benefits advice

[tommos43]

i have recently become disabled after a stroke.

personal independnce entitlement has been agreed (was DLA).

what help can we apply for as we are completely in the dark here a 25 per cent reduction in council tax we will be applying for this week

any help greatly apprecited

tom

[gc1966]

first up,extremely sorry to hear of your recent health issues,appproach the citizens advice for help and remember to keep copies of all correspondence with the social as they will try to make your claim difficult

[super jumbe]

DLA usually relies on doctor’s record, they work out the percentage of your health, and payments are in three categories lower, middle, higher payments and if some one is looking after you they will also be rewarded. Wish you all the luck.

[paulinter]

Hi Tom. The 25 % is single person entitlement. I would think if you are on benefits and depending on what other money you have coming in if any, I don't think you will pay any. Your best option is to visit the citizen advice centre and they will advise you on what you can and can't get. The dss or whatever they are called now won't tell you what your entitled to.. best bet is citizen advice. Hope you get sorted out mate and sorry to hear about your problems. Good luck

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

[Meat-Head]

At least you can still access dK

[rds60h]

Hi Tommos43 sorry to hear about your health issues, I know a few on here have recommended CAB but most of their staff are volunteers and have a limited knowledge of things so I would advise that you contact some of the charities out there as many of them have paid full time advisors and advocates that will have specialist knowledge and have dealt with others in your position (I will list some links at the end of the post) and they will know more about PIP which has only been partially introduced.
You haven't said your age or if you were employed when this occurred, if you were employed then you should also be claiming what was ESA but they may have already done that in your PIP assessment (I don't know the ins and outs of this new system).
Here are some places that should be able to help :-

Welsh services | Stroke Association (http://www.stroke.org.uk/about-us/wales/services) Stroke Association | Support | Patient.co.uk (http://www.patient.co.uk/support/stroke-association) Disabled Living Foundation | Solutions for Independent Living (http://www.dlf.org.uk/) https://www.headway.org.uk/Stroke.aspx UK Stroke Forum (http://www.ukstrokeforum.org/) Benefits Checklist | Disability Rights UK (http://disabilityrightsuk.org/benefits-checklist) https://www.gov.uk/browse/disabilities https://www.gov.uk/financial-help-disabled/overview http://disabilityrightsuk.org/benefits-checklisthttp://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/disability-living-allowance-dla/dla-aa-cuts
HM Revenue & Customs: Disability benefits - how do they affect tax credits payments? (http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/payments-entitlement/other-benefits/affect-taxcredits/disability-benefits.htm)

I hope these help.

[rds60h]

Just another point as gc1966 says keep copies of everything you send and receive from DWP and DLA and insist on only corresponding with them in writting, that way you will always have proof of what you have sent and what they have said, even if they phone you tell them you need it in writing, say you forget things easily if they try to say there is no need and then make a note of the time and date of the phone call................just in case.
I'm sorry to say that it is likely that at some point they will mess you around, they have some good staff but there are others that really don't care.

[tommos43]

thanks for all the replies i an trying my local stroke association will keep you updated.

got a visit from the above this coming monday.

[rds60h]

Just a couple of things that may save you money but you usually have to search for :-

Don't know if you were given top tier or lower tier disablement on PIP but top tier entitles you to a Mobility Car or money in lieu and also free Vehicle Tax, if it was the lower tier PIP you are now entitled to 50% off your Vehicle Tax. Details here :: Road Tax exemption - Disabled Motoring UK (http://www.disabledmotoring.org/motoring/road-tax-exemption)

BT have a low income line rental scheme called BT Basic at ?15.30 every 3 months. Details here :: BT Basic: a calling plan for those on low incomes – BT Inclusion (http://www.bt.com/includingyou/other-products-services-bt-basic.html)

There is a scheme for lower Water rates called Water Sure you should be entitled to. Details here :: Ofwat?::?Household consumers?::?Extra care services?::?WaterSure (vulnerable groups scheme)?::?WaterSure (http://www.ofwat.gov.uk/consumerissues/assistance/watersure/)

There are some other things out there but you really have to search hard as very few will tell you, any more I find I will post.

[rds60h]

Here is another site that can be of great assistance and not just for you Tommas43, it has a "Benefits Calculator" that you enter all your details on and it then advises you what you are entitled to claim, and it can be used by everyone irrespective of income just so that you can check you are getting what you are entitled to.
Turn2us - to access benefits and grants (http://www.turn2us.org.uk/default.aspx)

[Lainie]

if you pm me i will be able to help you further.

[rds60h]

if you pm me i will be able to help you further.

Lovely gesture Lainie, you're one of life's real diamonds.

Note to Tommas43.................Please PM Lainie, this lovely lady helped me and I know that she can help you.

[Meat-Head]

Might be worth checking your thanks button check wasn't affected by your stroke

[rds60h]

Might be worth checking your thanks button check wasn't affected by your stroke


Hey Meat he must be as blind as me, until you said that I didn't even realise it was there !!
I must only look for stuff on the right hand side, because I knew the Like button was there. lol.

