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Disability LIving Allowance medical
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Message 1.Â
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Friday, 18th November 2011
Anyone had one?
I've got one on Monday.
I had one four years ago by some bloke purporting to be a doctor who came in, did a few push pull tests, didn't even look me in the eye, and consequently all my DLA was taken away. I was so incensed I didn't appeal. I was able to afford my pride and didn't want to add stress to my list of health problems.
If it happens again, I shan't hesitate to appeal. I know it's reasonable to expect a medical, but by someone who has my medical records in front of them and at least knows something about the unpredictability of MS! What the hell good is a push pull test to make such an important decision??
Gr and rar
I'll no doubt let you know what happens. -
Message 2
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Friday, 18th November 2011
Oh what have I said. I don't want to get embroiled in an argument about who deserves benefits and who doesn't. I don't intend to go into my personal details. Please just accept I am eligible. I'd just like some kind of fair examination.
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Message 3
Posted by Bubbly (U14667393) on Friday, 18th November 2011
You have my sympathy Lilo, I have a friend in Scotland whose husband receives DLA and they are both worrying themselves sick that he will be called in for a medical. He suffers from Osteo-arthritis and is on the waiting list for a wheelchair, he is on morphine patches which knock him out for the first 3 days after they are changed and his schedule of medication is as long as your arm, despite this they live in fear that he will lose his benefit because they know of others equally disabled who have done so. I wish I knew where all these 'benefit scroungers' are supposed to be, none of the people I know socially or through my job in the NHS who receive DLA are scroungers, just people who would love to work if they could and who live hand to mouth all the time.
Bubbly -
Message 4
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Friday, 18th November 2011
Thanks for the reply Bubbly. No doubt I would survive if I didn't get DLA (I have a working husband The Viking) but it's not means tested and I did work and pay full NI and it does help hugely to make life a bit easier, so I claimed it.
It's playing on my mind all the time, so I can sympathise with your friends. If I have a "good" day I look like there's not a thing wrong with me when I'm sitting down that is. A "bad" day sees me looking like an immobile corpse-looking thing. Hard to know whether to play it up or down. I find it hard to be anything but positive, but it might come across as if I'm not bad enough to claim. -
Message 5
Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Friday, 18th November 2011
The DWP Decision Maker is under a legal obligation to consider all information put in front of him, so if anyone applying for DLA thinks that their needs won't adequately show up in a medical, it is essential to forward all relevant evidence to the DM, for example witness statements from relatives, friends, colleagues, neighbours, carers, employers etc. Ditto medical reports, specialists' letters to GP etc.
Always send paperwork with every page marked at the top with the claimant's name and national insurance number and number the pages. I recommend sending everything by recorded delivery, but be aware that DWP mail is opened in central depots and bundled up for forwarding to relevant offices and teams, so letters can get lost between being signed for in one location and another location they're supposed to be, so it's also important to keep a copy of everything. -
Message 6
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Friday, 18th November 2011
There have been a few threads on it recently. Probably some of those contributors will be around in time.
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Message 7
Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Friday, 18th November 2011
MAK's the man for this. He's like a walking encyclopaedia.
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Message 8
Posted by orange pekoe (U9563764) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
grrr, my friend who is on crutches for a few steps, anything more requires a scooter or wheelchair, dreaded the result of her DLA medical (she got higher mobility, can't remember care) - it drives me crackers that because of a minority of dodgy characters on tv she should fret so much about it all.
And she is massively switched on to the situation, due to her job prior to her disabling illness, and yet found it hugely stressful.
The whole thing is horrendously hard going for applicants. -
Message 9
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Hi Lili
I've just got my DLA - six months after applying for it!
After much badgering I eventually got a letter from 'Medical Services' aka ATos, saying a "medical professional" would be in touch to arrange a home visit. Two weeks later I still hadn't heard anything so I tried ringing them = no-one ever answered the phone. I rang the DWP who told me to wait and see but I got call direct from the doctor two hours later who arranged the visit for the following week. I made sure I had someone with me as a witness* and we waited all day (he was due at 11am) - no phone call, nothing. The next day I got a letter from the DWP dated two days previously awarding me middle rate care and higher rate mobility. WTF!
Now all I have to do is get Social Services to increase my care package. 15 minutes a dy 5 days week is not enough.
There are a couple of forums discussing Atos medicals which have some very good advice. Google Atos nd they will come up. If you do appeal, CAB are really helpful - they have workers who specialise. In my area (west Wales) they do home visits if you can't get to the office. I was previously rejected (2003) and the CAB appeal worked.
Good Luck! Be sure to take someone with you if you possibly can
*as advised by everyone including my GP -
Message 10
Posted by Bractondefeated (U3173859) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Hello My Mum. Following each other around thus am are nt we?,
You say - rightly - take someone with you - but to clarify, afaik, the doctor still comes to your home for dla. It's ESa where you go to the mecdical exam centre.
Glad to hear your happy outcome
Bracton -
Message 11
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Hello My Mum. Following each other around thus am are nt we?,
You say - rightly - take someone with you - but to clarify, afaik, the doctor still comes to your home for dla. It's ESa where you go to the mecdical exam centre.
Glad to hear your happy outcome
µþ°ù²¹³¦³Ù´Ç²ÔÌý Oh I didn't know that. I've had DLA three times - my illness comes and goes . I've had both home visits and a summons to a centre - consulting room up stairs - no lift - and I was using a wheelchair!
I'm wondering if they are less stringent when you re over retirement age? -
Message 12
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Thank you for the latest replies, it all makes interesting reading and I've taken notes thanks Sunny.
I've just had a chat with a friend who has fybromyalgia and runs a local support group. Her advice for Monday is to have The Viking with me (that was a given) and to accept that I probably will have to go to appeal. That most people get turned down presumably on the grounds that if you weed out the people who are too ill/stressed to go to appeal you'll be saving money. Nice. I was told years ago that people with incurable diseases would never be subject to these examinations, as it was pretty pointless.
I'm reading and hearing about the latest plans re taking the responsibility away from GPs re long term sickness patients. In a way, I can see it would be a good thing, and not make the GP personally involved in a decision. It must be really hard. I can see I'm now swerving over to the opposite of what I originally said, that I'd prefer a doctor who knows me, to do the examination. I guess it's just not possible.
So the latest cunning plan. Ah I see. Get back to work you shirking individual! Er...what work? My job has gone as my employers lost patience, there is no work, so I'll swap benefits and go on straight forward JSA then.
I don't understand. -
Message 13
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
My Mum
I don't think they make any allowances for under or over retirement age.
You can work and claim DLA. -
Message 14
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
I know that, Lili - the other two times I claimed I was of working age (the first time still employed) - it's just that I didn't have the medical this time and I'm fast approaching 64.
Glad the Viking will be there for you. -
Message 15
Posted by Sunny Clouds (U14258963) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Re long term sickness - currently GPs provide fit notes (daft name) for first 13 weeks, and the proposal is to reduce that to 4 weeks. Lots more profit for private companies and I doubt it will save the taxpayer much.
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Message 16
Posted by Once-a-Ginge (U1486077) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Oh what have I said. I don't want to get embroiled in an argument about who deserves benefits and who doesn't. I don't intend to go into my personal details. Please just accept I am eligible. I'd just like some kind of fair examination. Lilo, you have my full sympathy. I used to be a welfare rights advisor and the way DLA claimants are treated by some examining doctors is despicable. If your benefits are withdrawn you MUST appeal. But don't
try to do it alone - go to your local CAB who will either have an expert of their own or be able to put you in touch with one. You need someone who lnows how tribunals work to advise you and possibly represent you at the hearing. They will be able to call on records of previous tribunals to support your case.
HTH
Tabs -
Message 17
Posted by Once-a-Ginge (U1486077) on Saturday, 19th November 2011
Can I add to Sunny's excellent advice that when numbering use the "Page X of YY" system to ensure the last page(s) don't get mislaid.
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Message 18
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Monday, 21st November 2011
How did it go Lili?
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Message 19
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Monday, 21st November 2011
Ooops sorry - LilO!
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Message 20
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Wednesday, 23rd November 2011
I have been biting my font not to point out the lack of the O! < I'll forgive ya >
NIce of you to ask. I was just coming back to tell you all about it.
Monday night a very handsome, polite Romanian doctor appeared and spent 1.5 hours going through all the questions that I'd already completed in the original application forms. He hadnt seen them, and had to go through it all and write it up in his words and then he completes a medical report in and I quote "language the Assessors can understand".
He was very thorough. Much more than the examination last year. He was very patient and I didn't feel rushed to get a description of how I cope during a day. He did understand that MS is a very strange beast and commented that he could come back tomorrow and I may be completely different. Then I got him to talk about his life as a
GP in Romania which was most enlightening as he was shocked at our benefit culture over here. I talked about a possible appeal, as he had admitted it is getting harder and harder to claim, and explained how stressful it might be. This was in no way putting me off, just being helpful.
I was exhausted when he left, the stress had been building up for days. I do wonder what we did before the word "stress" became so popular.
I feel confident in his decision. I felt he really understood my situation, and that I'll get a fair report. I could be horribly wrong, but as he said, he never knows the outcome from these examinations.
Of course I'll let you know as soon as I do, and thank you all again for the support and really good advice.
LilOOOOOOOOO!
xxx -
Message 21
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Wednesday, 23rd November 2011
That sounds positive LilO.
At least it sounds as though the doctor was thorough and knew what MS is all about. But it does seem to depend on the assesors and their tick boxes.
Yes, how did we feel before stress was invented? -
Message 22
Posted by Lilo (U12007400) on Thursday, 8th December 2011
If that Rumanian doctor was here right now, I'd give him a huge hug and probably, knowing me, a big kiss too, because....I GOT IT!!!!
Not only did I get one increase from the basic, but I got TWO increases all backdated to his visit! I'm in total shock! I'm so grateful that I had a doctor that really understood what it's like for me, and obviously did his best with his report.
One happy Lilo thanking you all again for your support and wishing those who haven't had the same consideration, better luck. -
Message 23
Posted by Bearhug (U2258283) on Thursday, 8th December 2011
Oh, congratulations, Lilo!
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Message 24
Posted by My Mum is turning in her grave (U13137565) on Thursday, 8th December 2011
Yay!
I'm so pleased for you Lilo.
Sounds like you had a really good doctor.
FWIW I now have a Roumanian carer (male) who is lovely too. -
Message 25
Posted by Perkin Warbeck is not a cannibal (U14797366) on Thursday, 8th December 2011
good for you - but shame on the system for putting you through it!
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