Reducing your DLA

Sueinbirmingham

when_will_it_end wrote: »

sue you can ask any one you like to go with you it does not have to be a carer, just some one you trust, i for sure would not turn down free fish n chips at the sea side

I could ask around who'd be interested and see if they'd help me plan it, but it would need to be someone who could look after me. That sounds pathetic, doesn't it, but if I get stressed I will struggle to cope with it.

FleurDuLys

Bless you Sue, I hope you can get to go on a little holiday, it sounds like you really deserve one.

MCLF

Sue, you mention your GP sometimes forgets to send your meds. Do you have a pharmacy near you who could order these for you? Many offer this service - they keep your white repeat forms, then order the meds when they're due. They'll then deal with any mistakes made by the surgery.
You may even be able to have them delivered to your home, but even if you can't just making one trip to collect a month's supply is better than the hassle of sorting it all out yourself.

Sueinbirmingham

I get different amounts each month because some of them are prn (as needed). I don't get the white forms, either. I know what they look like because someone I know who has a different doctor gets them, but I don't. I'll have a word with my local chemists.

Tehya

Sueinbirmingham wrote: »

The phone's very useful because I have a package that means I can make as many calls as I like so I can talk to the Samaritans for ages or phone relatives. Someone used to care for me, but he can't now so I've been really poorly recently, but I'm taking loads of extra antipsychotics and extra mood stabilisers to sort it out.

I hadn't thought about using it for my other health conditions. I don't talk about them on here, but they are disabling by themselves. I suppose it's silly to think I can only use the DLA for the condition I applied for it for, not for other needs.

I really appreciate everyone's input.

Please take no notice of anyone who may encourage you to go ahead and try to give up some of your award. As you have already stated you have bi-polar could it be that you are going through a period where you are doing things you wouldn't normally do? Also with any changes to your claim for DLA (whether for the better or worse) the DWP only want to know about it if the change is permanent i.e. around 3 months so if I were you I would wait at least another 3 months and see how you feel then.

As for what you can spend the money on my hubby gets high mobility and middle care and on the form they ask what we would use the money for. We told them my husband likes collecting/looking for old travel books etc so we'd use taxis every week to get to our nearest disabled friendly antique bookshop. We also told them we have our food delivered as neither of us are fit enough to carry or walk around shopping.

We too have broadband/telephone and told the DWP that we use it as a social tool to stay in touch with family, friends etc and we also use it to book Drs, nurse, boold test appointments etc.

Like you we use it for ready meals (well mostly prepared fruit and veg).

There are a million ways to make life easier but it cost money this is why you get DLA so please do not feel guilty but rather use it in any way you feel helps.


PS: I just remembered I also use some of the award to pay for someone to do the ironing because even though I don't claim DLA for myself I have Lupus and brittle bone disease so am disabled too.

Sueinbirmingham

Wouldn't it be nice if you could just buy a new mind and go back to not needing help?

I'm sure if I could work out how to spend the money better, I could function better.

Anyway, next target, little holiday with someone to look after me.

skater_kat

hi sue,

you could google 'supported holidays'. there is a lot of information. unfortunately rethink closed their holiday centre, i was about to recommend it but just seen it has shut down. thats cuts for you!

Sueinbirmingham

I didn't even know they had a holiday centre. I'll do like you say and do a search for supported holidays. Thanks.

Sueinbirmingham

dmg24 wrote: »

There are also many cases whereby the claimant is far from incapable of work, but chooses to pursue an appeal rather than seeking the types of work that they are fit for.

The system is far from perfect, but the faults are on both sides of the equation.

I've been thinking about this quite a bit. Surely I don't have to be incapable of work to get DLA? I told them last time I was in work and I kept getting it.

Never mind, with welfare reforms, I'll probably lose it all anyway. I suppose I shall go back to the revolving door, alternating between work and hospital. It all seems to go backwards not forwards. Most of the time, I feel too depressed to care anyway. I know people get sanctioned when they don't sign on on time or if they don't apply for enough jobs, but I don't know how I'll cope with all that when they take my benefits away from me. I'm sure they will, though. There seem to have been endless government press releases about how people shouldn't be getting all these benefits so popular opinion is with them.

I wish I was just normal, with all my mind and body doing what it should.

Maybe a holiday will help me stop thinking about that.

jetta_wales

DLA isn't related to work ability at all, that was just about a detour from the original post where we mentioned ATOS who assess for ESA.