Utter disgust with the benefits office

I'm so sorry that you are feeling at the end of your rope. I hope your letter wins you some support -and soon! Sending you love xx

Hiya Dryad.

Thankyou very much for your kind words. Jeff

Jeff,,So sorry to read this,,it is truely disgusting what we are put through!This goverment keeps the dregs of society well..whilst us,,the people that need the real help are ignored and made to feel worthless;

Please remeber nothing comes easy and we have to make sure we are equipped to fight these people as far as we can,,i do hope your letter is listened too.

I also have my Appeal (Tribunal)comong up in court this summer..the date i don't know yet just a letter telling me where it wil be!I will probably be refused too,,but i will fight all the way! Jeff..Don't let the tossers get you down..you are better than some of the useless people sat at a bench making these decisions when they know nothing of your daily struggles.

Keep your chin up and fight! (((hugs))) x

Oh cheers Jinny it's great to hear words of support from people who don't know me , but understand my issues.

I have already recieved an e-mail from the MP's surgery saying that she will write to the benefits office on my behalf, so like you say "chin up".

I sincearly hope that your appeal goes well? But just a word of caution when you are there, don't hold back any detail and don't allow them to dictate the pace of proceedings because they are very cunning and tend to skip over important issues and refer to your original claim pack. What Im saying is, tell them everything with losts of detail, don't be affraid of repeating yourself. One word answers are not helpful for you. Make sure that if you want to talk that you do just that and ignore them butting in to change the subject.

It would be interesting to hear back from you when you know your decision?

Jeff

jeffmoz50@hotmail.com

Thanks Jeff,i certainly will keep all informed on how i get on,,just waiting for a date!

Please stay strong and remember,,these people who make these decisions are just there to do a job and nothing personal!Keep fighting..speak soon.

It so disgusting I know exactly how you feel I worked till three years ago and was had my benifit stopped in April was told my partner can keep me could job I have understanding partner

I haven't fortunatly as yet had to go down the benifit route, but am so sorry to hear that you have had to resort to contacting your MP to get what you are entitled to. Hope they can help fight your case, keep going and fighting

I had my dla and therefore wtc stopped 12 months ago at renewal time due to my ability to work 16hrs a week. It has taken me 6 years of blood, sweat & tears to get back to 16hrs a week, If I could work more hours I would, as I'm sure all of us would if we weren't so exhausted, busy fighting our own bodies! As I don't get dla anymore I cannot qualify for wtc unless I'm working more than 30 hrs a week - it's a catch 22 situation - if I try to work more hours I end up in hospital and have to give up work altogether again....what does this government expect us to do? That has halved my monthly income instantly and am close to losing my only possession, my house, as struggling to pay mortgage. have had one failed dla tribunal and awaiting date for second (26 week wait at the moment).....I didn't have any representation as the charity who were helping with my case had to cut back due to loss of funding. All this achieves is alienating us further and literally making us ill......So I really do sympathise with you.

I really do hope that you have success with your MP Jeff, keep us updated please!

Thanx for your comments Welshexile, you are so right in what you say.

I don't know how but I hope your situation does improve. And yes I will post updates as and when.

Jeff

hi jeff

I can Sympathies with your Situation .

we have all been there.

your right the benifits are hard to understand. Got to CAB (Citizen advice )

you think its the only way out.

Get angry and fight.

don't give in, life is what you make it,

you only have 1 go.

good luck

marie xx

My sympathies are with you, I am awaiting an appeal date at the moment as I was also turned down for DLA, not looking forward to it, hate talking to people about this god awful illness, especially when you know they just dont understand. Hope you eventually get what you are definitely entitled to, what is wrong with this bloody country at the moment, genuine people are being turned down all over the place and being told they can work, I have taken ill health retirement cos I could not carry on but DWP think I should work and am fit enough to do so.

