Mobility allowance

[valwood]

I have just been told for the second time that I have been refused mobility allowance. They agree that I have difficulty walking more than 200 metres for which I score 4 but because I am capable of following a route I do not qualify. I GIVE UP. I watched a programme where obese people get high care and high level mobility allowance yet I have an illness with multi organ involvement and I am turned down. It doesn't seem to make sense. No more stress worrying about money, they must know better after all they are supposed to be intelligent people.

[ellie-smith-1948]

I've been on hi rate care and mobility for a number of years,so I know how hard it is to get,no 1 ask the DLA to send you all the criterie regarding DLA,basicly the information needed to claim dla,low rate,middle rate,hi rate care and low rate and hi rate mobility,then write down all of your disabilities one by one and see how they relate to getting low,middle and hi rate care and low and hi rate mobility for now,what I need you to do is email this info to me and are you on low middle hi for care and if your on low rate mobility now,or is this your first claim to the DLA and can you get your doctor to support your claim and can you get a letter supporting your claim by a career and/or a friend,if poss a friend or carer that is in a proffesional job is doctor,solicitor banker a CEO or social worker etc and email this info as well.its all about how you present your claim to the DLA and you will get people who are less disabled that you getting a higher rate of DLA,just because of the way they,basicly filled in the application form for DLA,anyway don't worry all is not lost,so don't give up,I got turned down for hi rate mobility the first time,but after a second claim I got the hi rate

[valwood in reply to ellie-smith-1948]

No, I can't do this anymore.

[Hidden]

I would forget that they are supposed to have understanding or intelligence..Don't give up,get some independent advice.As you say obese people seem to get lots of help and appear to use the money to feed their appetite.None of us did anything to get the disease we have, nor can we get rid of it at will.

[valwood in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for your reply. I don't want to keep fighting I'm tired of it all. Think I will just have to try to adapt life to my financial straits and weigh up what I can afford to do.

[Hidden in reply to valwood]

Hi valwood, I'm very disappointed for you. The whole point of a pip is to enable people to sustain a standard of living they could have if they hadn't been affected by a disability and the costs associated. Do you have anybody who can help you with your claim? Does your local authority offer any services which could put you in touch with an advocate? Have you been means tested, to see if you qualify for any other benefits?

[ellie-smith-1948 in reply to valwood]

I understand,DLA are supposed to help you with financial help,what they really do is make it as difficult as possible to get the financial help many disabled people need to make there lives a bit easier financial wise.personal independence plan is just another miss leading description giving the impression that the government really cares about disabled people,which is rubbish,they just want to save money,I've found the only way to get your entitlement is to be relentless,it took me approx 4 hours to fill my claim form in,I did it in one hour segments.what they do is ask you for information on a health issue you have,in several different ways,so you have to be very care full you don't contradict yourself with your answer,otherwise you inatvertantly do yourself of your claim..is a question mite be..are you able to walk upstairs,the next question mite be you are able to walk upstairs,next question mite be do you walk upstairs so if your not very care full you end up helping them not to give you the DLA your applying for and I accept the fact that when you have dissabilitys its very hard to concentrate on filling out a form that is intended not to give you DLA your entitled to,as one person said to me many years ago..come the revolution,well you never know

[valwood]

No I don't qualify for any other benefits. My family have been very good they are constantly running me to appointments, seven hospital appointments in a month. All the local appointments I do by taxi. I also have an elderly Mother in a residential home and I take care of her finances My daughter has helped me with the PIP's claim but I just feel now everything is getting on top of me. I need to just have time to do normal things without my illness dictating, I'm fed up of hospital and Doctor appointments, of form filling, of being made to feel as though I'm exaggerating my illness. I try so hard to be cheerful and do as much as I can but then I just get so tired and feel ill. What does this person in DWP know about our illness, are they professionals even some Doctors don't know about vasculitis, what gives them the right to descide? Sorry I have written this from the heart, it has made me cry but I just feel so frustrated. Overnight I went from being self employed to desperately ill , my hobbies were walking and gardening I can't do either now, do they honestly think I would give this up for a little bit of cash.

[Hidden in reply to valwood]

I feel sad about your situation, it's frustrating to say the least, I not surprised you've been reduced to tears. Please don't let them get the better of you. As you said yourself, what does that person from the DWP know? Appeal, go to a tribunal, do what it takes and show them what they should have seen in the first place. It's a ridiculously awful system that many get caught up in, you're not alone in your experience. You don't have to pretend about your illness, it's real and you deserve the benefits to pay for those taxis and compensate for your loss of earnings. If you give in now you'll probably regret not trying harder. Please try and get an appointment with your local citizens advice team as they are very experienced in these forms and how to appeal (including the appropriate wording to use). Stay strong and best wishes.

[whitleybayfc]

Don't give up,as has been said get help.i went to a disability rights worker who filled form in for me .She was great,i got lower rate pip for daily living.She said 80% of folk who appeal win ,so keep your head up and have a go.

[suffolkgirl]

Please don't give up. As others have said, get help with the form filling. Try your local CAB, or if there is a local disability charity, they would be the best place to go. Here in Suffolk we have a charity called Optua, who are very helpful, but I would think there must be similar ones in other parts of the country. Good luck, and keep trying.

[StephanieDiane]

Hi sorry to hear your story,i was the same one point short but didnt try again as I just could'nt go through it again. the man that saw me at the appointment said he was a nurse of 18yrs but he said he had never heard of vasculitis MPA. Thats what we are up against.

[valwood]

I have decided not to appeal the DWP descion, I feel until this condition is recognised and understood by professionals we are fighting a lost battle. There seems to be more and more members losing their disability allowances, obviously the DWP have absolutely no knowledge or they would not be refusing allowances. Good Luck to all those that try, but this is one lady who is not prepared to risk her health because of the stress and ignorance.