D.L.A LIFE AWARDS help needed

Shazonator

My husband is on DLA as he has am eye condition which means he will only get worse, he was born with this but never received benefits until 2004, he had just turned 33 years old. They actually turned him down the first time, he had to be registered blind before they would award him DLA even though he had been clearly diagnosed with RP for some time. Just to clarify this means he has no peripheral vision and night blindness, the peripheral vision deteriates over time and nothing can be done. How can they possibly justify sending him for a medical? I would like to see them challenge that one. I myself have ME, the condition nobody believes exists, the medicals I have attended are an absolute joke and they are only for IB that I was on before and ESA that I am now claiming. The medicals are there to get as many people as possible taken of benefits, even if they are not fit for work in there GP's opinion, this is irrelevant to the governments guidlines. I am sure people agree the things that they ask at the medical and the things they ask you to do to prove you are not fit to work are a complete joke, even moderate conditions related to my condition can cause you to be incapacitated. These people who decide you are fit for work should be going into peoples homes and seeing that they are not able to cope with everyday life never mind going out and attempting to live in the real world. I had my medical recently and I am sure that it will again be a case of appealing and going to a tribunal. They government are just a bunch of bullies, I have tried to return to work twice since being diagnosed 6 years ago and both times I have been back out of work within 6 months, due to my inability to cope with the health condition. They make it so difficult for people to recover to the point that they can try to get back out to work as they constantly send you for medicals and leave you in the system waiting for appeals to be heard, while you are appealing you cannot access any help to go back to work and if your appeal is denied you cannot claim any other benefit such as Jobseekers. If you claim JS they will make you pay back all the money you just claimed whilst waiting for the appeal as you should have been looking for work. This is irrelevant to genuine claimants like myself as I would not even consider JS Allowance as I am not fit for work. Unfortunately some people will take desperate measures as they have no income and will apply then be in another nightmare position, how do they pay the money back if they are only claiming JS so they have some income? Bring back the other bunch please this lot are a bunch of public school boys who have not got the first clue how it is for us regular people just trying our best to survive. Global recession not caused by Labour but by the banks across the world!!!

kevanf1

I hope that some day medicine will be able to find a 'cure' for me. I have severe osteo arthritis resulting from a bad car accident. It has been getting steadily worse for years and, being osteo, has no cure. I can only take painkillers to keep the level of pain down; it never ever goes away. There is recent talk of stem cell treatment but this is realistically decades away. If it does come to fruition and it I can benefit from it then I'll gladly go back to work. In fact, work will be a pleasure but a minor one compared with me being able to play cricket and tennis again which I would dearly love to be able to do. They won't need to send me for a medical I'll happily sign off myself with no prompting.

In the meantime, this worry of having to go through hoops again just to prove I am in severe and constant pain and so unable to work (or safely look after myself - the worst I have done is only break an ankle for goodness sake because I was left alone for half an hour) is not helping. Worrying about this actually makes my condition worse as it causes stress. Stress makes me tense up and hence aggravates the pain levels. I wholeheartedly agree that the malingerers need to be weeded out but as always it is a case of using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

cyclonebri1

rigoletto wrote: »

I thought DLA payments were non-means tested & there to cover the additional costs associated with disability, regardless of ability to work or not. They seem quite separate to IB which is payment for being unable to work???? Correct???

So there should hopefully be very different criteria for assessments, when they do come around.

It seems however that the generic blanket has been cast, ie, if you fail the DLA medical, the inference is that you need to claim JSA or whatever.

Kevan. similar. In hospital in 2007 for second leg cartiiledge op. 2 months later back op to wels 3 vertibrae. Failed and damaged nerves in leg so now "drop footed ". Months, later trying to improve I had an RTA. Fell of push bike, double fractured skull, 32 stiches to face, fractured, neck and further fracture to higher back.
Oh, and they were kind enough to send me home with a deep vein thrombosis as a result of 12 days in complete traction.

The only good news is that I have complete documentation of my history, even copies of the scans and x rays that the NHS took to send to the private surgeon that had originally operated.