ITS MAD

X

Hi, Jeff. Please do not do anything other people will regret. I am feeling everything you are and more. I am a mum to 5 year old twin boys and only came out with SLE after an infection caused by the C-Section. I am not the mum that I always hoped I could be due to the problems with SLE. We have had to move due to my health and this has affected my boys and my husband. I went from working to sleeping and basically surviving for my family. We have been through the same problems with the dss and not having money etc. I have not done anything because I know that whatever my difficulties are that my boys and Husband and my family etc will be worse for my not being with them.

Please send this e-mail to a national newspaper and maybe then you will get some help.

Please believe that people are thinking about you and hoping that everything works out and that more than half of all people that ask for DLA are now turned down first time to try and stop the scroungers. Unfortunately it now has people like us being turned down for what we really need.

I would also suggest you print your e-mail and take it to your doctor as he can appeal on your behalf.

Best wishes and my thoughts and if you want them my prayers are with you.

Best wishes Helen

Hi Jeff, so sorry to hear you were treated so badly by the DSS. Next time you make a claim you need to get in touch with the local Welfare Rights Officer to help you fill in your claim form and to go to the tribunal for you. I was refused DLA the first time I applied because my doctor only wrote down what the hospital consultant had written and he did not expand. When I appealed I told the Welfare Rights Officer to get in touch with the consultant's secretary for her to get my consultant to send a detailed report of my condition and how it affects me in my daily life.

I have lupus SLE and it has damaged my lungs and I was turned down before I was given DLA so please do not give up.

Get in touch with your local council or social worker for the phone number for the welfare rights officer or equivalent person.

Blessings

Maureen x

A big thanyou to you all who replied to my post with encouraging and kind words.

Jeff

I to have had my application for dla turned down! I have sle and psoriac arthritis. I have a blue badge and registered disabled. My first claim came back as I wasn't entitled to any level of dla even though they agreed I mobility issues, it has gone to tribunal once and was adjourned for further evidence. My lupus has affected my brain and gives me frequent mini strokes, I can walk just very slowly and very wobbly as my brain dosent tell my left leg to lift so it drags. My hands don't work to good either and I'm unable to hold a pen, I have nerve damage down my right side and still I'm waiting for them to agree that I am actually disabled and not somebody who's decided she has nothing better to do than fill in endless forms. My first claim went in in march 2011 and my tribunal date was march 2012 and seems because it was adjourned I'm back at the end of the list for a 2nd hearing date! If I speak to them they just say 'oh well it will be back dated to the date of my original claim' this is all very well but don't they realise I still have to live in these 18 months whilst they are deciding on it!

Good luck with yours hopefully they'll see sence in tHe end for you x

When my husband appealed we contacted our council and spoke to the welfare officer,he was brilliant! Came to our home,went over things,filled in the appeal papers and attended the tribunal and WON it for him.

Not sure if all councils have these officers,but worth looking into.

Good luck everyone (not that we should be going through all this,the illnesses are enough!)

As I'm feeling really rotten today, I thought I'd read a few blogs, as it usually cheers me up.....instead I'm in tears, realising how uncaring our "Social Welfare" is here in UK! My heart goes out to all of you above, who are having such an unfair battle with the Benefits people.

I retired 2 years early, and my GP wrote a detailed letter to the DLA people (2nd appeal...). How I would have managed on my own, on just the State Pension, I just do not know - fortunately I married a very dear friend in 2007 and he has saved me from "going under". I miss my job heaps, because the people I worked with were great, and we had some laughs and it eased the tension when we were "up to our eyes" in workload. (This was in a really busy Pharmacy).

Jeff - do you have an "enlightened" GP? (i.e. one who doesn't treat you like a hypochondriac). If not, change to another one! Your GP is your greatest ally - especially if you live alone. They now have even more "clout" - so a letter from them WILL reinforce your case. Same with Consultant - there are some AutoImmune specialists out there, who are more "clued up" about Lupus than many Rheumatologists - and you don't necessarily have to be referred in your immediate area these days. (Any travel expenses for medical reasons ought to be covered by DSS, but am not absolutely sure about this...).

Good luck to all of you in your ongoing battle!