What counts as disability?

OSFA · 13 December 2008 at 9:39PM

Can someone please help me ? (I will be brief)
I am low rate DLA and Incapacity benefit and have been for many years. I have won 3 tribunals to get my DLA!!!. I live on my own. I have to pay council tax and rent. I cannot get income support.
I moved into my mothers rented house when she passed away three years ago. How can I afford to decorate or buy new items for the house when I can't live now ?
I pay my bills every week and have little left for food.
What can I do?
All help appreciated to this newbie around here.:)

yorkiegal · 14 December 2008 at 10:18AM

OSFA wrote: »

Can someone please help me ? (I will be brief)
I am low rate DLA and Incapacity benefit and have been for many years. I have won 3 tribunals to get my DLA!!!. I live on my own. I have to pay council tax and rent. I cannot get income support.
I moved into my mothers rented house when she passed away three years ago. How can I afford to decorate or buy new items for the house when I can't live now ?
I pay my bills every week and have little left for food.
What can I do?
All help appreciated to this newbie around here.:)

have you reapplied for income support? i became entitled to it once i went on dla but it doesn't come through automatically. i'm not sure if that was because i am on high rate dla care though but it's worth a try.
Have you thought about getting a lodger? You should be able to get some housing benefit though if you're on IB.

brodev · 14 December 2008 at 2:08PM

On the "you don't look disabled" subject. A couple of years ago I was in my friend's car when we stopped at a supermarket and parked in a disabled space as he had a blue badge for his heart condition. We were berated by an obviously disabled man with a walking stick. My friend got very upset and to smooth things over he moved his car, it had the last disabled space, to let the man with the walking stick in. 6 weeks later my friend was dead, but the man with the walking stick is still going strong and bullying others at the supermarket. At least he was couple of months ago.
I must admit to a strong desire to punch him in the face but my better nature won thankfully

black_paw · 15 December 2008 at 11:56PM

foxxymynx wrote: »

I would have loved to have seen that! :rotfl:

yes me too :rotfl:good for him the biker !

dawnk_2 · 24 December 2008 at 12:15AM

I am 36 and have have had a blue badge for 3 years.

I too am fed up of people assuming that I am not disabled because i am young and have nice car. I have had many comments from people telling me not to park in disabled bays and then get angry when I point out my blue badge.

I am also fed up with supermarkets allowing non blue badge holders to park in disabled bays and doing nothing about it. I complain everytime i see it

nomealone · 28 December 2008 at 9:23PM

I agree too - I am 36 and have had mine for two years due to a hip condition. I dont look disabled however I am in a lot of pain particularly in cold weather and sometimes I am shattered when I get back to the car. What I need is the width that the disabled space allows as I need to open the car door fully to get in and out otherwise it is a real struggle and painful if my hip is jarred.

I have lost count of the number of times I have been shouted at and abused when parking in a disabled space just because of my age and because I drive a nice convertible car. So just because I am disabled I have to drive a boring car? I used to have a boring car which was slightly easier to get in and out of but it made me feel older and feel disabled. I dont want to feel disabled. I still want to be young.

Anyway rant over!

thermalaudio · 29 December 2008 at 2:16AM

mcspanna wrote: »

It even happens to people with a visible disability! I pulled into an accessible parking space yesterday and was being thrown evils by an elderly couple in the next space - this quickly turned to looking the other way when I got my wheelchair out of the car!

Thanks Martin for the self-definition clarification. I'm a strong believer in self-definition but originally posted this thread because there seemed to be a lot of people who aren't sure if they qualify and I wanted to demonstrate that they do (legally). Very roughly there are about 20% of people in the UK who would come under the DDA definition, but a staggering 50% of these people don't realise that they do and are therefore missing out on all sorts of things...unfortunately I guess a lot of this is because people don't 'look' disabled!

This thread is interesting, I'm another that falls into the 'doesn't look disabled' category, though have been for roughly 12 years, its very difficult for disabled people to get straight answers about things from the likes of the benefits agency amongst others on their clarification of being disabled.

According to the Equality & Human Rights Commission who formed the DDA, I'm most definately covered by the DDA with my multitude of medical history which increasingly deteriates month by month & will do for the rest of my life and moreso from the combination of medicine / xrays, scans, nuclear tests, fractures etc.

Equally the EHRC said that based on my medical history I am eligible for DLA as i'm covered by the DDA as stated above, I've been through the whole DLA process 4 times, of each of those 4 times, they have only given me a medical once (on a reasonably good day) and STILL declined my application for DLA saying that because i can walk 50 metres in pain and put my socks on that they don't class me as disabled, i'm disgusted by the whole DLA process.

I have problems at work on a daily basis and this makes it difficult for me to hold a continuous full time job, i'm therefore forced to work at least 70 hours a week self employed & for several agencies, because as much as legislation says its there to protect disabled people in the workplace, i can assure you it does virtually nothing, as people realise i'm disabled & then make my work life hell, which forces me out.

Anybody else encounter these problems?

thermalaudio · 29 December 2008 at 2:30AM

strong96 wrote: »

I have a question, i receive DLA i have had both knees replaced by the age of 27, i suffer osteoperosis which now affects my hips aswell, i have just submitted my review papers which do in a sense annoy me to the fact that in some cases its obvious you arent suddenly going to be better and the problems will vanish unless with a miracle but i understand having to do it but the forms are ridiculous you're constantly repeating yourself on 48 pages. Anyway my question is, my husband is Army, he suffers from non freezing cold injury no nerves left in either feet, is supposed to stay indoors during winter months and suffers trenchfoot when he has had his boots on all day without being able to use the foot spa, yes trenchfoot, it does exist even today and its not pretty, the pain he is in is tremendous but of course the army cant throw him out without having to cough up a lot of money because its their fault, can he claim DLA i mean would anyone at the dla office even have a clue what his condition is, there are only 4 specialists in the country that have knowledge one being his doctor he has to see 6 monthly at the naval institute. Anyone suggest whether we should even try? I know it may be on the wrong forum but i'm just learning how to gear round the forum.

The best thing to do is just apply for it, you can do it online now on www.direct.gov.uk and click on the DLA section under benefits tab, there is sections to complete for GP, and Specialist.

I have probs with my feet, legs, hips, blood clots etc amongst other diagnosed conditions, take 1000mg calcium & vit d everyday for osteoporosis and have problems & pain when walking, loosing balance etc, according to DLA because i can walk 50 metres i'm not eligible for it, so i'd imagine that if your OH is in the army/navy and capable of doing exercises etc then they won't be either.

looby-loo_2 · 29 December 2008 at 2:41AM

I rang Social Services and the woman said "She's not disabled, she's only blind so we can't get involved!"

LilacPixie · 29 December 2008 at 4:50AM

i'm another in the 'doesn't look disabled' I have a blood disorder that was undiagnosed for a long time. To cut a long story short i have nerve damage in both hands/arms and right leg but other symptoms are variable.

I drive a specially adapted automatic car and can only walk short distances if suffering a relapse. Despite this I have 2 young children.

I have lost count of the amount of times I have pulled up in a 'disabled' space with my husband and children in the car, while displaying my blue badge) to be exposedtoa barriage of critisism from other shoppers becuase i was either too young, should beparked in the parent and child space, shouldn't have children etc etc. To be honest I now would rather shop online than put myself and my family in such a situation.

What counts as disability?

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