DLA was won at Appeal

[foreverfriends1]

Like so many I lost my DLA and was upset because I had no diagnosis. It was later at the Tribunal, that i learned - DLA is paid, for the Disability and not for the Medical Condition. Always, put everything down, as if it were your worst day. I have represented so many- Have never lost an appeal - except my own. :o

So many times I was turned down for benefits - my own case went on for 4 years. I was then told why. I was fighting for benefits because of the illnes & was not putting across how my illness was to affect me.

To any who are struggling to get benefits - Please Keep On Trying - You will be successful in the end :D foreverfriends1

[Raglet]

ok, I may get shot down in flames, but I really think the most important thing is to be honest.

My worst days are spent in hospital, so I couldn't use them - and I am always a great believer in answering forms honestly, without exageration.

That way, at least I get to live easily with my conscience, even if my pocket is a little lighter.

Wishing the best of luck to you and everyone else applying for benefits

raglet

[jude mack]

Hi

I agree with Raglet, I got my CPP disability without exageration, because my
doctors also backed up every word I said, and added a few of thier own. I am
sorry to hear you didn't get yours, and that it has taken so long.


It may work differently in the UK or States, but we fill out forms, our doctor
also fills out forms, it then goes to a board of twenty doctors at the disability
pension office. We don't even go to tribunal, or at least I didn't have to.

Well Raglet we may both get shot down in flames, but I do believe honesty is
the best policy.

Good luck and Take Care
Jude :erm:

[Deborah Rumbles]

:wave: Hi although I appreciate that it is very annoying and time consuming to keep applying, you have to keep trying, I agree with Raglet, Don't exaggerate your condition as you will be caught out and then maybe even disqualified all together. At the same time always say how you are affected when your having a flare up as only then can the DSS realise your limitations.Always get your GP or Rheumy to do a cover letter of symptoms etc that effect you, and thes can be on a daily basis. I could not say my worse days as I too, am in hospital for weeks at a time then. I was turned down my first time too, but did receive what I was entitled to eventually, both DLA and Incapacity benefit.Keep tring .Be honest, good luck.Also say things that you may forget like when your doing the tea for family, is it hard chopping, lifting etc, and also when doing the laundry, this is something I forgot to mention the first time round as I never thought that was important.

[Starrgazerlilly]

Hi there :D

No shooting down in flames or anything :love: ...

For many of us it IS being honest, I have never claimed to have a symptom I don't have but if for example your "good" days are entirely reliant on doing very little or nothing in order to avoid the "bad" days, you can forget how much your disability would affect you if you had to do ordinary things like the vacuuming, washing the dishes, writing a letter. If you don't speak from the point of view of the bad days then the impression will be inaccurate and you will be back at work or on the poverty line and in a relapse before you know it. For example, if I haven't done the vacuuming for a long time cos I know it will have me confined to bed for weeks, it's easy to forget that it's not normal not to be able to do the vacuuming and therefore to understate the problem.

The honest picture is how you feel when you do ordinary basic activities like housework and going to work (even if you don't do them due to your illness) the dishonest picture is to understate them cos you forget how bad it gets or to make up symptoms. I've been claiming benefits for years and it is VERY easy to understate.

As someone who has said on here in the past that people need to speak from a bad day's perspective, I just felt I needed to clear that up.

Best wishes to all

:flowers:

[foreverfriends1]

To ALL who messaged me - just want to let you know I have answered the questions and added a new post to UK Disability Benefits. "DONT SHOOT THE MESSENGER" LOL I think benefits are possibly different in Scotland and also in the USA.

I had been turned down for benefits because I had not stated just how badly symptoms were affecting me. I would also only remember the good days and would write these down. When scans were done and doctors reports were done - the DLA was given to me before the Appeal. I was then told many people in England do get benefit because of being disabled AND NOT because of Fibro or Lupus etc. I was also ashamed of how the illness was affecting me at 35yrs of age - when I had previously worked 16hr days and always been well.

There is another thing I have learned - there can be no pride - because most of my wages (I was able to work then) were spent on trying ALL of the Miracle Cures. unable to work I struggled to keep a roof over my childrens head & there were times spent in hospital. I have been told - that if a person is claiming sickness benefits for a certain amount of time and in hospital they should hand a certain portion of DLA or Attendance Allowance Back to the Government - because it is then the hospital who are taking care of us. I as yet, do not know how true this is.

What could anyone gain from "shooting another sick person down in flames" style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/tantrum.gif Recently i have been told my Benefits should possibly Go Up - as the illness I have now takes a hold of my body & I am barely able, even to cook a meal. I worked as a Benefits Adviser Previously & had written what I had believed IMHO to be true. MY SINCERE THOUGHTS ARE WITH THOSE WHO NEED THIS BENEFIT AND STILL STRUGGLE TO CLAIM IT - Please, keep trying style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wub.gif foreverfriends1