is there any financial help i can claim for

[helen3d]

hi i was recently diagnosed with lupus im having quite a tough time of it as i know a lot of people do my husband (well he will be in 3 weeks) has gone self employed so he is avalible for my hospital appointments ect which is ok but not really bringing in enough money. i was wondering if there was anything i could claim as i cant see me working anytime soon and to be honest if i was an employer i wouldnt employ me as i would be far to unrealiable i get more bad days than good

if anyone could give me any advice on this i would be most grateful

thankyou helen

[Trace]

Hi Helen, have you claimed EAS yet? if not, go to your local job centre & tell them that you want to make a claim.

The next step after that is disabled living allowance (DLA), it's not automatically awarded, it takes a lot of fight, (they want you to give up), it has taken me about 20 months to get awarded higher rate mobility & middle rate carer allowance. Claiming both of these things will involve a medical & form filling in. The DLA form is difficult because none of us like to admit we cant cope but the best advice I can give you is to fill it in as tho your having your worse day, dont make out that its better than it is, also, with DLA you'll probably end up at a tribunal, go to it, do not let it deter you, be yourself & let them see how your struggling.

I don't know if you rent your house or own it but if you rent I think you can get housing benefit.

I hope I haven't detered you, I don't believe in not being honest & if you ever think, it's not worth it or you'll never qualify for it, pleases remember that I got awarded it albeit after a long fight, they also back date it to the date you filled in the form so do it soon.

I hope this has helped & not put you off

Best Wishes Trace

[sharonsimmonds in reply to Trace]

can you explain what eas is i dont know if i could qualify for this as already get dla high and middle rate sharonx

[Trace in reply to sharonsimmonds]

Hi Sharon, EAS is Employment & Support, it replaced (I think) incapacity benefit, it is the same amount of money as jobseekers without having to sign on or look for work.

It's worth trying for, I got this first & still do but now I also get DLA, mobility higher rate & carers middle rate & this does not affect EAS as it comes from a different department of benefits agency.

If you qualify, you may be asked to attend a medical but as you already recieve DLA, you shouldn't have any problems failing it.

Good luck Sharon xx

[NatashaW]

I agree try for DLA. It took me 2 years to get it and a medical and tribunal but I did eventually win! It takes time and you do have to write the form as if you're at your worst so they're aware of how difficult life can be for you. Good luck. x

[Bal121]

Hi helen you are going to be on a journey where people at work will never understand, as i went through that, i have had lupus for about 10-11 years and i did not know what to do, i worked and was off sick quiet abit at times for 6-12months at time, my GP was very good and my union rep, i work in a hospital i am a nurse. I did not claim anything for many years as i was not aware that you could until last year i was very ill i ended up in hospital fighting for my life i was in hospital for 3months, when i came out i could not do anything for my self, my son looked after me. After a year and half i have just gone back to work, when in hospital the nurse adivse me to claim DLA. I am so lucky i filled in the form with a help of a friend, i got high rate straight away, the form is long and a lot of information to fill in, get help when you do it, and always fill it in as if you are having one of the worse days because you will get more bad days than good. You are not telling them lies because you know what it is like when your unwell, people only see the outer shell of a perdon and oh you look well but they dont see the suffering you have inside.

Dont delay it fill the form in and wait as it takes 3months for them to reply to you as they have to gather all the medical reports form GP,Hospital. Dont give up keep trying as i know quiet a few people who have SLE have been awarded DLA. Good luck............

[Hidden in reply to Bal121]

Hi, I tried to get assistance but wa told cos I still work full time - tough! It upsets me cos I could do with help with housework and also with school dinners for kids just to help me out but not sure where to turn? Plus, need rails fitting in bathroom etc but no assistance..................any advice?

[birdladynb]

If anyone in US has not applied for Social Security Disability I encourage you to do so!

I didn't work for years, but my Dr. urged me to apply. He said that a lot of people get turned down. If that happened, to apply again and yet again if that didn't work.. Thankfully I got approved, but it did take a very long time. Even anything a month that is income helps. It isn't a fortune, but it is better than nothing.

I am fortunate to have my Dad and an Aunt live withiin a few miles of me. They can be called to rotate with my husband for Dr. appointments. I am no longer able to drive so this really helps.

Best of luck!

birdladynb

[Hidden]

The directgov.uk website has all the information on what you may be able to claim when you are ill or disabled and not working. Look also for the disability freephone enquiry line. This offers impartial advice on benefits and is especially useful for calculating your income should you decide to take up any work in the future. All the best .

[rmaksoud]

hello yes i was diagnosed with lupus in 2009, i hurt all over most of the time, but i called lupus foundation the lady that worked for my area of florida said that she doubt if i could get disability , i worked for us army for 7 years then at this time was working in the hospital for 6 years when diagnosed, but i applied online for my disability had a phone interview along with sending them medical records and i was approved within 4 months , so you can get disability, but make sure you have your medical records.