DLA Appeal

[cazza3770]

I have been on mid rate care low rate mobility indefinate since 2004, my condition has got gradually worse and am needing lots more care with stuff i didnt need help with before. On advice from the people who help me on a day to day basis, i notified dla my care needs had increased i filled out a new dla claim form. After 11 week my decision came my care component had gone down to low rate (joke) i appealed by phone. Another 8 week wait the decision is still the same! Their reasons do not coincide with my claim form wotsoever saying i dont need help bathing, i dont need help during the night getting in/out of bed moving changing position, i dont need help with my medication, im not at risk of harming myself the list is endless, all of these reason are clearly in my form that i do need help with, i self harm quite bad i have took over doses i do need supervision, they say im not at risk of falling, i fell in my own garden just last week hit my head ! So many things im just not believing have they actually bothered reading my form how can my rate go down to low rate when it is so clear since my last claim i have become much much worse and needing a lot more care and more so during the night now too, im losing the wil to fight these people its making my illness worse i feel like hiding away taking my meds all in one go and going to sleep ive had enough.

[Dixiesdaughter]

Hi Cazza what a shity time most of us on here are having with Dla Esa and other assorted benefits. I can understand your dispair but please dont let the system grind you down, your life is worth so much more. There is plenty of support & advice on here either through others who have been through similar or via admin who will provide you with links to websites which will give you all the help you need to prepare an appeal. If you would prefere 'real' face to face help there should be a local citizens advice in your town.

Im just about to lauch my own appeal against a DLA decision so I know exactly how you feel the anxiety, the rage at the unfairness of a system which is meant to help, but in reality which demeans and devalues people with so called hidden conditions, the complete feelings of hopelessness and dispair.

You are not alone in this fight please remember theres people on here going throught the very same situation and we can all be a virtual support for each other. Feel free to msg me anytime you need to let of steam x Dont give up x take care of you x Dixie

[julieevh]

Keep apealing -they do it on purpose to see if you can be bothered to fight for the money you are entitled to. Good luck and don't forget to get a copy of the Benefits and work helpsheets from admin as they are invaluable in arguing your way through the maze.

Good luck

Julie xx

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hi to you and so very sorry they have taken that desosio itis awful that they have left you in such a state too i really think you should go and se your GP as soon as possible and discuss with them how youare feeling and why you are feeling ike this it is not right that you are wanting to just shut your eyes and not wake up you should not have been put in this position so please go and see your GP maybe they can help you

please keep us all informed and i totally agree i think they get so many forms they dont bother to read them all or they just skim through them which is disgustig as people like you are the ones that suffer you take care love to you xxx

[sadoldred]

Hi Cazza. Right you must appeal and never give up, thats what they want everyone to do. It makes their life easier. Make an appointment with your MP and ask for his help. Go for advise from the Welfare rights people or CAB. We are all here to support you so Do NOT give up. Sending you a gentle Hug x

[ithurts]

im still waiting for them to decide with my form and have had a lot of help from our local cab office they told me if they refuse my payment to go back to cab and keep appealing i think it is such a farce when gp and specialist have diagnosed fybromyalgia ib diverticulitus ashma underactive thyroid the list goes on apparently the people who look at the forms are a french firm the goverment have empoyed so it looks good when they say how many are off the sick list we must keep fighting what is legaly our money that we are entitled to x

[Claregilchrist]

Please fight them and keep appealing. I wanted to give up but lovely people on here bucked me up and I continued the fight, though it did take a few months. Worth it in the end as DLA reinstated now. Had to go through an awful time for it but please persevere. xxxx

[hamble99b]

the same happened to me.I lost any dla. Like julie said get the benefit and work booklet. get written support from those who help you, your gp and any other consultants and health providers. I got mine back. good luck and pm me if you need me.

regards, sandra

[sharonissexy]

As i've said before i think that they don't bother to even look at the forms!!! Like yours mine was completely contracdictory to what i had told them, saying that i could do things like sleep comfortably when i had told them that i couldn't and that i need a lot of help during the night.

You could try and do what i did, as you've got nothing to lose, send them an itemised letter stating what they say you can do i.e they say you don't need help bathing FALSE you told them that you do need help.

I even started the letter by saying "that by your letter, i can only assume that you didn't even bother to look at it". I know that it might not have sounded polite, but i was fuming!!!! Within about a week they rang me, asking if i would like them to look at my case again or would i like to appeal, told them that i wanted them to look at it again. After a dr coming to my house to assess me about another 2 weeks later, I heard from them not long after saying that they had reviewed my case and had decided that i needed the higher rates in both areas!!!!

What ever you decide to do I wish you all the best and don't let the b*****ds get you down.

gentle hugs

sharon xxxx

[cazza3770]

Thank you all of you for your support i have been in touch now with welfare rights who are going to fight this on my behalf firstly by asking them to revise their decision and if that doesnt work then we will go to tribunerul. Sharon i am going also to do what you said send a letter back pointing out where they think i didnt need help and what i actually put in my form and ask them if its possible to read it this time! Its just so frustrating that you cant speak to the person making these decisions and go through the form with them it would cut out so much of all this messing around. Im feeling a little more positive today just been in a complete rut since i told them back in April my condition and become worse my meds had changed or increased and the help i needed had also increased, as they do state if anything changes you must notify them i just didnt think the outcome would be that they lower my rate! Ive got nothing to lose so with support from friends, family and you guys im gonna fight! Thank you so much big hugs xxx

[deelightful]

Go to this site, sign up for a year just a few pounds, it will not be a waste of money, there you will find all the help you need to deal with the DLA ..benefitsandwork.co.uk/

Follow their advise, it works. If has helped me on more the one occasion. The best advise I followed, took a lot of stress out of fighting the appeal process.