DLA application posted

Everyday living
1

Hi all,

After spending 4 days completing it, my DLA application has gone in the post. In this area, they are being accepted until 8th June. I decided to apply after seeing my MS nurse last week and she said I had nothing to lose. I had a relapse in November and then another just after Easter. This was despite being on Avonex.

My walking distance without the fatigue and muscle pains kicking in has reduced dramatically. I can’t trust myself with hot pans etc anymore and so my husband does 90% of the cooking now. I managed to fall out of the shower a few weeks ago(ours is a over bath shower) so I can’t shower now without my husband around just in case it happens again. As I read the form, I thought that I fitted a reasonable amount of the requirements to have a go at applying.

I’m not really expecting to get anywhere but nothing ventured, nothing gained. The little bit of extra money would mean that I could stop working full time which is getting harder and harder. I’m seeing my GP next week for a medication review and I’ll tell her then that I’ve applyed for DLA. She’s brilliant at doing things, so any forms that she has to do, I know she’ll do her best.

So just have to wait for now!

Lynne

2

Hi Lynne

Tha wait is the worst part of it I reckon. Mine too nearly 2 months in the end and I was unsuccessful at first but then appealed and I was successful so all was ok in the end and like you say I could then reduce my hours at work. The stress of it all was terrible at the time though so I know what you mean.

I hope you get good news and remember, appeal if you are not happy with the decision. It is worth it.

Good luck!!

Shazzie xxx

3

Hi, sounds to me like you certainly fill the criteria in a few ways.

I first applied for DLA back in 2000. It took 14 weeks!!! Hope yours doesnt take anything like as long as mine did.

You can get DLA whilst working, so no need to wonder about that. But if the extra income allows you to reduce working hours, then so much the better for you.

With you saying you have problems with cooking and personal care, you sure do stand a very good chance of fulfilling the requirements. I had a doc of the DWP`s choosing, come to the house to question and examine me.

You need to have had problems for at least 6 months and also for them to be the same or worse for a further 6 months. Im sure youll be ok there too.

Have you thought about getting some outside help in to assist you with personal care? i started on that 2 years ago. i have had my care package increased from an initial 8 hours a week, to 10 and then to 16.75, plus 1 sleepover.

My hubby struggled on as my sole carer for 11 years, before it was obvious he wasnt coping, as he has bad RA.

Good luck and if you need anymore info about anything, please ask, yeh?

luv Pollx

4

Hi, I don’t know if it differs depending on where you live but I am in a similar situation health wise and thought nothing ventured nothing gained. Printed the forms of the Internet posted them at the start of April heard last week that I was successful, they wrote to my Ms nurse I didn’t have to be assesed by anyone and got awarded more than I thought I would. Good luck.

5

Thanks for all the support. For quite a long time, I felt I shouldn’t be claiming for anything as I wasn’t ‘bad enough’. I suppose there’s also the guilt thing of claiming a benefit just in case ‘I’m not entitled’. But when I looked at the forms there was quite a bit that when I read them I thought, well I do struggle with that. So I thought I might as well try. Nothing to lose apart from some of my time.

On a bad day, I do struggle to walk very far at all without feeling absolutely tired out and my leg muscles hurt with spasms. I can walk but the mobility criteria says ‘how far without severe discomfort’ not how far you can walk and on a bad day, for me that’s not very far at all without taking it slowly and resting when needed. I did put how I was on a ‘bad day’ on the form!

I’ve fallen out of the shower a few times so I have to wait until my huband is around before I shower. I can’t manage to cook evening meals because by the time I get home from work I’m too tired to do it, my husband has to do all of that. I’m not safe carrying heavy or hot pans anyway. He helps if I wake in the night with limb pains.

So just have to wait and see now.

Lynne

6

Hi

I’m just about to send mine off too. The cut off date for my area is 9 June so I’m waiting til after I’ve seen my Neuro on 2 June. Just in case he says anything which may be relevant to my application.

I’m like you in the fact that it would help by making it financially easier for me to reduce hours at work.

Good luck with your application. I look forward to hearing how you get on.

Ann Marie

7

Good luck to you as well. I desperately need to reduce my working hours but like a lot of people it’s just not financially possible at the moment. Getting DLA will make a bit of a difference. Fingers crossed for us!

8

Hi Lynne

I applied for DLA back in November 2012 after being diagnosed in early November after having an Episode that started in September. I then relapesed in early December 2012. Neuro thinks i’ve been having little Episodes for 10-15 years without knowing!

I was turned down for DLA, took it to appeal, and was turned down again!

I then took it to a Tribunal (hearing was yesterday) and won.

The Tribunal panel was made up of a Solicitor, a Doctor and a Disability specalist. They were very friendly and very helpful.

They interviewed myself and my Wife for about 40 minutes (about how well I walk and cope outside, if I can look after myself washing, shaving, cooking etc) and then asked us to wait outside whilst they came to a decision. They called us back in after around 10 minutes and explained that I was only being given the lower rate Mobility (that’s all we thought I was going to get) and why.

I have been awarded the lower rate for mobility as I have problems with my balance, walking any distance, fatigue etc and feeling uneasy in places and situations I am not used to (triping, falling & looking drunk etc).

I did’nt get any care allowance (I did’nt expect any care allowance) as I can wash, shave and go to the toliet on my own without being in danger of halming myself.

I work part time now, and the little extra money just helps with the extra costs of living and continuing to go out to work etc when you have MS (Walking Stick, Automatic Car, things that make life a easier).

Your balance sounds a little worse than mine. I also trip/stumble when I am in the shower, but we have a shower cubicle so I just bounce off that! I also drop things (Pans, Cups, Glasses etc) but not as much as I did in September-January (so whilst Relapsing).

If you are falling out of the shower on a regular basis and your Husband has to be around when you are having a shower, they will see that you are in danger of hurting yourself and may even award you for the care as well???

Hopefully your application will go well.

Good luck with it.

Rob