[rds60h]

Double Post

[Meat-Head]

Off topic

thanksss button is great, you have a problem, then find a old thread, you see a recent thanks by someone, you have chance to pm and interigate them, like no date stamp

[tommos43]

thanks meathead

[ifred]

Might be worth checking your thanks button check wasn't affected by your stroke

I'm pressing the like and thanks buttons for him :top:
Tommos happy your still active on the DK forum. I can't help you much on the benefit issue
What I can help you with is the effort you put in in the early days after a stroke are very valuable in helping your brain to rewire itself
I know its hard, tough and very very frustrating but if you can overcome the frustration, remembering your rewiring your brain to divert functions to other undamaged areas of the brain before redundancy sets in and its lost forever.
The best motivation a friend got from the medic was proving their prognosis wrong...he now reminds them regularly top bod :top:

[Lainie]

check your messages tommo. ive also given you my email address.

rds has posted some fantastic links for you and dont be afraid to ask. i cant comment on them as although i have many conditions i do work 30 hours a week. take EVERYTHING you can get. ie apply for a blue badge etc.

the fact that you got P.I.P. is fantastic as thats the hard one to get.

a lot depends on if you have a partner, do they work, do you have school age kids, are you in rented accommodation etc. most important if you fail on any application - complain and again id advise you how to word it etc

[tommos43]

update for you guys,

recovery is moving forward,mobility improving as is my concentration

big thanks to lainie for the PM so very kind.

there is no one stop shop i have found

stroke assoc have all the contacts and are a great help.

its such a long difficult road but not all downs so enjoy the ups where you can.

i will walk again at some point...thats a fact

just to add i have managed to get a council tax band reduction with little stress but only 120 a year (better than nothing and no hassle getting it either)

[Meat-Head]

recovery is moving forward,mobility improving as is my concentration


i will walk again at some point...thats a fact



Nice for updates on stuff.

Did the doctors say if when you walk you will be able to press the DK thanks button for ANY thread or ANY post?

[rds60h]

update for you guys,

recovery is moving forward,mobility improving as is my concentration

big thanks to lainie for the PM so very kind.

there is no one stop shop i have found

stroke assoc have all the contacts and are a great help.

its such a long difficult road but not all downs so enjoy the ups where you can.

i will walk again at some point...thats a fact

just to add i have managed to get a council tax band reduction with little stress

Glad you are having some positive results and that your condition is improving. When the System works right for the genuine cases it is a great help and always remember there are some great support groups out there, the unfortunate part is that you have to search quite hard to find some of them.
I'm sure with the attitude and determination that you have you Will Walk Again !!!

[tommos43]

Nice for updates on stuff.

Did the doctors say if when you walk you will be able to press the DK thanks button for ANY thread or ANY post?

thanks MH your empathy is truly humbling.

thanks button now located but forgive me if i fail to relocate for any of yours

[thered]

thanks MH your empathy is truly humbling.

thanks button now located but forgive me if i fail to relocate for any of yours

lol good too see people on this thread still have a sense of humour


Glad your on the mend, as Lainie said PIP apparantly the more difficult one but ESA can be a pain too with medicals ect. People just assume that because they have had an illness or something that they will automatically qualify when in general they end up not.

Biggest mistakes are that they do not give the answers needed, but im sure you already got good advice of the stroke society ( ken barrlow stuart hall founders lol). The main issue is not what you have or have had it is HOW it effects your daily life. If you answer correctly and have the medical evidence to back it you will have no problems


good luck with the recovery

[ajax2061]

my PIP claim taken 7 months and still waiting :( phoned up the other day only to be told the person who did assessment back in December still not written the report up oh well can but wait, as said above you really have to let them know how it is on bad days and how bad it effect how you live, if you got the doctors to back you up and it is a bad enough you should get it, what lvl depends on illness and how bad it is.

I'am looking at mid-high lvl I guess (have read dwp guild lines for giving pip for ppl with crohns) for my crohns (plus another couple of illness's) as it is failing to respond to meds for example last week started a liquid only diet 3 days in I get a huge flareup witch isn't meant to happen so now back to solid food again and another camera where the sun don't shine while getting flare ups and huge pain almost every week for days at a time :/ Oh well life goes on.

[tommos43]

Perhaps i was the lucky one it seems,keep at it

[BlueBox]

interesting reading will also help someone in my family as to what they can claim for

[tommos43]

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this is worth a stab at

hopefully be back up soon

[rds60h]

</title> <link rel="canonical" href="http://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/" /> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="/Content/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link rel="icon" href="/Content/images/favicon.ico" type="image/x-icon" /> <link h (http://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/Error)

this is worth a stab at

hopefully be back up soon

This can be used with the same outcome :: Your Details - Entitledto (http://www.entitledto.co.uk/calculator/)
Also for those wanting to check for Tax Credits there is this :: Tax Credits Calculator | Working Tax Credits Calculator | Family Nest (http://www.familyinvestments.co.uk/family-nest/tools/Tax-credits-benefits-calculator/)

[Lainie]

I know its been ages since i have been on. Lots of changes in the last year re benefits and even more coming unfortunately. Just pm me if u need help. Xx

[rds60h]

Lainie, you are an angel !!
It is wonderful when someone like yourself offers help and advice at a time when it feels like the world is against anyone who dares to be on benefits.
The glut of Benefits programmes and rhetoric in some of the media has made many people think that anyone on benefits is a scrounger and the same as the characters they show.
For the ordinary person who has the misfortune to become unemployed for reasons beyond their control the reality of being "On the Dole" is nothing like what is being portrayed and very few people realise just how quickly they could fall from being in a comfortable job and way of life to being at the bottom of the barrel.
So help and sympathy from someone with your knowledge and experience is a godsend.

[gmb45]

you can see exactly what the tory scum are trying to do, make all people on benefits look like scroungers, never mind all that bolox about "encouraging" people to find work, there aint enough jobs to employ 2m + people, even if a lot of jobs wasnt being done by migrants, they know vacancies will be filled by migrant workers to dont give a toss thats why they wont close the doors, them on benefits are an easy target and they know they cant do owt about it, boils my pish :mad: