Disablity living allowence.

Hi
Just had a letter from ATOS to say they will contact me for a medical examination. I already have a blue badge. I have applied for dla for Fibro & HM. I know its not 'means tested' but as im trying to hold my job down as I need help with money before I can reduce my hrs Im worried this will go against me. I can't remember things and struggling hiding my issues at work too. I just need to cust my hrs a bit. Now Im stressed over this. Ive already had a bad do today before I got the letter but I just think Im tired of fighting. Does anyone else feel like me. I just have nothing in my head apart from I want to laay down aand stare at the sky until Ive finished staring. I couldnt be less interested in anything at all if I tried. Like my head 'isn't bothered'! My left arm constantly aches and iff it wasn't for me letting my partner down I don't think i would go to work tomorrow or the next day or the day after. We would lose everything though. Im so tired I don't feel anymore. I can't read or spell without spell check and Ive had a friend look over this who now thinks ive lost my mind. I have told him to return it once found. ...Then deep down there is me who doesn't want to be beaten by my brain. I also wasted money on my kindle as I cant make sense of books right now. I work and sleep. Thats my life. Ive had a chest inf so more tired this last week so knock on for all this. I just dont want to go over it again and be proded & questioned. Sick of it. They quick to say Im too ill to drive. x

Oh sweetie - its so hard when you are at this state. But I have found the medical people pretty good and understanding - just tell them what you have just said there - they will see the confusion, pain and slowness in thinking. Take consultant letters, migraine diary, all your medication and a friend

I hate there medicals, and the stress they cause. But if this goes well and I am sure it will - then you can take some more time for you to rest and heal.

A period of just laying there and resting, is great, I have done it for a while - just to switch the brain off and think nothing

Big Big Big hugs- try not to fret about it.

Tee x

Hi guys sorry I have not been on line for while
I have been either having hemiplegic attacks
Or been busy at work I have found a new job. Just to
Let you guys know that I receive middle rate of DLA for care
And low rate for mobility ... XXX

That is good news Nad - so many are fighting for it now,,,,,,,,,,,, even better news you have managed to get back to work....

If you have any tips in how to get through the DLA (Is it called something else now?) Please do share them

Hello everyone just updating you to let you know that I have recently been awarded ESA and placed in the support group for my Chronic Migraine. I am very hopeful that with treatment and time I will be able to return to some kind of work in the future. If anyone has any questions please PM me

So pleased you got this - I am sure there will be questions - we get a lot of people trying to sort this out and it is such a fight x

Tee wrote: So pleased you got this - I am sure there will be questions - we get a lot of people trying to sort this out and it is such a fight x

It was such a relief but a shock too as I know how hard it is to get. I am happy to help but I think the main reason I was successful is that the HCP who did my medical from ATOS had a background in neurology so they actually understood migraine. So I guess my number one tip would be to ask to see an HCP with a neuro background if your atos medical centre has one.

I get the feeling that social welfare is more generous in the UK than here in NZ. I'm not eligible for any assistance as I have a partner who is able to work and we don't have dependent children. Even though she is not able to fork full time due to the stress my condition causes her, we are left to our own devices.

If I could prove my migraines were due to an accident, then it would be a totally different story as we have a good accident compensation scheme here (although it is being watered down little by little).

pīwakawaka wrote:I get the feeling that social welfare is more generous in the UK than here in NZ. I'm not eligible for any assistance as I have a partner who is able to work and we don't have dependent children. Even though she is not able to fork full time due to the stress my condition causes her, we are left to our own devices.

If I could prove my migraines were due to an accident, then it would be a totally different story as we have a good accident compensation scheme here (although it is being watered down little by little).

Well I must say that I don't think I will get this benefit for long without being reassesed and I do hope to improve although it is just all hope at the moment as there is no guarantee things will improve. The uk used to be generous but they are getting much tougher and while in the past if you had been awarded disability benefits you would go years between assessments now 6 months to a year is the norm and the will try to move you out of benefits into whatever work the think they can do. While I was applying for ESA i came into contact with people who had very serious long term illness and disability under tremendous pressure to return to work when they were not really capable of doing so.

I am sorry that you cannot get any support I have learned so much about migraine over the past few months about how disabling it can be, how much it costs governments and businesses in terms of sickness but then it is so poorly funded in terms of research and so poorly understood. I really hope this will change in the future!

I'm hoping to be able to apply for something at some point, its currently taking me an excessively long time to fill out the form however. When I can hardly write to begin with its taking me a while, at one point they asked me to prove that I am prone to falls... The hypermobility, dyspraxia and side affects isn't enough lol!

Still have to finish filling out my ESA form by April too... Oh the fun of forms!

Hi guys, not been on here for ages, but in a really bad way now, i'll talk more in a different thread, but I have been off sick for a month now and will be for at least another month. I am about to start a claim for DLA which I'm dreading. I know how stressful the process is as my son gets middle rate for Aspergers and the whole process for him made me feel like a fraud and scrounger. But I need to do it. I have read the DWP guidance for migraine and it quite clearly states that Migraine should not ordinarily cause any disability so I know it will be a fight. Any suggestions as to the best guidance to read or ways to answer the questions? xx

Hi,
I currently get lower rate care because I can't prepare and cook a meal: weakness in hand and arm, poor balance etc.
My GP has advised me to ask for a review of my DLA as he feels I need more support. When I have a severe attack, I am more or less bedridden for the duration (3 or 4 days) and need 24 hour care. It's very difficult to explain this on the forms as the word 'migraine' just doesn't describe the difficulties I have. A friend who has seen me at my worst thinks there should be a new name for this condition. 'Chronic migraine' describes the frequency of the attacks but doesn't give any indication of the severity of each one.
I'd be interested to know if anyone has found a way to explain their condition adequately for DLA/ESA.

Hi, I'm actually sat here with my DLA form and paperwork trying to complete it, which is certainly easier said than done with a mega head. It is so difficult trying to explain our conditions. What I try and do is break it down into actual symptoms rather than just write chronic migraine or chronic hemiplegic migraine in my case all the time. It does make it rather long winded but if it helps put your case over then it will be well worth it. For example, pain, dizziness, vertigo, coordination problems, etc and explain how this affects each activity. I hope this helps.

Michala