Not so easy for mental health suffers, but with no real experience I can't get into that.

rosybunny06

I think you are scaremongering, with no actual evidence to back up your statement.[/QUOTE]

I disagree it's not scaremongering you would be shocked at some of the sly actions of ATOS and those that carry out medical assessments. I have said it many times to any who will listen that there are not that many "malingerers" just a lot of maladministration within the Civil Service. The media love stirring up hatred and perpetuating the myth that everyone on benefits is a fraudster. The tv ads about catching benefit fraudsters makes my blood boil, there aren't any ads about how many cockups there are by civil servant staff.
I know of one lady who was ill but because she had made an effort and had her hair washed and because her house was "nicely decorated", she was turned down by the assessing doctor, this of course was later overturned at appeal. Another case of a gentleman with cancer who died 3 months after finally receiving his first DLA payment, but had fought for 2 years since he was diagnosed for it to be awarded.
Another of a gentleman with Multiple Sclerosis who had to fight for 5 years to get his benefit even though he can't walk most days.
I wish I could give you the current stats on how many DLA decisions are oveturned at Tribunal. How much time and money is wasted by incorrect decisions, how many people live in fear of losing their homes and wondering how they will buy food while waiting for benefits they are entitled to.
The whole system is a farce and it is so badly run it disgusts me.
Don't for one minute doubt that the benefit people are told to automatically turn claimants down to save money....
Before any of you say I am scaremongering I have worked for the Civil Service and in the Voluntary Sector and have seen and heard these issues first hand.

Indie_Kid

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

It seems however that the generic blanket has been cast, ie, if you fail the DLA medical, the inference is that you need to claim JSA or whatever.

DLA & JSA are two separate benefits and it's possible to claim both.

50Twuncle

Are the figures available - in the public domain for the number of claimants of ICB/ESA and also DLA (and what type of DLA) ?

woosh0

What does ESA stand for please?

Indie_Kid

woosh0 wrote: »

What does ESA stand for please?

Employment spport allowance. It replaced incapacity benefit and income support for reasons of incapacity. (for those who didn't pay enough national insurance)

cyclonebri1

sh1305 wrote: »

DLA & JSA are two separate benefits and it's possible to claim both.

I totally understand that but the link has been made by others, as in if you fail DLA you atre fit for work. Obviously not my view but read back.

cyclonebri1

rosybunny06 wrote: »

I think you are scaremongering, with no actual evidence to back up your statement.

I disagree it's not scaremongering you would be shocked at some of the sly actions of ATOS and those that carry out medical assessments. I have said it many times to any who will listen that there are not that many "malingerers" just a lot of maladministration within the Civil Service. The media love stirring up hatred and perpetuating the myth that everyone on benefits is a fraudster. The tv ads about catching benefit fraudsters makes my blood boil, there aren't any ads about how many cockups there are by civil servant staff.
I know of one lady who was ill but because she had made an effort and had her hair washed and because her house was "nicely decorated", she was turned down by the assessing doctor, this of course was later overturned at appeal. Another case of a gentleman with cancer who died 3 months after finally receiving his first DLA payment, but had fought for 2 years since he was diagnosed for it to be awarded.
Another of a gentleman with Multiple Sclerosis who had to fight for 5 years to get his benefit even though he can't walk most days.
I wish I could give you the current stats on how many DLA decisions are oveturned at Tribunal. How much time and money is wasted by incorrect decisions, how many people live in fear of losing their homes and wondering how they will buy food while waiting for benefits they are entitled to.
The whole system is a farce and it is so badly run it disgusts me.
Don't for one minute doubt that the benefit people are told to automatically turn claimants down to save money....
Before any of you say I am scaremongering I have worked for the Civil Service and in the Voluntary Sector and have seen and heard these issues first hand.[/QUOTE]

Could you actually state who you are quoting or disagreeing with, your post is badly ambiguous??

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:
Something has gone wrong here, the bold bit is mine the other a previous post by rosebunny.