4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[Helly Welly]

Well, to my mind i am as i got my blue badge last week.

 

For those of you who don't know , i have Joint Hypermobility Syndrome, which is a gentic problem with the connective tissues in my body. On the plus side, i am pretty bendy, my elbows and knees bend the wrong way and i am surprisingly flexible for an unfit 33 year old.

 

However, the syndrome also means that i suffer from IBS, varicose veins, a tendency to dislocate joints, easy bruising, fainting or dizziness, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and poor propriception which means i can't tell where my limbs are in relation to my body. So i bump into things and stub my toes countless times every day. I walk short distances with crutches and use a wheelchair whenever possible. I'm also a mad tricyclist!

 

I've not been on here much lately as i've been two-timing you with another forum Actually, its a forum for people who are hypermobile.

 

I've been trying to apply for Disabled Living Allowance, been turned down twice so far and am having to appeal. According to the DWP, being on crutches and/or a wheelchair doesn't affect my mobility enough to qualify. I can walk slowly so thats good enough for them. Never mind the constant pain eh!

 

OH is away in Hong Kong this week, so i'll be on here loads, the other forum isn't much fun, just good for advice.

 

Good news, now i have a blue badge i get a bus pass for free travel

The council think i'm disabled, even if the government doesn't

[Snowy]

Good news if it helps you get about more and get better access Helly! Unfortunately there is a knack to filling in the government forms, if you don't word it 'the right way', they discount it

[Egluntyne]

Good news about the blue badge.

[ajm200]

Congratulations on getting your condition officially recognised. Is there a disabled living association in your local area that can help you to get the benefits you are entitled to. My mother is severly disabled and uses a group called DASH to help her cut through the red tape. It think they only cover her local area though.

 

I can sympathise with your condition, I had joint problems during my last pregnancy brought on by very mobile joints and know how painful the simplest tasks can become. The physio told me that my extremely flexible joints, that I've taken for granted all my life, combined with pregnancy hormones were to blame. I spent months on crutches, couldn't turn over in bed or get in or out of the bath and some days couldn't dress myself. I'm ok now but pregnant again (I don't learn!) so hoping to stay mobile as long as possible.

 

They need to give you all the help that you deserve. Good luck with your appeal

[Ain't Nobody Here]

Wow . You've got such a lot to deal with ... but still have a sense of humour (and you love chickens so we'll forgive you for two-timing us ).

 

Good news about the Blue Badge .

[chickenlass]

Helly welly....I don't know whether to commiserate with you or congratulate you on managing to get a blue badge I'm sorry your having to struggle so hard to get the right recognition of your illness from the government. I hope the Blue Badge will go some way at least to making life a little bit easier for you. Glad you haven't been two timing us for another chicken forum anyway. lol

[Lesley]

I'm so pleased you managed to get a Blue Badge Helen I know what it's like trying to get one sorted out. I needed a temporary one as it was 4 years before I could walk without a stick - I could have done with one for 3 years of that time but you have to be "permanently" disabled. I was told that if I could walk unaided for further than the length of two cars than I wouldn't get one. As I was very slowly improving I knew I wouldn't stand a chance. Then you have to watch at a supermarket as you struggle to get a wheelchair and leg extension set up - are hauled out of the car and into said wheelchair and watch as some with legitimate badges trot off at full speed to do a weekly shop and are often back even before you get sorted

 

I did contact the local MP and he took it to the Minister who was looking at the problem of temporary badges - not for me, but in general. Then we had a change of Minister and it was dropped.

 

Lauren has hypermobility as you know - I'll PM you for details of your other forum - fancy two-timing us

[Fleur]

my brother and i also have hypermobility, hes just bendy, whereas i'm bendy,clumsy and generally bruised and squashed looking!

 

i hope your appeal for DLA goes well

[Mrs Frugal]

I had a heck of a job getting DLA too, Helly Welly. I had to go to appeal then they lost my application. Took one letter from my consultant to get me a lifetime grant as it's obvious things aren't going to get any better and will certainly get much worse . Hopefully your consultant will be able to get things moving for you. It seems to be a standard response to say no to the initial application and to keep you applying before they finally say yes so don't be discouraged. Good news about the blue badge though. They make life so much easier . Have fun now getting out and about will be much easier for you.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

, hes just bendy, whereas i'm bendy,clumsy and generally bruised and squashed looking!

I'm sorry Fleur, but that made me laugh . I think you sound lovely, squashed or not .

