Incapacity Benefit

[Regina]

hi everyone :wave:

what a brilliant new forum. I have been on short term incapacity benefit since I got sacked from work in March. :angry: that is another story :rolleyes: I am on the contribution based short term incap where all you need are sicknotes from your doctor. This is now about to run out and they have sent me a form to complete to now qualify, the problem is that my husband who works for the citizens advice bureau thinks that it will be difficult for me to qualify due to a lack of knowledge on the Dss's part about this illness :wacko:

has anyone had this experience and qualified? I am also about to apply for DLA and it is the same here, because the illness is so varyable I dont alway fit into the categories they set. Please let me know your experiences so that I can be spurred on. I already have the support of my Rhumy and my doc who have both provided medical evidence for my employment tribunal to state that i am a disabled person for the purposes of the disability discrimination act (I am claiming this as one of the reasons i lost my job. Any help, advice, words of wisdom is appreciated :thumbs:

Regina xxxx

[Starrgazerlilly]

Hi Regina

Incapacity for Work Benefit is not based on diagnosis but on your ability to work or not. You need to fill out every question as if you are talking about yourself at your worst. ie don't say "sometimes I can and sometimes I can't" type of comment without explaining further cos if you're anything like me sometimes you can do things but will pay for it later.

The questions are arranged in a way that is very difficult for people with fluctuating symptoms to answer. Make sure you always write as much information in the space provided below each multiple choice question. If none of the multiple choice answers fit, choose the one that fits best and then explain below.

For example if it says something like "I can't lift a saucepan full of water" and that seems to fit then tick the box and then reply with something like "although I am able to lift a pan, carrying out this activity in combination with other day to day activities will cause severe and lasting pain and exhaustion therefore making that activity and most others impossible to carry out again without prolonged rest. "

... or something like that. Do this in great detail for every question, don't worry about repeating yourself. It's the only way to get across how these more complicated illnesses affect us from day to day. I've filled out these forms maybe 5 times now and had 2 medicals. I've always had my application approved so hopefully you will too. I know it's a horribly stressful thing to have to go through and just filling out the form is absolutely exhausting.

DLA is notoriously difficult to get, I think following the same tactic as above is the best way to do it.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

:flowers:

[Regina]

thanks stargazerlilly for the response ;)

my husband says the same but was just feeling down that I was not going to get it. will save that advice and get busy filling in my forms. :wacko:

[cornishgirl]

Hi Regina :wave: ,
Just thought I'd let you know that when I used to work in mental health I used to have to fill in all the DLA forms and benefit forms on behalf of my residents and I just wanted to really re-enforce what stargazer said, most definitley describe your symptoms as if they are at their worse. If there is any hint that there is room for working ability they will jump on it, and the same if your going for mobility, describe your symptoms at their worse not as if it's a good day. Good luck hun, Lucy :flowers:

[Vette73ds]

Hi Regina

I would agree with the other posts, detail everything at your worst.

Although i'm lucky enough not to be in your position, my dad had been trying to claim DLA for years. He finally succeeded earlier this year (with back pay as he has not worked for about 10 years) but someone from the Benefits Agency came out and helped him fill in the forms and said exactly the same.

Perhaps it may also help to pop into your local jobcentre plus and have a word with their Disability Employment Adviser (DEA) - who may also be able to offer further help or advice with your forms if needed.

I'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you, please let us know how you get on.

Take care

Dee

[david 8]

hi, all just to add/confirm whats all ready been said after being tuned down for dla twice i read a good few guides in how to claim and got success

dla is not adwarded for what your disease is
its what you can and cant do and its effects/symptoms etc
always take your worse days etc keep a dairy it gives you an idea you will be surprised as well, and soon as you mention on the forms not to bad today or managed to get out of my chair with no aid/little pain etc you lose in a word
it goes against you

there are loads of helpful sites on claiming here's a couple

hope all goes well for all



http://www.dlahelpgroup.com/main/index.php

http://www.tameside.gov.uk/welfare/new/disall.htm

http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Pa...ts/492#download (http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/cms.asp?Page=/Home/Customers/WorkingAgeBenefits/492#download)

[Regina]

thanks for the links david and to all of you who replied, I will use this information now when i do my forms.

Thanks guys :thumbs:

[Deborah Rumbles]

:flowers: Hi just thought I'd reply as I am on disability living allowance and long term Incapacity benefit,I had to also hand in sick lines from my G.P for what seemed loke ages while I was off work but I was told I could not do the job I had any longer due to SLE and the amount of times I was off work and in hosplital was making it impossible to hold a job down.Yes the DSS do know what lupus is and I know of other people claiming with lupus, you may have to keep fighting yopur case I eventually got my Rhummie to write to them, that worked.

[hattycat]

I am in the middle of claiming IB under the youth rules.#

I had to get a sick note from my doc and also a statement from my school, still waiting on the last one, but the DWP do seem to know about the condition.

It was the CAB who told me to apply.

[snowhite]

hi

i was just wondering, evry1 who is claiming incapacity benefit, have u been thru the medical assessment and have u ever passed?

bcoz nothing comes up in the tests wen my rheumy tests me so how the **** r the DWP gonna believe us and that we r not making it up?

thanx
ifra

[Starrgazerlilly]

Hi Snowhite

I have had two medicals for incapacity benefit and one home visit medical for DLA in the last 12 years. My diagnosis then was ME only which is notoriously very difficult to get any medical respect for as there is no medical proof that it exists. Although not a very nice experience at all, I passed each time.

Since then I have filled in 3 or 4 more forms and each time been awarded benefit without needing to go to another medical, all with the ME diagnosis. It's really important to put as much info as possible on the form to hopefully avoid being called in for future medicals.

Your test results shouldn't be so relevant to your entitlement as how the illness affects you in day to day tasks and therefore your ability to work. Depending on the area you live in, some social services departments offer support in filling out forms and also if you fail your medical and have to go to appeal they will go with you. It might be worth asking social services if they have a FAB Team in your area.

Anyhow, I don't know if this will help. Take care

:flowers:

[snowhite]

thank you for your reply starr,

i was wondering how they give medical without finding anything but i guess its more to do with wat u can and cant do

ifra

[Regina]

Hi all

just to let you know my forms have now been completed and posted. I found them quite easy to do and my advice is to do them when you are not feeling your best, the questions are easier to answer then. My husband thinks I have done a good job but is very cynical about whether I will get it or not because he knows only too well how awkward they can be, but the biggest hurdle is over.

i will update you all again when I have heard although advice is to put DLA out of my mind as they take forever to respond!

Thanks again for all the helpful information. ;)

Gina xx

[carolfer]

Good luck carolferxx