Turned down for DLA

mandy_b1967

I applied for DLA in Nov and had my reply today.

I am now so fed up as APPARENTLY I can walk 500m at a normal speed and in a normal manner! This is a real surprise to me as I limp due to pains in my knees, back and ankle. And APPARENTLY I dont need help use kitchen tools and carry & lift safely. Well as I have severe arthritis in my left wrist and waiting for it to be fused, I get the kids to lift baking trays and saucepans for me as well as carrying shopping and the wash basket.

Also I APPARENTLY dont need help batheing or drying myself. I would like to know how they get out of a bath, put on a bra, dressing or cutting food without bending their wrist.

AAAAHHH I despair.
Thanks for the rant.
Mandy

noeltone

Hi mandy_b1967 are you going to appeal from my own expereince and others they want you to accept this decision and go away and they have saved some money sometinmes it is worth appealing and asking them what evidence they used to come to this decision today. Can you get some help from a benefits advisor CAB did you have supporting medical evidence ie from GP OT or consultant amyway hope you can carry on as they often turns people doiwn fisrt time i am assumingit is the first time good wishes Chrisov

khadija2

mandy_b1967 wrote:

I applied for DLA in Nov and had my reply today.

I am now so fed up as APPARENTLY I can walk 500m at a normal speed and in a normal manner! This is a real surprise to me as I limp due to pains in my knees, back and ankle. And APPARENTLY I dont need help use kitchen tools and carry & lift safely. Well as I have severe arthritis in my left wrist and waiting for it to be fused, I get the kids to lift baking trays and saucepans for me as well as carrying shopping and the wash basket.

Also I APPARENTLY dont need help batheing or drying myself. I would like to know how they get out of a bath, put on a bra, dressing or cutting food without bending their wrist.

AAAAHHH I despair.
Thanks for the rant.


Don't despair!! I finally got 1 year's back-dated DLA after 2 refusals, a very rude /mean tribunal hearing - the 2nd appeal tribunal were very sympathetic & with the help of my Cit. advice rep they gave me 1 year when I only asked for 6 months!
Get urslef a good representative from your local citizens advice & make sure u address the critieria correctly in your submission. They will do it for you.
All the best.

Khadija
Mandy

jaspercat

Hi Mandy I agree with Chrisov you must appeal - they sometimes turn people down to see if they will appeal - they might send a doctor to your house to examine you and do a report love Jaspercatxx

eckstardeluxe

Hi Mandy, sorry to hear you were turned down. My advice like the others would be to speak to Money Matters/Advice or CAB. My Health Visitor was here last week and told me if I get turned down to appeal straight away. I applied December and waiting for my knock back anyday now. The only good thing I have is that yesterday my GP signed me off a citation I just got for Jury Duty in the letter it says has "severe back & neurological problems and is unfit for Jury Duty". I can only hope he writes similiar to dLA. Good luck, keep us posted x

nearlybionic

Hi Mandy
I am sorry to hear that you have been turned down re DLA. I would also say to appeal. I think others have mentioned CAB but you can also try Welfare Rights for advice and support with your appeal etc. I too have applied recently, but have not heard anything yet, and know how daunting the forms are. I hope you get good news when you appeal.
NB

mandy_b1967

Thank your help I am going to appeal. The trouble is that my doctor has been telling me for 2 years that my back pain is due to posture. My crohns doctor told me that it is oa due to crohns disease over 20 years. I have at last got a rheumy appointment in 2 weeks so I think I might wait until then and get more proof from them. I am going to see the gp later today as one of my ankles is swollen and painful and I have pain the in back of the other one.

Once again
Mandy

honeykins59

hi mandy i know how you feel i have rh arthiritis and have it for the past 5 years and was getting dla up to 10/01/09i applied for a renewal in oct08 and was refused in nov based on meds and blood results and medical information i was totally shocked and extremly upset as i have a motability car as well so i asked them to look at the case agin in jan this year i was refused yet again so now i am appealing and i have the benifits welfare officer helping me i had to wait a while to get the medical report and now i can see why i was refused because the junior consultant at the hospital i attend put under prognosis good and that i have no probmlems with washing and dressing spoke to the other consultant and she said because i was going through a good phase she probably thought that was what she was being asked so now she has done me a report and my gp aswell which i have sent in to the tribunals and now i wait i am not giving up i depend on my car to get out and i also depend on my daughter to help with bathing dressing and she cook dinner as i have a problem grasping things so i totally understand how u feel but dont give up appeal till they overturn the decision you forget these people are pen pushers and are pushing for targets they dont have a clue what it is like living with this condition and if they did then maybe they would be a bit more understanding that no two days are the same and that goes for consultants and doctors aswell they depend on you and me to tell them how we feel although some dont listen or think they know and dont keep your chin up and appeal their i feel better now

colinone

mandy_b1967 wrote:

I applied for DLA in Nov and had my reply today.

I am now so fed up as APPARENTLY I can walk 500m at a normal speed and in a normal manner! This is a real surprise to me as I limp due to pains in my knees, back and ankle. And APPARENTLY I dont need help use kitchen tools and carry & lift safely. Well as I have severe arthritis in my left wrist and waiting for it to be fused, I get the kids to lift baking trays and saucepans for me as well as carrying shopping and the wash basket.

