Diary of a benefit claimant.

Not only DWP decision makers but some members of the public!

People with hidden disabilities getting funny looks and comments when emerging from a disabled toilet.

Someone with a hidden disability, with a blue badge, parking in a disability bay told they should not be misusing someone elses's blue badge, told by some members of the public who happen to be nearby.

Told they "look fit and well".

Being awarded the pip claim has made little difference to my health problems.

No but it is what is known as a "gateway" benefit. You should be entitled to Social Services help for adults. You can apply for funding for a PA, adaptations to your property to assist you, etc, etc. If you drive, it opens the door to free Car Tax if you have the mobility part and a Blue Badge. None of these cure you but they can make your life a little easier.

Cabbie thank you I will watch it. I look normal until I move. This might make you laugh. My balance has been off all week. Because I fell in
my road 2 years ago always walk by a fence or wall. Yesterday I was near the bus stop and fell into a privet hedge. Luckily it was very thick so stayed upright. I wasn't hurt but some biscuits I had made for my active ageing GP referral exercise class where broken but they still tasted good.

You are right anyone with health problems can only be fairly assessed by their own GP and consultant . They know us best . I am under 3 consultants neurology , cardiology and urology .

If only!
Why a DWP Decision Maker, based on a Healthcare assessor’s report should be considered more reliable than the claimant’s own GP or Consultant, I do not know.
I appreciate that there is an element of fraudulent claims, but they are tiny.
There is a programme on ITV at 8.30 tonight about Hidden Disabilities, the true cost. May be worth a look.

There is a petition online. It calls on DWP to end degrading assessments for people claiming disability benefits including PIP. Don't know how to link to it. But I signed it yesterday.

It seems as if they're generated by each school individually.

I've had sainsbury, Morrison and iceland ones, at different times.

The last I checked, (a while back) they couldn't be used for online shopping, which has been the problem (well, one of them)

Thank you.

Oh, are they are not generic government ones then?

Not exchangeable at any participating supermarket?

They've been in various forms, and for various shops; the latest ones are paper vouchers for Morrison's (I think)

The ones before that were for Iceland.

I've just written off the losses, to be honest, it takes too much of the little energy I have to fiddle around trying to sort these things out.

Being awarded the pip claim has made little difference to my health problems.

MissAdventure

I had 2 years worth of vouchers, some out of date, because I havent been well enough to get to the supermarket and spend them.

Taxi = £15 round trip.
Voucher = £15.

I have just given the still in date ones to the couple who are looking after my boy.

Do you still have the out of date ones?

If so, is it worth asking, relating the circumstances, in the hope that "they" might redate them or something?

By the way, what form do they take please?

I asked because the libked article mentions the vouchers in that story being on a mobile phone and about printing them out.

That does seem to presume possession of a mobile phone and access to a printer.

The sort of thwarting, like in the 1950s seeing an ice lolly making kit on sale in a shop - ooh! but one needed to put it in "the ice compartment of your refrigerator". Ah!

I had 2 years worth of vouchers, some out of date, because I havent been well enough to get to the supermarket and spend them.

Taxi = £15 round trip.
Voucher = £15.

I have just given the still in date ones to the couple who are looking after my boy.

silverlining you would be welcome. But our conversations can get a bit racy. One of our groups daughters popped in after work and was shocked what we where talking about. Now she says " Are you going to craft group". The topic that day started innocently but as we are a group of done that and got the tee shirts lot it soon changed. I live in the north west .

I have been reading the following.

www.msn.com/en-gb/money/other/tesco-sorry-after-free-school-meal-voucher-mum-leaves-store-in-tears/ar-AA109gng

The reason I mention it here is because it contains the following.

> Parents claiming Universal Credit with children who receive free school meals can claim vouchers to use in supermarkets during the summer holidays.

Maybe already known here, but better to know twice than not at all.

Your craft group sounds like something I would like Whiff.
The drop notebook is a good idea and you can always add anything else at the same time.
Wishing you success.

I am writing it down in a note book with date but not the time. But will do that from now on. Plus I will write down when I fall and when I can't physically do things like open something because my hands aren't working that day .

I just decided to write things down after talking to members of my craft group we all have various things wrong with us. Age range 30's to 80's. It's not a craft group for people with illnesses it just happens we all have something wrong. Some work some don't. But it's a fun way to spend 2hrs on a Thursday afternoon. We have all found it helps keep our fingers flexible and our minds active. Plus we have a laugh, hot drink and biscuits.?

Good morning Whiff.

I had not heard of a drop diary before. A very good idea.

What form does the diary take please?

For examp;le, is it in an A5 notebook? Or what?

You might be doing this already, but, on thev basis of better knowing twice than not at all, are you noting date, time to the minute, for each entry. Also, are you individually signing each entry?

The best evidence is handwritten, signed and dated.

Also, try to leave a bit of a margin in case you, or an adviser, or the appeals panel, whoever, wants to photocopy the pages, as some photocopiers are a bit dim near the edges.

Are you including the details such as the stew onto your trousers and the floor?

SporeRB I started a drop diary Thursday it's to record all the times my hands let go and I don't know they do. I started it because as I was getting the dish out of the fridge with my portion of stew for my dinner my stupid hands let go and hit my leg luckily it landed stew side down no broken dish but down my trousers and over the kitchen floor and I cried. Silly I know but in my decision letter the woman wrote I have dexterity . Later on a dropped a empty mug on my carpet. Friday dropped a full carton of milk luckily it didn't break. I had already spoken to my neurologists secretary and he will do a letter of support for my appeal. She said he has done it for almost all his patients as the major are refused any benefits the first time.

Thank you MissA for the video links.

thanks MissA, that's ok, my friend's situation is unusual, in that she wants to start working soon.
she has not been allowed to work until recently.

You're more than welcome, wellbeck you and your friend.

If you want to look at any more specific parts of the assessment process, I can find more videos from the same kinds of people, who are up to date, and work in these roles.

I have been thinking though, your friend may be able to get help based on her limited understanding of english.

There are groups that are specifically set up to help women (or men?) for whom this is an added issue.

thank you MissA for the links.

I thought it would.

MissAdventure

Right, perhaps back to benefits, now?
It would be a shame for the wheels to fall off and a derailment to happen.

Yes.

The spin-off discussion now has its own thread.

LINK > www.gransnet.com/forums/other_subjects/1313663-The-design-of-product-packaging-in-relation-to-customers-with-a-disability

Thank you SD I’d not appreciated you meant it used to be said “in the 1960’s”.

youtu.be/Q0O2eNHHaVw

Very calm and measured man.
He has lots of knowledge, too.

Right, perhaps back to benefits, now?
It would be a shame for the wheels to fall off and a derailment to happen.