DLA guaranteed until 2014?!

Indie_Kid

sock-knitter wrote: »

dont you need involvement from social services for direct payments?

Yes you do.

sock-knitter

sh1305 wrote: »

Yes you do.

wont hold my breath then lol, social services a waste of time where i live

Indie_Kid

sock-knitter wrote: »

wont hold my breath then lol, social services a waste of time where i live

They were when I lived in London, too.

TOBRUK

actionman wrote: »

I dont understand all these abbreviations.Not all of us get all these extra benefits and know what these stand for.

What is hrc? what is IS and PC. I thought you weren't claiming income support!

hrc - High Rate Care, the care component of DLA (Disability Living Allowance) ,IS - Income Support, PC - Pension Credit and SDP - Severe Disablement Premium.

andyandflo wrote: »

No I don't claim anything for a disability - I was just showing that IS with SDP is only £16 pw less than what I get. And we manage despite everything!

If I did, then with PC and the disability premiums + DLA we would be on over £400 per week. There is no way that people need this sort of benefit income. I honestly couldn't justify it! No wonder the Welfare costs have rocketed - we should all be doing our bit to help out, not just thinking of ourselves

I'm a little confused andyandflo when reading your posts and not just on this thread. Please correct me and forgive me if I'm wrong or perhaps mixed you up with someone else.

You say you don't claim anything for a disability - perhaps you don't now but you did from 1995-2004 didn't you? You have said that you gradually came off it - and suggested that others could manage this if they thought positive or something along those lines.

Your wife made a claim for DLA and was it twice turned down and also made a claim for AA also turned down??

You say people can live without DLA. You have a spouse so you have company - which is very nice considering that many on DLA live alone (including me) and can go days without seeing a soul!

Didn't you say somewhere that you ride a bike as it's good for you? If you are able to ride a bike, doesn't this mean that you can get about fairly well? Therefore, for instance, at least when you fancy a cup of coffee you can just go and make one without any problems. Can you take the rubbish out or do some chores around the house?

OK, you say you couldn't justify DLA, but others have many costs - not only for help around the house. I have a special one handed keyboard for the computer - it cost £300 and something you can't shop around for. Mine broke last year - sent it for repair = £70. Few months later it stopped working - I had to buy a new one = £300!

I have an adapted car (1996 model) - a year ago the adaption stopped working. You can't pop into any garage, you have to go to specialist garage. I had to get someone to take the car as I was unable to drive it (as the adaption wouldn't work) and they charge a lot just to remove it. I asked them to repair if possible because they told me a new one cost £1000 - and that is before fitting and the fitting charge depends on make and model of car.

I was without a car for a couple of weeks, then I had to get someone to take me to the garage to have the repaired adaption fitted back on the car. A couple of hours at the garage, the bill came to £375!

Those are just a couple of examples of costs - there is always something!

As I live alone I pay people to do things for me. I have a sister 40 miles away (rest of family 100 miles away) and she comes over as often as she can to help and sometimes stays over. I insist on giving her money at least for petrol. She brings me meals (home cooking)to stock the freezer. She does anything from cleaning, changing the bed, shopping for groceries and much more - I couldn't possibly let her do it for nothing - I feel awful that she does so much and that I have to ask for help anyway.

I have a garden which I can't manage anymore - I get help for this as I can pay someone to keep it tidy. I can't clean my own windows - there are so many things that I need help for.

andyandflo wrote: »

Good grief,

We get £202.40 on Pension Credit - that's it full stop - nothing else!

On IS a couple would get with the Preiums £186.45.

£16 a week less than what I get.


Yes I have a wife if I was single my Pension Credit would go down just the same as IS. The difference single or not is about £16pw!!!

?? what about Social Services - wouldn't they help out???
or are you actually saying that you would prefer to pay someone out of your DLA to look after you?

So where is the Care in the Community then???


Yes we manage on £202.40 and I am disabled, so why would another £121.25 per week make any difference to us?
SO if we can do it, why can't others? You will just have to learn to live off a lot less!

That was the question.

No wonder the current government is having a hard time trying to cut back on benefits if everybody is out there trying to screw the last penny thay can out of the state. Just look at the wider picture man - it can't carry on like this. It will be either reduce your claims voluntarilly or they will do it for you. Hence the reason why the medical in 2014, to weed out those that can manage with a little less income.
Likewise today it was announced that the government want more than 50 % of all IB & ESA claimants looking for work on JSA and off sickness benefits. The next target will be DLA and they will no doubt want another 50% off that benefit as well. We have ourselves to blame for all of this.
It's not rocket science.

If I wanted to be greedy, I would be claiming another £200 pw on top of my Pension Credit of £200

And that brings us right back to the original question posted

If I am correct didn't you say on another thread that you didn't want to claim ESA as you would get more with PC because you would be able to take advantage of being able to earn £20 a week if you wished or something? You said yourself that you played the system.

Whatever your income you have to have a budget. If I didn't receive DLA I would definitely take my Occupational Therapist's advice and get home help, carer etc. If some people that are currently on DLA have it cut drastically or lose it completely, I think there will be pressure on the care services, social services (that is if there are these services available in your area) etc. Even if this happened there would be caos as these services will be also cut!

My GP isn't happy with my currant situation. I am at present living in a house and as things are getting increasingly difficult, I need to live in a bungalow AND to be near family in order to get the care I need. Especially after almost losing my life last September.

I agree it's not all about the money, however everybody's situation and costs are different. How would it be possible to take each individual case and work out a specific sum for them to live a life to a certain standard? Or, work out the care needed and be able to give them that care rather than give them the money to try and get the care themselves? I believe this would cost a lot more (for services) plus anything going wrong - they would be put under pressure and be accountable!

There is so much more ... !

On these threads there is a lot of well I manage so why can't you or I deserve this and you don't, my needs are greater, I am more disabled than them, I can't see why you should get help for this that and the other etc.

Sorry for long post!!

Indie_Kid

TOBRUK wrote: »

As I live alone I pay people to do things for me. I have a sister 40 miles away (rest of family 100 miles away) and she comes over as often as she can to help and sometimes stays over. I insist on giving her money at least for petrol. She brings me meals (home cooking)to stock the freezer. She does anything from cleaning, changing the bed, shopping for groceries and much more - I couldn't possibly let her do it for nothing - I feel awful that she does so much and that I have to ask for help anyway.

Your sister sounds lovely, btw.:)

Andy - if you really care that much, here's some of the costs I have:
- socks - I can only wear certain ones. Unfortunately, it's the cheap ones that last 5 minutes
- mobile phone contract - it's cheaper for me to get an adapted phone this way than buying one
- wet wipes
- extra water - my medication means that I have to constantly wash my hands
- coloured paper - a ream (500 sheets) can cost anything up to £12 and grey isn't exactly easy to find either - my parents pay around £4 for a ream of white paper.
- wheat free food
- taxis - there is no help for those in Plymouth of us who can walk; but still have mobility difficulties
- Skin / handwash - can't use soap

I also give my parents money, I pay various insurances on my equipment - this alone costs £16.49 per month. I also have one-off costs, such as tyroscopes, glasses with reaction lenses, (once a year; eye tests are free) a taking alarm clock, talking watch plus repairs, (I was allergic to the strap / bracelet) etc.

Whe I was at uni, there was also takeaways - I din't always have the energy to cook. And when I did cook, I would usually burn myself.

TOBRUK

sh1305 wrote: »

Your sister sounds lovely, btw.:)

Thank you sh1305, yes she is wonderful, she works, she is married, and she does her best for me. I'm very very lucky, all the rest of my family are also wonderful but live 100 miles away.

It was my family who told me to put my house up for sale in order to move 'back home' so they can take care of me. My GP has said she will help me as much as she can with referrals, letters, anything else she can and supports my move. She believes that this is the best thing for me.

Recent falls I have lost the use of my legs for a while, my GP doesn't know what is causing this - I have had an MRI and the result shows up another problem which they weren't looking for (can't remember what it was called but it was on both sides)at the base of my spine and is unoperable at the moment. However, it didn't explain the paralysis of my legs after a fall.

sueturnersmith

This was posted by andyandflo on the first of July 2010:
Wow, I have been missing something? I am 61 and my wife is 66. We have just lost our home as the keys have been handed back to the bank. We are currently living with my daughter, partner and our two grandchildren in a 2 bed house. I get DLA, High Rate care/High Mobility for life and my wife now gets High Rate Attendance Allowance.

I would really to love to know if we can have a house please!

The Council say that we are intentionally homeless as we gave up our home, and can't help us.

So if there is anything going - we will be first in the queue!

Something doesn't quite ring true here?