[Lesley]

, hes just bendy, whereas i'm bendy,clumsy and generally bruised and squashed looking!

I'm sorry Fleur, but that made me laugh . I think you sound lovely, squashed or not .

 

made me laugh as well - Lauren is just bendy..... Welcome to the forum Fleur

[One Man Banned]

Well done on getting the Blue badge sorted

 

Sorting out DLA is a toughie - its one of those benefits that they are trying to cut down on - which sends my mum into a tiz every news story as she's terrified she'll be forced to work - there's no question that she'd be made to, she got fired from the Remploy place years ago for being too slow and she's far worse now than then.

 

Keep up with the appeal and speak with your doctor, my mum's sorted all her stuff out for her and it went through on the nod for her, albeit years ago.

 

Fingers crossed

 

A

xx

[Karen & co.]

I'm glad you've got your blue badge it sounds like there will be no stoppping you now

 

Karen x

[ajm200]

There are a lot of people out there that get DLA and blue badges and don't need either. I know someone who gets both and is able to mind all 5 of her daughters' pre-school children. I'm not disabled and I'd have trouble keeping up with 'em.

 

Letters from doctors to support your application will definately help

[One Man Banned]

I was told that if I could walk unaided for further than the length of two cars than I wouldn't get one.

 

I think that's very wrong advice Lesley - my mum can walk quite a way if she has to (not in a good way afterwards tho ) but she's had a badge for years. It's all about reducing the distance necessary to get to where you're going and to give you longer when you do get there.

 

One of Joe's friends has one - he can walk normally most days but then spends a couple quite immobilised and he still has one, as well as working full time too

 

A

xx

[Lesley]

I probably could have disputed it Andrew - but I decided that as I was fortunate enough to be improving then I'd just get on with it

[missuscluck]

Helly, I hope your blue badge helps you to get to where you want to be. Good luck with it.x

[Charlottechicken]

Congratulations on getting the blue badge Helly Welly, that should help you out a lot now!

 

If you have appealed against your DLA decision then I would suggest that, no matter how ill you feel, you attend any tribunal, along with your usual entourage of walking aids and medication you have to travel with etc. it all helps Having said that, if you went straight for an appeal, the decision maker (a different one to the one who made the first decision)will reconsider your decision first, before it goes to tribunal.

 

Contrary to popular belief, DLA is not awarded because a diagnosis of a certain illness has been made (except in cases of terminal illness), but how that illness affects you in your day to day life. Many claims fail because claim packs are barely filled in, or the claimant (to use an old fashioned word) continually states that they manage. Just because you don't actually have help doesn't mean that you don't need help. The decision maker is trained to assess your claim, but if phrases like 'I manage' crop up, the claim is going nowhere. For instance, how do you get out of a chair? As a mobile person, I get up without using my arms as support, and in one swift movement, using only my legs. If you don't, then explain this on the claim pack. Getting around the house I rarely have to hang on to furniture, but some people actually have the furniture arranged so they can grab onto a different item to get from room to room. If you are unable to physically prepare a hot meal (with pans and using an oven) then every detail should be recorded on the claim form. If you are depressed by your illness, then you should state this. If you ever stumble and save yourself with furniture indoors or parked cars and lampposts outdoors then put it down on the form! Read your claim pack back and think how another person would view your condition from what you have written.

 

There is no percentage pass or fail rate for DLA, if an award is made it is wholly dependant on evidence (claim pack alone or other medical evidence as well). Decision makers do not work to quotas!

 

Hope this helps

[chelsea]

excellent news on the blue badge

 

I cant believe you cant get the allowance how do these so called benefit cheats get away with getting it?

 

hope you get it sorted and get the entitlement you deserve.

[KateP]

You have probably already tried this but have you been to the Citizens Advice Bureau for help with the DLA forms and appeal? They usually have specialists who can help with particular Benefits and also appeals specialists. They also know how to complete the forms in the 'right' way.

[Omletina Kyckling]

Congrats on the blue badge, but I'm spitting feathers (no I haven't been up to any strange nocturnal chicken activities) about the DLA business. It really makes me mad that genuine cases can't get benefits, especially those of us who have worked and paid our taxes up until now!!

 

When I applied for my incapacity benefit for my arthritis, I started to fill the forms in and the lady at the benefits place told me to tear them up and start again. I try to stay positive so I'd written things about how I manage to do this or that on some days but not others. She told me to fill the form in according to how I am on my worst days rather than my best days otherwise I may get refused. In the end I had to go see one of their doctors and I was signed off for two years so it's not a problem but it really annoys me.

