DLA Turned down and now need to appeal , cant stop crying ;-( HELP?

[66Amanda66]

Hi everyone,

I am on the lowest rate of DLA for care and mobility and have been on it 8 years for pain and problems with a brain tumour, but recently ive been diagnosed with other things....so i have re applied for a higher rate

Fibromyalgia,chronic muscle pain all over body, Chronic Headaches, Sleep Apnoea, pain in foot and ankle following fracture last year, Depression, restless legs, hiatus hernia, Irritable bowel syndrome, Chronic cold sweats and hot flushes.And loads of side effects from the meds...I cant walk without assistance and am on a waiting list for a wheelchair.

And they are saying im only eligible for the lowest rate!!

I have been trying to get in touch with my local citizens advice for 3 days but get an answering machine saying they are not available and you cant leave a message.The other citizens advice centre in my area has closed down,

Im so scared of appealing but i have told them over the phone i disagree with the decision and they are looking at it again.

Who can i turn to for help with the appeal, i get so mixed up with things i cant represent myself, HELP does anyone know of any organisations that will represent people at appeals, thanks, Amanda xx

[Hidden]

try welfare rights and try and get an advocate good luck

[66Amanda66]

Thanks Lally, sounds a daft question but when i googled welfare rights it came up with nothing specific ? who are they etc ? thanks

[MissKittycat]

Welfare rights and I would contact your local MP - they can be pretty good xx

Sorry you're suffering so much xx

[Hidden]

welfarerights.net/home.php

[66Amanda66 in reply to Hidden]

Ill phone tomorrow thanks x

[66Amanda66 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for putting this up but unfortunately its for Dumfries area, when i click on contact them it tells you its for Dumfries, ill try and find a local one tomorrow x

[Hidden]

I think most regoins have a welfare rights

[jazher]

Hi amanda,

I have no idea, sorry.

I just wanted to send you a big gentle hug hun, and hope someone can help you.

kel xxx

[66Amanda66 in reply to jazher]

Thanks hun x

[Hidden]

hi well first please try to calm yourself down you can appeal so all is not lost here whre i live we have a place called dial and they heklp people to get into adapted homes get equipment they need and also have aoffice where you can make an appointment and they will fill in the forms for you bit like cab but more for disabled people have you got something like that / if not our cab is the same no answer so iwanrted advice on something a year ago nothing to do with fibro or health so i found the cab website andd emailed my local branch and got an e mail back within 4 days so thayt may be an idea e mail them jus put it in google if not that then write them a letter and put urgent on the top with all your details etc i am sure someone will post it for you i would do both myself now you calm down and do these things and see hoew you go love diddle x

[66Amanda66 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks ill try and get an e mail address fir my local CAB, and also ill try and find dial, cheers for the help x

[sickntired]

Hi

I am just new to this forum but have had Fibro for 10 years and as my username suggests I am sick and tired, I was on DLA for about 3 years but it was turned down at the last review, I went onto appeal and it took a year to actually see someone, the appeal panel consisted of a Doctor, a Solicitor and another woman who was an older woman with a resemblance to my sons girlfriend she was vile! Also there was a representitve from the DWP, they just fired questions at me and after making a descision they took it off me. I was so fed up but the solicitor said after 3 months you can reapply you just need someone to help you answer the questions properly, they bamboozle you with questions that you would think ridiculous, sorry my brain won't think of any off hand but they are vile. You need to get a solicitor with welfare rights advice go to the Legal Services Commision, you need to go in prepared. I am recovering from a really bad fall at the moment, my mother called an ambulance and they took me to a walk in centre and the staff were rubbish, they just told me to double up on my stack off meds and this would be fine, after two weeks I began to feel ill, tablets to make a horse sleep for a week weren't having any effect, so I called 999 and told them I had been taking too much medication they sent an ambulance (even they have no sympathy sometimes) and I went to hospital and the doctor I saw said did I have a social worker and this got me thinking, I was on the brink of killing myself, I live with my mother who is 84 and it's like having another baby, my son who lives with his new girlƒriend is a total waste of space he keeps saying I am schizophrenic, lovely eh? So I contacted social services and they arranged for me to have someone to help wash and dress me, I have to contact them to get some more help for undressing me at night.

You may think I have waffled on about myself but my advice is to contact your local Legal Services Commision and get a solicitor with welfare rights experience, as well as contacting your local social services (usually under your local council) and try your best to go through with the appeal, armed with as much facts as you can, send your appeal panel at least 7 days before the appeal as much information of your condition as you can, if you have someone that helps you physically then you might be able to win!

