Hi Joanne

I have thought this for some time now. I would have been the first person to call the benefit cheats when I read things in the paper and still do if they are deliberately being fraudulent. It is only since I have had RA that I think maybe certain people are being called unfairly. I have seen people in the newspapers who are on benefits and have been seen out walking or playing pitch and put or something and been called cheats because they are receiving DLA when they have said they can't walk far. Well maybe, just maybe they have RA. We all know that with this condition you can do certain things some days and not others. It is a difficult call to make. I will not claim DLA for this reason. I will be interested to see what other people have to say.

Sheila x

I think this sums it up, Kathleen. I try to exercise more these days, and do feel better when I can, but some days i have no energy. We only ever seem to get one side of the story when the government and media outlets are concerned. It really makes you wonder how far they'll go with the whole demonisation of people.

Take care

Jo.

This is such a tricky subject. I think those of us with RA get really good at coping and hiding our pain and discomfort in public, but we all have times when we fall apart in the safety of home, and we need that emotional/physical outlet.

My aunt has MS and we've compared notes a few times, she receives DLA and has a blue badge but has a part-time job in retail. Her employer is very sympathetic and if she's too tired to stand she can do a warehouse job sitting down or go on the tills but on a good day she looks quite able-bodied. She says she feels a fraud getting out of the car on arrival as she looks fine but after 10-15 minutes on her feet, with a stick, she has a very bad limp and has to sit down. She never works more than 6 hours, including breaks, and only works 3 days a week.

Surely if it's fine for MS sufferers to claim and manage to cope it should be ok for RA sufferers...

I think the other consideration is that we struggle on to cope with work/home commitments but sacrifice socialising as we're too exhausted. If DLA is used to help with housework or other essentials and allows us to have a little better quality of life, that's the whole point isn't it?

I do hope people who are genuinely in need are not increasingly demonised, but I wonder how practical it is to tell the real cheats from the deserving in this cuts/claim culture/instant conclusion society. We need effective assessments and education of the general populace about the realities of living with a chronic condition. Or am I hoping for too much?!

Vicky xx