anyone on here from northern ireland

[shaz66]

[Hidden]

Hi Shazz66

I am Jackie & I am from Belfast.

If I can be of any help or if you just want to talk give me a shout on here. Its good to talk to someone from home.

Jackie

[lee_smith12]

Hi shazz66

I'm Lee I'm from Carrickfergus. Any help or questions u have just ask and hi to you as well jusjac

Lee

[nanaanna]

Hi shazz66, I live in lisburn. If ur on fb add me Michele Mullan and profile pic is my wee grandson. Feel free 2 talk anytime x

[Hidden]

Hello Shaz,

I live in Dunmurry, near Lisburn, dont go on here too much as not feeling too great but do look over it occassionally, best wishes Claire

[Hidden]

Hi Claire, Michele, Lee

I live in Finaghy, not far from Claire *waves*

If anyone wants to chat please feel free to leave a message. Its good to talk to someone from home.

Hugs

Jackie

[Hidden in reply to Hidden]

Hello Jackie,

Just saw that post now, I live in Poleglass actually burough of Lisburn, so we do live relatively close, take care anyway best wishes Claire xxx

[shaz66]

hi all i live in downpatrick good to know u are all on here do any of you get esa and/or dla ive just sent my forms away for dla and im on the assessment payment of esa is it as hard to get esa here as in england havent went for a medical yet how long does it take to find out about it hugs shaz xxx

[lizzyboo]

Hi Shaz I live in Craigavon . I had my assessment for Esa got no points at all and have appealed but haven't heard anything from them yet . I had to send a sick line for 12 weeks about 6 weeks ago and I was getting incapacity benefit before and £30 pounds a week less is hard to get used to. I hate all this guilt and paranoia that seems to come as part of the whole horrible shambles.

[Hidden]

Here's some info about a support group in Northern Ireland some of you may be interested in if you are close enough -

fibroaction.org/pages/North...

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I was awarded Esa with the support element, from September last, and was brought in again (thought it was too early to be) in February two weeks after being diagnosed with 18 points by a rheumy in the Royal Hospital, and got the support element off me, because I think I didnt go on too much about all of my other life term illnesses, as I was told that Fibro is an extremely debilitating illness that I would have for the rest of my life, I thought there was no way I'd have the support element taken off me, but I was wrong , and I have applied twice for Dla got knocked back twice the dla examining doctor that came out to my house said I was very ill, but told some lies to the dwp, I'm now appealing, havent read the all the report they sent back to me yet as I'm suffering with my thyroid which gives me dreadful headaches (and I've sore eyes with it), I left it with my local representative to look over and I'm seeing him on Monday,.

One thing I can tell you about the report was the panel wanted to give me the lower element of dla, but one of them disagreed and didnt want me to have it, thats what they wrote on my form, could you believe it?

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Hi Claire,

Sorry to hear what you are going through. It best if you have a representative working for you. I think that N.I. are now being treated in the same way as England. I was called in again (3rd) time fore assessment & was awarded zero points. I am now waiting on a date for my Tribunal. I have a guy working for me who is putting a report together to put into the Tribunal. I am worried sick about the whole thing. I got a copy back from the assessment on their findings & its all lies. So the guy who is working for me on my Trubunal is trying to prove them wrong. Its all so hard. I'm also lead to believe that if you do win your appeal your called back every 6 months.

The only advice I can give you is dont fill your forms in yourself, get someone like CAB or even better SF to fill them in as the questions are very repettitive & asked in a different way each time. Same goes for your DLA love. Its a battle we have to fight to get what we are entitled to. Where are we supposed to get the jobs which can facilitate us with our needs & we are all different in how it effects us.

Someone told me that Fibro us now a recocgnised illness & this was said by Chris Grayling who was the Health Secretary at the time.

Goods luck.

Hugs

Jackie