Allowances/benefits

[JAYAYEWHYY8]

I have an ICD and would like to know if there are any allowances or benefits I can claim to help me. I work full time but would like to know if there's anything that can be done in order to get some sort of help.

Any advice?

[Lezzers]

Unfortunately just having an ICD wouldn't automatically entitle you to any benefits. Any benefit entitlement will be because of how your medical condition affects you & how you go about your daily life. Maybe contact citizens advice as they'll be able to give you guidance on what benefits you could apply for.

Good luck

[JAYAYEWHYY8 in reply to Lezzers]

Thank you! I will contact citizens advice and see what they say about this because my condition does affect my day to day life

[Lezzers in reply to JAYAYEWHYY8]

Without any details of your medical condition it's difficult to advise as we don't know how your life is affected. But bearing in mind there are footballers still playing international football who have an ICD, having the device itself won't be a reason for any benefits to be awarded.

Good luck, I hope the CA are able to help you.

[MichaelJH Heart Star]

Once you reach retirement age you have to apply for AA (Attendance Allowance) rather than PIP. If you are already on PIP you continue with it. I was told last year I was entitled to AA and so applied. I was refused despite struggling daily since my lower left leg was amputated. To get PIP the underlying condition that required the ICD needs to be having a negative effect on your life.

[Lezzers in reply to MichaelJH]

Michael did you appeal?

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Lezzers]

No, but I going to reapply. Might approach CAB for help. Another charity was unhelpful!

[Lezzers in reply to MichaelJH]

Or you could try AgeUK, they're very helpful but very busy, if you contact them they'll arrange for one of their benefits people to contact you back. Also, when you reapply send the benefits office copies of your relevant medical records as that will really help. It's shocking that you were refused it, were you ever given a reason for the refusal?

[MichaelJH Heart Star in reply to Lezzers]

I can wash and dress myself!

[Lezzers in reply to MichaelJH]

Wow! That's a harsh decision! Definitely go for it again

[Qualipop in reply to MichaelJH]

Have a look at the Benefits and Work website rather than CAB.

[MRSDJW in reply to MichaelJH]

Hi Michael. You need to appeal and take it to tribunal!! My life daily living & mobility are effected everyday. I won my case and was backdated a year. Good luck

[Bingo88 in reply to MichaelJH]

That's absolutely disgusting. Surely they can see if not Imagine how your daily routine is so different after loosing a leg. I hope you do try again and keep appealing until they see common sense. I applied for A.A with copd, Asthma and ckd. And lived on my own and did everything for myself and got turned down. Hope you have more luck next time. Brian

[Qualipop in reply to Bingo88]

Refusal is quite normal. They do it so some people will just give up. you MUST appeal and if necessary go to tribunal. I was on disability allowance for years but they only ever allowed it for 2 years at a time. May times when I tried to renew it I got turned down. Over the years I went to 7 tribunals and won them all. It was only when I reached almost 60 that they finally accepted I wasn't going to get any better.

[Bingo88 in reply to Qualipop]

Well done you. Its really disgusting because they should realise that once your on a benefit 99% of people are not going to be better in 2 years. I am going to apply again. Thank you. Brian

[Qualipop in reply to Bingo88]

Do get advice on filling in the forms. Yes/No answers are useless. ALthough there's a small charge, it really is worth joining the Benefits and Work website to read all the advice. Whenever I ran out of space in the boxes I added extra on separate sheets. I had 11 extra sheets of information, all cross referenced back to the original question plus two pages of consultants details. They place great emphasis on whether you have tied doing things using aids. If you've tried them and they didn't work, say so. Remember it says can you do things repeatedly, safely and without pain. A friend when applying for attendance allowance for her mum replied to "Can she get upstairs to bed, just said yes. She failed to say that her husband lifted each foot up onto her next step while her daughter pulled her up. Explain, explain explain.

[Bingo88 in reply to Qualipop]

Thanks for the information. Brian

[Marymara in reply to MichaelJH]

You must apply again, it depends how you fill the form in,

[Blackknight57]

like many other illnesses unless you are on deaths door you wont get b all.