Best of luck and try to keep your spirits up, I know it is hard but be positive and don't give up.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[66Amanda66 in reply to sickntired]

Thank You xx

[66Amanda66]

Thanks Lynn i have already done it xxx

[Hidden]

Good luck and hope it goes your way you certainly deserve it to after what you have been through already and what you are going through now please try to keep positive love to you diddle x

[66Amanda66 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Diddle x

[Hidden]

Hi hope you are ok now and lovely to see your name back love and soft gentle hugs to you didddle x

[secretldy]

i have lost most of my DLA as well. I was on middle rate care and high rate mobility, but on the last revue they have decicded i can only get low rate care. i have appealed, and i also phoned my local benefits, welfare officer. i phoned 3 times before i got a letter making an appointment to come see me, then on the day i had a phone call telling me he was ill, and now i have waited another 3 weeks so far for another appointment. its begining to feel as though there is no one out there willing to help at all.

[66Amanda66 in reply to secretldy]

Sorry to hear that, i know exactly how you feel xx

[inspireme2]

Where do you live,

i had a similar experience, i live in Glasgow, but their is help out there, your local welfare rights office can provide you with help in filling out the form and attending medical examinations linked to your claim. Please don't give up it took me 5yrs but in the end i got it because i have Fybro ME, Depression, and Osteoarthritis. Please don't give up the fight. Good luck xx

[66Amanda66 in reply to inspireme2]

I live in Heywood near Rochdale in the North West x

[66Amanda66]

I am determined not to give up but its sooooo stressfull, and its so difficult getting the energy to make all the phone calls etc...

i have E Mailed the citizens advice today and phoned one of my specialists to ask for a letter re my Sleep Apnoea which wasnt diagnosed when i applied, so two steps nearer, will make more enquiries on Monday, am totally knackered now excuse my french!

Thanks for all the replies folks, much appreciated, amnnda XX

[gypsycrafter]

sorry to hear you are unable to get it this time. Keep ur chin .up lass it will happen. thinking of you. soft hugs xxx

[66Amanda66 in reply to gypsycrafter]

XX

[secretldy]

thats why i like this site, you have so many people to erge you on.

[66Amanda66 in reply to secretldy]

XX

[Angel1967]

hi Amanda,

I went through all this a few years ago and they took my DLA off me.

I am so sorry you have this extra stress to deal with. My husband fought

to get my DLA back and he won. My husband Phil is in a wheelchair full time thanks to Friedreich's Ataxia. He cannot walk at all and has to be hoisted everywhere. He has limited movement in his arms but can work a computer with no problems. He did a file for me with each illness I have and got the necessary info all from the net and printed it off and placed it in a folder. Also it helps if you have a good GP, we have the best Gp's where we so we are lucky. But my husband got all this info together and sent it all off to the appeal board with letters in from my GP, social worker, and occupational therapist. He actually got my DLA back for me. Now I am on high rate mobility and low rate care. I had a review last year and they even sent a Fibromyalgia specialist from a London hospital to see me and I still have DLA. Don't let them get away with it .... if I can help anymore plz let me know. Angel

[66Amanda66]

Thanks Angel, can i borrow you hubby? haha only joking, thanks for the advice xx

[Angrymum]

My 7 year old daughter has suffered from epilepsy since the age of 2 and half and I fought for years to get her dla but kept getting turnt own even went to an appeal tribunal and still lost but last year applied again when she turned 5 I applied again this time with help from citizens advice and got turnt down I appealed and she was awarded it for a year have since renewed it and they turnt her down saying she doesn't qualify but this is absolute madness as her care needs have not changed and her epilepsy is worse than originally thought and they are struggling to keep seizures under control with medication , she still wears nappies to bed and wets through several times a night so really can't understand y they have made his decision when she is already in receipt of it ? She receives middle rate care and low rate mobility and is even prescribed nappies by her dr advice please ?

[66Amanda66 in reply to Angrymum]

Hi hun, you might be better posting this as a new blog,copy and paste it so that more people see it, this blog of mine is a few weeks old now and not many people will read it.

Im so sorry for your troubles with dla, its complete madness

Hugs for you and your little girl, Amanda

[Angrymum]

I don't know how to do that I'm new to all this and on an iPad so not sure how to copy and paste

[66Amanda66]

oh sorry, im not sure from an i pad sorry im only any good on a full size computer, do you have any kids they might know, or perhaps a friend.

sorry i cant be of more help, Amanda x

The only other way would be to re write a similar blog on a new blog page, just click on blogs at the top and write a new one ??? hope this helps