 

Anyway, I've finished ranting now and I really hope you manage to get your DLA sorted out.

[Helly Welly]

Thanks for all the advice guys, its ridiculous that we have to go through such a horrendous process but there we go. I suppose if people didn't try and abuse the system, it would be a lot easier for genuine claimants.

 

 

Congratulations on getting the blue badge Helly Welly, that should help you out a lot now!

 

If you have appealed against your DLA decision then I would suggest that, no matter how ill you feel, you attend any tribunal, along with your usual entourage of walking aids and medication you have to travel with etc. it all helps Having said that, if you went straight for an appeal, the decision maker (a different one to the one who made the first decision)will reconsider your decision first, before it goes to tribunal.

 

Contrary to popular belief, DLA is not awarded because a diagnosis of a certain illness has been made (except in cases of terminal illness), but how that illness affects you in your day to day life. Many claims fail because claim packs are barely filled in, or the claimant (to use an old fashioned word) continually states that they manage. Just because you don't actually have help doesn't mean that you don't need help. The decision maker is trained to assess your claim, but if phrases like 'I manage' crop up, the claim is going nowhere. For instance, how do you get out of a chair? As a mobile person, I get up without using my arms as support, and in one swift movement, using only my legs. If you don't, then explain this on the claim pack. Getting around the house I rarely have to hang on to furniture, but some people actually have the furniture arranged so they can grab onto a different item to get from room to room. If you are unable to physically prepare a hot meal (with pans and using an oven) then every detail should be recorded on the claim form. If you are depressed by your illness, then you should state this. If you ever stumble and save yourself with furniture indoors or parked cars and lampposts outdoors then put it down on the form! Read your claim pack back and think how another person would view your condition from what you have written.

 

There is no percentage pass or fail rate for DLA, if an award is made it is wholly dependant on evidence (claim pack alone or other medical evidence as well). Decision makers do not work to quotas!

 

Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the advice Claire, i hadn't fully thought through all my difficulties before i applied. I'll compile a list of problems and send it to the DWP. It's taking them 11 weeks to reconsider my claim so i have time to send in fresh evidence.

 

Fingers crossed

[freddie]

DLA is a very strange phenominum.. I've had dealings with it with top son in the past, and went to Citizens Advice. They helped with the form filling and it's so true about how you word yr claim. We'd never have got anything if I'd done the forms on my own.

Mum got DLA and deserved it too, it winds me up when I see people skipping about with blue badges on their vehicles too, the ones who need them dont seem to get them, because they"manage" and "Cope" because they have to. Every day. Press on, you deserve yr mobility allowance far more than lots I can think of.

Hugs,

Kay

[little chickadee]

Well done Helly Welly. I'm so pleased you've managed to get a blue badge.

 

Do bear in mind people that when you see people walking normally into a shop (I walk normally), that it might be that they have M.E or other related illneses where if they didn't park in the disabled bay that they wouldn't be able to do the shopping at all. It's a very difficult one. I wouldn't be able to cope without my blue badge. I can't walk around a supermarket, but I can get close enough to the school to be able to drop my children off etc.

I know that a lot of people do abuse the system though.

 

Helly Welly - I used to get DLA years ago, but then my condition improved and I stopped claiming when I went back to work for a few months. I was so humiliated by the whole thing, that I ended up with no money instead of going through it again. With hindsight, I would have done it though. I'm really lucky to be able to work part time in my husbands business now and don't need to claim. Good luck to you with your application.

 

Stress how bad everything can be, especially as you have CFS (ME) I know that things can vary and you have to pace yourself or be bedridden for days. I can do a lot sometimes, but I know that if I do this, I won't be able to function "normally (for me)" for weeks/ months. If you can possibly get a letter from a consultant - this would really help your case.

[Guest]

That is excellent advice CharlotteChicken. One of the problems in my experience is that people don't realise how bad they are. My mother got her blue badge about a year ago but it was hard work getting her to admit what she can't do.

 

"You can't walk from the car park" - "yes I can"

"But if you do, you then can't walk around the shop" - "I manage. I usually sit down for half an hour when I get there. Then I can do half the shop, sit down again, finish the shop, sit down again before heading back to the car park. It's fine!"

"That's not fine!" - "I manage! I'm not ready to be written off yet"

 

and so it goes on . . .

 

Now she insists on using her blue badge everywhere - outside my house (residential cul-de-sac ), in the school carpark, on the church private drive etc etc!