Also I APPARENTLY dont need help batheing or drying myself. I would like to know how they get out of a bath, put on a bra, dressing or cutting food without bending their wrist.

Hi Mandy Although i have never experienced putting a bra on i'm sorry to hear you DLA. I would apply again but this time take your forms to the unemployment centre or CAB and get them to help you fill it in. Ask them for tips and advice on what you should and should not tell them but make another application. Take care
Colin

AAAAHHH I despair.
Thanks for the rant.
Mandy

purvesrosie

Hi Mandy,
I had exact same reply on my first time. You must appeal, I went to CAB and a welfare benefits officer sorted the whole thing out. Maybe you could try this. Also even if back pain is caused by something other than arthur, your still in pain and can't manage let us know how u get on. Good luck PM me if you need and advice
Rosie x

eckstardeluxe

Hi again Mandy

Rosie makes a valid point there. So if they say your bloods rule out OA it doesn't distract from the fact you have a disabling condition and need help. Although I don't work for the DWP, I do work within the benefits system, on the forms people tend to mention the medical problems more than how they actually affect their mobility etc. As someone else said, penpushers lol, not quite but they do use a points scoring system and that determines your eligibility These people at Money Matters etc are experts, I even sought advice myself before completing the forms and as I say I work in the system! I would defo take this up now with one of said agencies, don't wait until your appointment. Best to get help now, these people can be very busy and you might need to wait for an appointment.

denpen

Hi
I filled in my application for DLA last week and I found that my problem is admitting that I have a problem doing the most basic things, so I expect that I will get refused. Why is the system so against genuine people. If the "pen pushers" could only feel a fraction off the pain that we feel I am sure that we wouldnt get knocked back on the most basic things.
Denise.

honeykins59

eckstardeluxe wrote:

Hi again Mandy

Rosie makes a valid point there. So if they say your bloods rule out OA it doesn't distract from the fact you have a disabling condition and need help. Although I don't work for the DWP, I do work within the benefits system, on the forms people tend to mention the medical problems more than how they actually affect their mobility etc. As someone else said, penpushers lol, not quite but they do use a points scoring system and that determines your eligibility These people at Money Matters etc are experts, I even sought advice myself before completing the forms and as I say I work in the system! I would defo take this up now with one of said agencies, don't wait until your appointment. Best to get help now, these people can be very busy and you might need to wait for an appointment.

in response i agree with what you are saying that we tend to focus on the medical not the mobility well i try and not think of my self being disabled as i have a pair of arms and a pair of legs and i can do some things for my self and that was what my interpertation of a disabled person was until i was told different by my consultant because of this condition i am not as mobile as i would like to be i dont make it a big drama and as for thedwp as u said thay use a points scoring system what that has cheered me up more to know that that my condition comes under a points scheme what happened to listening to what people are saying!!or writing what people are trying to say with out having to make it a drama we do still have a little bit of intergity well i hope i do

sarahbenn

hi there i applied also for dla last year and was also refused i never appealed against the decision as i didnt think it would be worth my while but after reading all these comments i might have to have a rethink

mandy_b1967

denpen wrote:

Hi
I filled in my application for DLA last week and I found that my problem is admitting that I have a problem doing the most basic things, so I expect that I will get refused. Why is the system so against genuine people. If the "pen pushers" could only feel a fraction off the pain that we feel I am sure that we wouldnt get knocked back on the most basic things.
Denise.

This is exactly what I think I do try to do everything as I used to do some days are harder than others. But I now Have to ask for help. This morning started quite a good day but I think I did too much feeling well and now I am in pain. I definalty need to learn to pace myself more. When everyone is back to normal, (because of the bad weather) hopefully tomorrow, I will ring the CAB and make an appointment for help I might also see the lady in the local job centre that deals with DLA. thanks for all the help and advice.
Mandy

nearlybionic

hi
I have received a letter from DWP today regarding my DLA. They have asked my consultant for a report, which is fine but this one has only seen me once for 15 mins or so. He will be doing my 1st surgery and said I would be referred elsewhere for 2nd op. He knows what my medical problems are but not how this affects my day to day life!
I will have to wait and see.
NB

airwave

denpen wrote:

Hi
I filled in my application for DLA last week and I found that my problem is admitting that I have a problem doing the most basic things, so I expect that I will get refused. Why is the system so against genuine people. If the "pen pushers" could only feel a fraction off the pain that we feel I am sure that we wouldnt get knocked back on the most basic things.
Denise.

Hi Denise,
I filled in the dla form after a bad bout, but I, like you, held back on the information thinking how silly it was that a man like me couldn't always cope, I wrote down that I wasn't as bad as I am and I was awarded it(?)! Things have since gone downhill, up a touch and down again and changes on a daily basis.

It isn't personal, the response you get from these agencies, they don't know you from a fig tree at the end of the road, they are just doing a job. Try having a chat with your doctor.

The system as it is, is done at arms length by a pen pusher who ticks boxes for a living, not a very humanistic approach to a life altering problem is it? But thats what we get from this government.

8) Its a grin, honest!