United Brachial Plexus Network, