help on filling in uc50 with fibromyalgia

[lunabambi]

hi everyone i hope you’re doing well, i’ve never had benefits before & this is all so new to me, i was sent the uc50 2 weeks ago & have barely started it as i’ve had extreme anxiety & fibro fog, i’m getting more & more anxious because i only have 8 days to send it off but i just cannot seem to word what i need to explain on my health issues & filling in the form in general. please help me, i’m stuck on how to list & explain my health problems best, do i just list all my health issues & the symptoms only, or do i have to go in great detail on how it affects my everyday life? there are so many symptoms i go through everyday it’s making me anxious to think about trying to explain these things well enough for them to understand. i’m also finding difficulty with the walking and lifting questions, i barely leave the house & when i do i barely walk 10 minutes, during that i’m breathless exhausted and in pain. does that mean i can walk 50-100m or not? when my nerve pain & fibro is at its worst it’s difficult for me to brush my teeth for example as my neck & hands is completely stiff and sore, what do i put for being able to lift things? i’m just so very confused & worried that if my assessment is when i’m having a better day they will think i’m lying or something. please help me i’m really struggling and just can’t get started, thank you & hope you are having a good day

[Della30]

Complete the forms as your worst days. So if you can’t do things on your worst days that is what you put down. Hope this helps

[lunabambi in reply to Della30]

thank you !

[Tim61]

Hello Lunabambi Try not to get yourself to worked up about filling in the form , I know from my own experience that’s easy to say but harder to do .

I don’t know if your on line but there’s organisations that can help you with filling in the form ; such as the 1/Citizens Advice Bureau ; 2/ A fantastic online group called Benefits & Work, who have help & actual guides to filling in all benefit forms in the UK; 3/ If you live in social housing, the different housing associations , usually have a Welfare advice officer who may be-able to help. 4/ Also other Welfare advice groups that may help you.

Della30 gives really good advice in saying fill the form in as if it’s your worst day.

Hope something here is helpful, try not to keep putting it off filling in the form it will only make you feel worse.

Having your GPs support is also helpful they can back up what you’ve written on the form .

[lunabambi in reply to Tim61]

thank you so much for taking the time to reply to me i really appreciate it 🤍

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Contact our benefits team on 0300 999 0055 (Mon, Wed, Fri 10.00-12.00) or email [e-mail] abs they can send you guidelines on completing the form

Be honest about how your symptoms affect you - starting only how you are on your worst day actually goes against you and could potentially lead to you being accused of fraud

You should state how you are on an average day /majority of the time, and also how you are on a worse day

As an example, most days I am able to get out of bed, dressed and leave the house. If I was only to write about my worst day, I would not be able to get out of bed, would not get dressed or leave the house.

[Tim61 in reply to Hazel_Angelstar]

I apologise for giving Lunabambi mis-information, & am pleased you have corrected it. I was surprised when Lunabambi had not had any replies to her question. I have a long -term disability

so my circumstances, like everyone’s differ.

[lunabambi in reply to Hazel_Angelstar]

i see that’s really helpful thank you, so i should start off with what it’s like for me the majority of the time, & then specify what it’s like on a good day & a bad day?

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff in reply to lunabambi]

Yes, although I would suggest using better days rather than good days

[Elaine200756 in reply to lunabambi]

Please put that on the days when you can do these things, it takes you twice (3 times or however long) as long as others to get up, get washed and dressed etc. This will give you points too. I wish you success lunabambi 🤗

[lunabambi in reply to Elaine200756]

that’s so helpful to know thank you so much Elaine 😊!! that’s so kind of you, wish you all the best too, big hugs 🤗🤍

[Elaine200756 in reply to lunabambi]

My pleasure lunabambi. Big hugs 🤗

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff]

Not a problem, and the information to use your worst day is widely shared whenever this question is asked. However, the guidance shared by our benefits team (who are cab/benefits trained) is that this can lead to you losing a valid award, especially when you say you cannot do anything at all - which may be accurate for your worst days but not for everyday

Our benefits team can provide guidelines on completing the form and also diary templates to show an average week for you.

[lunabambi in reply to Hazel_Angelstar]

yeah i’ve often seen people say to explain your worst days too. the answers i’ve drafted mainly describe my worst days so that’s a little disheartening to hear but at least i know now, thank you for telling me! it’s rare i leave the house because of fibro & anxiety + depression & when i do i’m usually anxious & in pain but am so used to it & also very good at hiding it in front of other people because i hate to be a burden but i am worried my assessor will think i seem fine etc :/ just me & my overthinking 😭

[Hazel_Angelstar Administrator FMA UK Staff in reply to lunabambi]

It can be so difficult to explain fully what it's like when the condition fluctuates so much. I think we all try and hide the real impact it has xxx