Help with loss of DLA and Careers allowance

overtired

Hi skintbint
Thank you
I will contact my GP on Monday.
Thanks again

overtired

Hi
I have received my letter(form MU71) stating that I can take my case to a tribunal.
It is called a first-tier tribunal, in the leaflet it says that they are judicial officers who act independently of DWP, and that I can get help from citizens advice, or a solicitor.
I was wondering if anyone on this forum has had dealings with a tribunal, and what was this like.
I can not attend this hearing in person, but I would really like as much help as possible.
Please read my other thread to find out my details.
Thank you in advance for any help.
Thank you
N

overtired

Hi
I have received my letter(form MU71) stating that I can take my case to a tribunal.
It is called a first-tier tribunal, in the leaflet it says that they are judicial officers who act independently of DWP, and that I can get help from citizens advice, or a solicitor.
I was wondering if anyone on this forum has had dealings with a tribunal, and what was this like.
I can not attend this hearing in person, but I would really like as much help as possible.

Thank you in advance for any help.
Thank you
N

overtired wrote: »

Hi
I wonder if anyone can help me with some advice, my husband has been on DLA for about 4 years, and I have claimed careers allowance for 2 years.
Two months ago we received a letter stating that he is no longer going to receive this, and subsequently I will no longer be his career, they said we can appeal this, and that is exactly what I did, now I have received another letter today saying that this appeal has also failed, and the only other thing left is to take it to a tribunal, and I was told that there is a 9 month waiting list, as of 1/03/11 both our DLA and Careers allowance have been stopped.
I am frantic about the future, you see my husband has a servear mental problem, and also OCD, he has been hospitalised 3 times, the last time he was sectioned because he would not eat, or in the end he would not swallow his own saliva, this was 4 years ago, this is when the hospital told us to claim the DLA benefit.
Since then he has got a lot better in himself, but is still very very fragile, he has a great fear of doctors and hospitals, and avoids them at all cost. He also does not mix with other people, he only talkes to me. The extra money we were getting was helping us to buy extra things that he needs, when he gets distressed he has to throw things away, like clothes and footwear, even furniture.
I have not told him about any of this yet, he is terrified of most things, but when he sees the TV and they say that they are going to make people work, he thinks that they will be coming after him, and make him clean streets, or sign on etc....
I do not know what to do, or where to turn.
When I contacted the DWP in blackpool, the man was very nice and said just write my details down stating why I disagreed with the decision, and it will be reviewed again, that was in the beginning of January, I received the letter today saying that they think my partner can look after himself for a lot of the time through the day and night,and only needs my supervision some of the time, they have taken no notice of anything that I have written.
I phoned the same place up today, and spoke to a woman who said, that, that was all they can do, I will have to take it to a tribunal and I have 1 month to apply to do this, oh and it will take about 9 months before I get a date.
I know my husband, and I know what he can take, and this news will send him over the edge, then it will be 4 years of trying to make him better wasted, he will end up back in hospital again, and he or I cannot go through that again.
So can anyone give me any advice, or guidance, I have nobody to talk this through with.
Sorry for the long thread, but I cannot sleep, and my husband will be waking up soon, with one of his many nightmares, I will have to soothe him and make things better for him, then perhaps catch a bit of sleep before it all starts again.
Oh if he only knew.
Thanks for listening.
N

He is controlling his OCD himself, he has a fear of medical people, what can I do.
I cannot drag him to the doctors, if he was getting really unwell again, I would have to intervene.
I have contacted MIND, and sent them a email, I will see what they can do.
Has anybody else been told that they do not qualify for this benefit anymore, it has just come out of the blue, nothing has changed in our circumstance, if anything he has become more reclusive.
Once he is on the medication, he becomes somber and he has to take 3 other tablets to counteract his medication, the medication ruins your eyesight, and makes you gain weight (6 stone), this then gives you high blood pressure, his last GP was just handing medicine out like sweets, my husband said that he was fed up with his life of constant sleep, and tablets, his GP told him that his blood pressure was too high and he will have to go on a even stronger dose of blood pressure tablets, and don't miss taking any or you will have to go to hospital, from that day he stopped taking his medicine very slowly, and he has never taken the blood pressure tablets, his blood pressure tablets is perfect.
He has changed Doctors to mine, and wont discuss anything about ever getting help again.
I am looking after him and if I thought that I could not cope or he is getting worse, I would contact the hospital myself.