Marianne Gutierrez: Health Practitioner: How to claim your rightful benefits

How to claim your rightful benefits · 1 February 2006

The new guidelines for Incapacity benefit and DLA seem to be saying that if you are on death’s door you may get a benefit.

What the DWP seem to be missing is that if an M.Eer or any other equally impaired, disabled, person does go back to work, they will be giving their employers one massive migraine/heart attack/stroke through their employees incurring the business loss of profits due to time-off and sick-pay and work not being completed and expensive mistakes being made.

Have they thought about that? The repercussions?

To stay off work and to maintain incapacity payments (I didn’t realise that the new ruling included DLA but I think it does, can anyone clarify that?)

1. You have a diagnosis – remember that. It proves you are ill!
2. Act, illlustrate, describe your very worst day with every tiny bit of detail you can muster, include the effect on your spouse and your children and what they have to do because you can’t.
3. Never see any official without your partner or someone who knows you best being present. That person must do everything for you as they would do normally.
4. Lie in your favourite ‘nest’ on the settee when an official visits you, with all the TV controllers/telephone/ear-phones/mobile-phone/laptop around you. Or better still receive them into your bedroom with you in bed with all your daily aids around you.
5. Do not move without the aid of crutches or walking stick or wheelchair.
6. Make sure there is evidence of ‘nesting’ all around you. Papers/magazines/handbag/rubbish/box of tissues/waste-paper basket (full)/Mug of luke warm tea/plate with crumbs on/painkillers etc.
7. Don’t eat or drink (that is what happens to me – too tired)
8. Cancel the appointments because you are not well enough, I had to do this much to my embarressment.
9. If you do attend the Tribunal then go in a wheelchair and lie down during the meeting. (I can only make sense of a conversation if my body is totally relaxed and not having to work at standing/sitting. It leaves my brain freer to think.)
10. If you do attend the meeting, wear the clothes that are nearest to hand, even if the cat has slept on them. I am normally in my dressing-gown, do I dare wear that?

None of this is dishonest. I am describing my bad days. This is the truth and probably not honest enough. And somehow we have got to get them to hear and understand it. This article is being sent to the DWP.

We all should be writing to the DWP with our stories. They obviously don’t understand.

To get your story across:

Contact DCS
Benefit Enquiry Line
For general advice or information about benefits for disabled people contact the Benefit Enquiry Line:

Phone: 0800 88 22 00
Textphone: 0800 24 33 55 (for hearing or speech difficulties)

For queries on specific benefits use the following contact details:

Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance
By phone
Phone: 08457 12 34 56
Textphone: 08457 22 44 33 (for hearing or speech difficulties)

Lines are open between 7.30am and 6.30pm Monday to Friday

By email to: DBU-Customer-Service@dwp.gsi.gov.uk

This email is for general queries and feedback only. Please do not send personal details, as we cannot guarantee that this is a secure channel.

By post
Attendance Allowance Unit or Disability Living Allowance Unit
Warbreck House
Warbreck Hill
Blackpool
FY2 0YE

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Hi
Interestingly I work for the DWP, and I have ME and fibromyalgia. Frustratingly, I have just received by rejection letter from DLA following my reconsideration.
These articles are just what I need right now. My biggest problem is that I don’t have a medical practitioner to back my application up. What DLA don’t seem to understand is that this condition cannot be treated by medical practitioners. If I had MS (for instance) I would have a consultant and a health worker who dealt with me on a regular basis and could give aprofessional view of my symptoms. Whereas I only go to my GP when I need help to get viruses etc which of course are indirect symptoms.
Do you know of any organisations that offer help to people with this condition? Like Mencap or MIND do for their respective patients.
I am scared because as I just explained to the customer service person at DLA, I am struggling to look after myself right now. What happens when I can no longer look after my 22 month old son. All I want is help to pay for a cleaner so that I don’t have to risk dropping my son because I just did the hoovering and exhausted my arms.

Thank you for putting the effort into this site. I commend you for your selflessness.

Faye
— faye berry Feb 3, 12:42 PM #
I hope you guys don’t mind me butting in but here goes. Faye, l completely understand. I am a lucky M.E’er and am able to work. I’ve only had 2 days off (l work part time) and those have been to work from home. I dont wear make up to work any more (just when I need it most as l look so ghastly!) because putting mascara on makes my arms hurt sooo much!! I join you in commending Marianne. This sight has been a huge blessing and encouragement to me. I thought I was going nuts! Keep going. God bless.
— jo marsden Feb 3, 05:54 PM #
Hi Faye, I hope you got my brief email and sorry to take so long to respond to your comment. The benefit’s agency have changed the criteria for claiming benefits. There is a point system and I don’t know what it is based on. I don’t understand why you don’t have a consultant. When I saw my GP she wanted to send me to an endcrinologist but my husband wanted me to go private to speed the process. I went once. He was a psychologist and was rubbish really and cost nearly £300! However he confirmed the GP’s diagnosis of CFS. So I lost my consultant because I refused to pay that money again. He thought I was low on testosterone and seretonin. My testosterone levels were fine and there isn’t a test for seretonin. So that was that. I have since begged for a consultant on the NHS and finally saw a neurologist last Monday. He was very nice but couldn’t say anything different. So there was no point except I now have a named consultant I can ask questions from. In my area Devon – there is a multi-disciplinery team being launched in March and I am sending that info to my GP. In Cornwall there is a wonderful M.E physician called Professor Pinching. In Hammersmith Hospital there is a Prof Puri but I am not sure if he sees anyone but has done some interesting work on M.E. A good organisation to join is the M.E association. It keeps you in touch and helps you understand your condition. I would go back to your GP and explain in minute detail exactly how you DON’T cope with your day. I keep in touch with mine over the phone. Have you taken your claim to Tribunal? I would and also take someone who knows you best with you. Never attend any appointments without someone else with you. Go back to your GP and sob on her shoulder, you should be getting DLA. This makes me so cross!!!!! I hope you can get your cleaner.
— Marianne Feb 9, 04:25 PM #

I would be very interested to hear your comments: