I’ve had DLA hr mobility and mr carers indefinitely since 2011 when I was diagnosed with RR MS.
PIP, sorry for swearing people.
I’m due to have to switch to PIP goodness know when.
I write to see if anyone has any knowledge or experience on the “Assessment” aspect of the switch to PIP from DLA.
Do us, looking, walking, talking and being able to see like healthy people, whom have only on paper very clear signs of being extremely ill, have to have an assessment to be told from, possibly by a non professional or someone with hardly any if any idea about MS and how it affect sufferers of this evil disease that we are CLEARLY FINE and will only be subsequently awarded the standard rate if awarded at all?
I rely on my DLA “Benefit” as to be able to live an ok independent life now not earning the decent money I was able to achieve.
If anyone is able to shed some light on this then it will be much appreciated.
I’m still on DLA so I don’t have personal experience of the change over but you sound worried so I thought I would reply to your post.
MS is a challenging illness to put across because of its variable nature and lack of outward (in some cases) signs however it’s not impossible. Health care professions who do the assessments may not be intimately knowledgeable of MS but they will not be totally unaware. When I am filling in the forms I assume that the reader knows nothing and try to explain everything as fully as possible. I make sure to stress the effects of fatigue. It might be possible for example to complete a task once but could you repeat it?
if you are not already a member I would recommend Benefits and Work. It costs about 20 quid but it is worth every penny for the excellent guides for applying for ESA and PIP. I think you will feel much more confidant about the process if you read them.
I’ve not needed to visit B&W but I’ll certainly check back there. I don’t worry I just like to plan ahead like packing early b4 going away, the wife’s not a fan.
When you attend the interview in your wheelchair and show your inability to stand, they will see firsthand that you are disabled. I suggest you invite your local tv news crew along so people can see how the disabled are treated in this country.
This post is relevant to most of us and indeed the subject was raised at lunch with a few fellow sufferers yesterday. Most of us are in the same boat ie;
We have received indefinite DLA awards.
The new criteria suggests we will lose part of all of out awards. We can all walk 25 metres.
We cannot survive without this monthly payment.
What I want to know is where is our voice here. Independently we can contact our local MP but where is our collective support?. Who is lobbying on our behalf?. Does anyone know what the MS Society is doing?.
I would assume they are doing something but I cannot find out what. A lone voice will not be heard what we need is a chorus.I would love to hear ideas of what we can do.
I totally agree Peter. I am Chairperson of a committee formed to fight plans by our local council to sell of our primary school playing field. For six months we have been extremely pro-active on all social network sites, featured in our local daily paper almost daily made the national newspapers, and even appeared in the Private Eye magazine! A wide variety of celebrities and well known people fully supported our campaign publicly, and shared and replied to all our messages on social media
People power has ensured that we have won our fight. We have had such a strong campaign that the Council leader resigned, before his colleagues presented him with a vote of no confidence. This was attributed directly as a result of our virulent campaign.