Benefits For Tourettes

[Deleted User]

Hi

I just want to start by saying that what i am writeing may seem that i am only trying to sponge as much as i can but am not. I just want to see if i am getting the most money i can cos if your entitled to it why not? Anyway here it is

I have tourette syndrome and i also work 40 hours a week at £5.77 an hour. I have just been working over a year and before that i was unemployed getting income support for my tourettes cos i hadnt work for 2 years before this and i was takeing a high dosage of a drug called sulpiride which was working but my income support was only £140.10 a fortnight. Its not alot but i basicly had no choice but to get a job as thats not alot of money.

however my tourettes is getting very bad now and am having outbursts and when i went to see the specialist again last week he said i might have to start takeing the strongest dosage however i will end up sleeping alot and being tired like i was before. I am seriously thinking about this cos i just was my condition to stop. But i have a problem with the amount ill be living on.

1. I have just worked under 2 years since leaving school (the rest of the time i was either unemployed or at college for a while) so does this mean i would get income support again? or is there another benefit i would have to claim?

2. Is there anyway that i would be entitled to some sort of benefit whilst am working cos i might have to just stick at doing my 40hours a week job for £5.72 an hour if the benefits r not going to help me with money costs.

I would love my tourettes to go away but at the same time £70.05 a week is nothing and most of us cant live on that. Thank You

dmg24

Hi al,

If you continued work, it may be possible to claim Disability Living Allowance. More information is available here. I am not honestly sure if your condition would qualify, but it is certainly worth a look.

From what you have said you are unlikely to have paid enough NI Contributions to claim Incapacity Benefit. Therefore it is likely that you would have to claim IS for reason of Incapacity.

Do you rent? If so, you should be able to claim Housing Benefit (albeit a limited amount if you are under 25) and Council Tax Rebate.

I am assuming that you are single and under 25?

Best of luck getting something sorted x

[Deleted User]

hi
yes i am under 25 and i am single but i still live with my mum who is on incapacity benefit.

are you sure i could claim DLA? Cos when i have checked this on the internet before, it just says u only get that if you cant walk, cant eat, cant dress your body etc and these things i can do

dmg24

I honestly could not say if you would qualify for DLA, however it does cover some non physical conditions. DLA looks at how your condition affects your everyday life, more than the condition as a name (if that makes sense?!).

If you have a Disability/ Welfare Advisor at your local CAB, they would be able to help you more x

mummytofour

I would suggest applying for DLA you can apply online and when you fill in the forms tell them about your WORST days. You maybe be suprised and get something.

suelees1

DLA forms are really a bind to complete. If there are any Tourette's groups out there in real or cyberspace there might be some info on DLA and the sydrome. Do a web search - you might be surprised.

I do know that one of the questions on the DLA form asks about communication with others which is obviously very specific to your condition.

Even with the mobiiltiy questions you can explain what it's like for you when you are outside. You can also mention the side effects of the medication such as fatigue. Tiredness can affect you getting out of bed, bothering to get washed and dressed or make a meal. There are all sorts of other things you won't have thought of.

If you have uncontrolled spasms then this can mean it would be unsafe if for instance you were pouring a kettle of boiling water, carrying cups and hot pans, cooking etc etc.

You can also explain about how your social life is affected or how you can't have interests hobbies etc without someone being there to make sure you're safe.

Just try and paint a real picture of what it's like for you on a day to day basis. If you go along to an a welfare rights advisor they will be able to pull out a lot of things you never even thought about because DLA is not given for the condition, but how you are affected on a day to day basis.

Gillianh2

HI Al,
I echo what everyone else has said and it is definitly worth applying for DLA. Perhaps you get your Mum or somebody else to help you complete the form. You can have the DSS fill the form in for you via the telephone that might be a help.

novelli

U definently should apply. My son has Tourettes and he gets it, though he does have severe learning difficulties as well, but he is on the high rate, so u could well qualify for the middle or lower rate.
Its not the diagnosis that depends on whether u get it or not, but how it affectes your day to day living.
There should be a disability advisor at your local jobcentre/benefits office, ring them and make an appointment to go and see them. It really needs to be the disability officer, as others dont always understand the difficulties u face.

By the way have u tried clonidine or catapres for the tourettes?? These have been a huge help for my sons tics, might be worth asking your consultant if he /she thinks these may help u.

good luck

[Deleted User]

well my daily routine is: wake up at 5am and this can be a struggle and ive went into work late a million times. start work in a milk factory at 6am simply placeing bottles of milk into a trolley till 2.30pm. mostly fall alseep on the bus and get home at 3.30pm and sometimes too tired to even wash and shave and sometimes fall sleep at 5pm till 5am. sometimes dont go out even just for a walk and as for weekends, i dont tend to go out anymore as i just dont have the energy. also i am suffering from depression and i am seeing a councilor for this, but am away to ask for tablets cos i do belive that am getting worse.

but if am able to work, is that not enough for the social department to say that am not entitled to DLA cos they might just say am able to work so dont qualify for it. thanks for replies

novelli

Whether u work or not is irrelevant. U can work full time but still be entitled, its not means tested.
Your quality of life is clearly compormised, so i would apply.

suelees1

Well you're half way there with how you've described your day already. Get that claim made !