[fishonabike in reply to Blackknight57]

although it may seem that way it is not strictly trueI am one of the many who has successfully applied for PIP - but a big hurdle is understanding how to word your application and what information to include - getting the right help with this and putting a lot of preparation into the application are crucial - but just that can be a mountain to climb for many people

[Blackknight57 in reply to fishonabike]

Well lucky you. And remember if you lie on these forms and found out that you are fit for work you get a record for benefit fraud.

My daughter has mental issues and fibromyalgia gets sweet ba

[Qualipop in reply to Blackknight57]

Have you used eh Benefits and Work website when you applied? I used to get disability allowance for fibromyalgia. It depends on just how badly it affects you and how you word the application.

[fishonabike in reply to Blackknight57]

there are lies and there is telling the truth in the way which shows that you are well within the qualifying criteria - knowing the criteria is vital so that you can make sure that your responses show how you meet them

this is where is is helpful to get support and guidance from the voluntary organistations which provided

many people feel that just laying out the facts is enough, sadly it is not

i don't know when your daughter applied but, if she did not get support and guidance at the time, i would recommend trying again after getting that

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Blackknight57]

Like fishonabike I also successfully applied for a PIP. I have enhanced for both sections indefinitely. I wasn't easy. I had an angina attack during my assessment. I sent in lots of supporting documents. I am admitted to hospital several times a year for 10 days or more.

My rarer type of angina can only be treated by medication which doesn't really help me much.

I got help. I used this organisation, it was well worth paying the small fee they charge.

benefitsandwork.co.uk/

[Blackknight57 in reply to Milkfairy]

I applied for attendance allowance. Retired version of pip. I didn’t reach the criteria for it or a blue badge.

I am at risk for cardiac arrest. .

They seem to concentrate on how far you can walk. And totally ignore everything else.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Blackknight57]

I agree, it's an unfair system.

I was initially refused a Blue Badge.

I can walk, however, I experience chestpain later at rest as a result of walking which is covered.

This criteria is tucked away in the "Guidance to local authorities on assessing eligibility of concessionary bus travel'

I have attached a picture of the information from the Government guidance document.

gov.uk/government/publicati...

Here's the guidance

[Blackknight57 in reply to Milkfairy]

unfortunately local authories don’t list many of these

Page 1 criteria

[Blackknight57 in reply to Blackknight57]

I don’t think I fall into any of the previous or this one

Criteria page 2

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Blackknight57]

I dont fit into any of those criteria either, however the Transport Act 2000 considers if the effort of walking causes pain or deterioration of your condition you're covered.

Most councils don't seem to follow the government guidelines.

I contacted my local Councillor, appealed, quoted the guidelines and was then given a Blue Badge.

[GFFF]

try the website “Entitled to “ benefits checker

You put in your specific circumstances and it will give you an idea of what you “ might” be able to claim for

entitledto.co.uk/

[lindainglis]

My husband gets pip it is worth applying he has ICD fitted just make sure you send them all the information they need to assess you , it might take a while ,to get a answer but if do try you do not get good luck .

[bwiltshi]

I have volunteered part time as a Citizens Advice advisor for coming up 12 years.The bulk of the cases I deal with are disability benefit applications and appeals.

The most common misapprehension amongst applicants is the mistaken belief that conditions justify benefits. Whether it be PIP or Attendance Allowance, or ESA.

So many times people are told by health workers, friends, social workers etc they should get PIP, Attendance Allowance etc, without really knowing how it works. This often raises expectations unrealistically.

As so many others have said, it is all about how your health conditions affect you in your life, and not your health conditions themselves. For example having multiple sclerosis, heart failure, non terminal cancer etc, however serious these may sound, do not in themselves entitle the sufferers to benefits. If there is a supportable and logical reason you can't complete daily tasks, safely and reliably to an acceptable standard without help, prompting, supervision or aids, then you may score sufficient points to be awarded PIP for example. I am often advising people who have a far less scary list of health conditions than I have, and probably more capability, yet I am absolutely certain I am a long way off the threshold for an Attendance Allowance award. Thank goodness, yet I have heart failure, a list of cardio impediments (I can't spell), including a box of tricks under my collar bone (CRTD), arthritis all over the place, asthma and possibly a few more.

I don't blame people for wanting extra money, but I so often sit with people with mental or physical conditions who have in reality very little substance to their claim, and it is quite excruciating trying to navigate the medical questionnaires to produce a credible submission.

I at Citizens Advice and others can help, and will make the best case for you, and help you navigate the terminology and maximise your point scoring. The DWP decision makers are the gate keepers to benefits and they quite rightly refuse many applicants and protect the taxpayer funded public purse from an onslought of applicants. They get it often get it wrong (both ways), it is a very difficult job, but while the system is flawed, I can't see an obvious, well controlled alternative. We are probably all taxpayers and the last thing we want is a free for all. Governments of all shades need to have systems in place and even though the "bad" Tories have gone I see little change ahead.

[Carealot in reply to bwiltshi]

Your post was really informative and provides a reality check. This is a system that is so very abused and I believe that applications should always be closely scrutinised. I believe that people who passionately and genuinely believe they have been wrongly turned down will know in their heart that a bad decision has been made (possibly by an inexperienced caseworker) and will appeal if they feel they have the evidence to substantiate their claim under closer scrutiny. We know that while far too many applications are wrongly rejected, a similar number of applicants will be chancers.

[Jedi14 in reply to bwiltshi]

Hello bwiltshi, I think I have put myself into an aukward situation. Ihave disabled daughter who gets DLA and EESA benefits. The problem started when her account exceeded the £ 6000 limit. During annual public guardian audit, it was pointed out to inform DWP, which I did, they asked for bank reciepts, which I sent.

Recently becoming a "hearty", I had started to look at my daughters accounts and found that proper deductions had not been made from daughters account. That's why it was showing >6000. How should I proceed now!

[bwiltshi in reply to Jedi14]

DLA is not means tested, and is entirely unaffected by income, savings or investments etc. I cannot advise on specifics, and cannot do so on the basis of being a Citizens Advice advisor. To get that you would need to contact your local office or CA advice line.

But I would say just give them the facts and it will be sorted. If the deductions are genuine and justifiable, then advise DWP accordingly. If it is deemed your daughter's capital is being eroded purely with the aim of increasing her benefits then that can be treated as deprivation of capital, and her capital will be treated as if it's still there.

Generally speaking I would always say be straight and reasonable.

[Jedi14 in reply to bwiltshi]

Ok Thanks.

[Blackknight57]

im my case its because my pattner and i have a lot if savings.

I know if a case where the interview was taken in the local job centre. The person in question had a blue badge but was able to walk from the car parked outside to ghe office.

Their claim was instantly dismissed because they didnt need to stop between the car and the office.

Imo

Frankly this is the attitude of a Tory run government department .

Its going to take time for the labour government to undo what their predecessors have done.

[Jedi14 in reply to Blackknight57]

I think you will find the mobility qualifying criteria are well established by/during previous labour/conservative governments and unlikely to change.

[Bramble2000]

I very much doubt it. Benefits are based on your ability to do certain tasks which you can look up and are called descriptors. People get PIP if they are unable to do daily tasks and require help to do them.

[fishonabike]

there is more to it than that though - and this is the bit they don't emphasise inthe paperwork, but advisory organisations dotell you: you must be able to do the activity safely, regularly, repeatedly and in a timely manner (all 4, not 1 0r 3 out of 3) - if you can't you need to explain why and what happens if you try - e.g. you can walk 2 yrds, but only once a day, because it causes pain which it takes hours to get over ( or whatever)

so if you only tick the box that you can walk 2 yds they don't know the rest so you don't qualify - you must tell them the background too as this is particularly important if it goes to appeal, asi had to once

[MRSDJW]

hi. If you were working and you were unable to work after your procedure then you can look into ESA