I contacted my local MS society who sent a nice chap out to help me fill in DLA form. He has now gone and asked me to think about what mobility problems I have. I am mobile but slow and unsteady, trip over thin air! Also find it hard to concentrate . Fatigue is a biggie too. Any ideas? Just can’t think, my brain has gone to mush. After you sent your form off did u think I wish I had put that? I know it’s a personal thing.
I suggest you join a site called ‘Benefits and Work’. It costs about £19 to join but believe me it’s worth every penny.
Once joined, you can download their guide to the DLA form. It will tell you, step by step, the best way to explain how MS affects you. Lots of us on here have used it and it’s helps a great deal.
The people who assess the forms are looking for particular things about your illness and how it affects your daily life, so the ‘guide’ really explains the best way to get your problems across.
Follow the guide and you won’t go far wrong.
It also has guides to all benefit applications, appeals, tribunals and it has a very good member forum.
Good luck,
Pat x
Just a few ideas of the way you should answer the questions but if there not true do not use them.
While hobbling along the High Street I keep near to the shops. This aids me in two ways; I am less likely to fall into the road and I can stop and look in shop windows to get a rest. I can testify that Ann Summers has the best window display.
To get High Rate you must show you need help during the night. Say something like, “I get up 2/3/4 times per night to go to the toilet, sometimes to no avail.” “My wife has to accompany me; this takes about 45 minutes each time and obviously breaks her sleep.” “It’s amazing just knowing she is there gives me so much confidence.” She has to accompany me because once I fell over and slept where I lay that night, good job it was the middle of summer and warm.
Contact DIAL http://www.dialuk.info/ who will come around your house and help with the forms. Or Benefits and work http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ who give excellent advice costs £19.40 per year. The DLS give excellent free advice http://www.dls.org.uk/advice/factsheet/factsheets_download.html it is essential you get help.
Simple rule ‘don’t say one word when 100 will do’ in other words explain in detail. Always quote your worst; they appreciate MS is a variable condition but don’t you say it. Be very careful though as there are some mistakes you could make like do not say you’re housebound as that begs the question why do you need the mobility component? Say “I would like to go out more if I could afford to” The examples are that examples if they are not true don’t use them.
Good luck
George