Hi Jamie

I guess I must be one of the lucky ones who had no problem at all claiming DLA. I filled in the forms, answering every question whilst thinking how I was on my worst days, my GP wrote a back-up letter and I received DLA at the full rate for mobility and middle rate for care. This was granted "indefinitely".

Regards
Jean

Hi Jamie,

I applied for DLA some years ago and then got it on grounds of RA. Someone down the road had a grudge against me for going to work and getting DLA, he reported me. I had parked near his drive once and he didnt like that.
The DWP then secretly filmed me and the transcripts focussed mainly on the length of my skirts....I had just had a steroid alongside a new trial drug and so was hobbling really well and lost 2 levels of DLA overnight, lost my car etc. Within 2 wks of being filmed I was in High Dependency after a serious infection because of the trial drug I was taking had gone very wrong.
The benefits people also wrote to my employers explaining I was being investigated for benefit fraud and would they like to make comments. Me struggling to hold onto a job with severe RA on a trial drug and having been off work incapacitated shed a light on periods of illness and my honesty suddenly sounded like lies to my work. The school even rang me in HDU and asked to speak to me....

The DWP didnt let me know that they had reduced the DLA but the Mobility people did when they turned up one day to get back my car.

I was so ill then, I couldnt face the upheaval of appealing and so they took my car, I lost my job as couldnt drive and was terribly ill as couldnt tollerate the new drug and at that time there were no options. I was 24 years old.

I didnt apply again for a while. Moral of the story- be careful who knows you get DLA....

I moved home with my parents and my children for a time for financial, social and support reasons.

Then I got lucky, I got through for funded drug therapy on the RA, I applied for a part- time job, got it and although walking etc was a real struggle I managed for a time and get enough courage to apply for DLA again. I met and married the man of my dreams.

I got the higher rate mobility but they wouldnt budge on the lower rate for care. I needed help managing things at home with the children and trying to work but no, I couldnt get it. Still, the mobility got me an adapted car which I needed to get about in.

I worked for a further 4 years and then my RA progressed very sharply to the point I couldnt manage at all, having had several spells in hospital, there not being any further drugs on the horizon and palliative care options being set before us. I took ill health retirement from my very supportive school employer and, with the support of our local adult services set about applying for DLA higher rate again.

Turned down flat and then the paper appeal was sent back by return of post explaining that I had been turned down. They included some very threatening papers about your whole DLA award being at risk if you didnt win, they re-examine the whole award etc. Completely put off by the whole thing, I shared it with my adult services Social Worker who encouraged me to appeal to tribunal. He explained that despite the "put you off" stuff if you are genuinely claiming, the tribunal people are totally independent. It would be helpful to know exactly why I had been turned down though.

I rang up.

The woman on the phone from DLA iinsisted I didnt need any more care- what on earth for, and said that I was on a "sticky whicket saying I had 'arthritis' when you are only 30- its not bad at that age".... I ran out of words...

By then, the application for tribunal was in and so I waited. And waited.

And waited.

It took me a year. When I got notification of the tribunal I made an appointment with the Citizens advice. Unfortunately the Social Worker had moved on, but wrote a testimonial of his involvement for the eyes of the tribunal panel. My husband was having to take unpaid leave then to try and help with me at home and the mortgage etc was a really scarey thing.

the tribunal itself was very nerve wracking. the preparation pack was full of stories of the unfortunately maimed who ontop of everything failed tribunal.

Well, we got through it. we won. apparently the social worker was right.

even better we got a years worth of money.... clearing all debts....

There that is my story....

Jenni xx

I seem to have completely missed this post!
I would be glad to help if you still need it---also would it help to hear my hubbies attempts too? He doesn't have RA.