, they have amazing guides, and I managed to do both of my DLA appeals with the help of them, and their forums.

tenacioust123

$17mma wrote: »

Can anyone confirm or point me in the right direction. From the covering note on the thread it mentions below that

long term means that the effect of the impairment has lasted or is likely to last for at least 12 months (there are special rules covering recurring or fluctuating conditions)

What are the rules or where can I find the rules covering recurring or fluctating conditions?

Also is DLA and Mobility two seperate entities and if so what is the limit of higher rate Mobility etc?

Thanks

Hi

Here are the special rules.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/dwp/2006/sra5jp-jan06.pdf

king24

The rules to the care componant can be difficult. I recieve disability on a higher rate ( I have severe Rheumatoid arthritis) , I was recieving the care componant but all of a sudden they stopped it, claiming I didnt need any help during the night. Im not sure where they get there info from, but during the night I need help quite a lot ( my husband holds down a full time day job and is my night time carer too). I have no idea how they base this, when I asked I was told due to my answers on my form they declared that the care componant wasnt needed. I always make a copy of my forms and its states quite clearly on there that I am up at least 5 times night with Pain, needing help to the bathroom etc. Appealing didnt help, they said they agreed. It beggars belief sometimes

pinknfluffy

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 20 years now and my Consultant Rheumatologist told me I look as if there is nothing wrong with me, as I take good care of my appearance i.e hair styled and wearing make up. So according to him if you are disabled (and I don't like to admit that I am) you should walk around looking like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards and then people might believe you have a problem!!!!

That made me feel so much better.....

Woodyrocks

pinknfluffy wrote: »

I have had Rheumatoid Arthritis for over 20 years now and my Consultant Rheumatologist told me I look as if there is nothing wrong with me, as I take good care of my appearance i.e hair styled and wearing make up. So according to him if you are disabled (and I don't like to admit that I am) you should walk around looking like you have been dragged through a hedge backwards and then people might believe you have a problem!!!!

That made me feel so much better.....

This was the first thing the new psychiatrist I had to see last month said to me - you look very smart -

I also find it odd that I am expected to look like a tramp and not bathe or wear clean clothes just because I have a disability. Yes, there are times that I cannot get out of bed and have no compulsion to open my eyes let alone get washed and get on with 'life' but I know that at least pretending to bother about the way I look goes a little way in fooling myself into thinking I am okay. "If I look like 'them', then they won't know that I am mad" - Most of the times I feel like my PD is written all over me like a weirdo alert going off over my head so I am actually happy when I can use clothes and what not to blend in.

Thankfully, my keyworker has known me for over 9yrs and can attest to the fact that this is one of my way of controlling my external reality and one that is actually encouraged by my therapist.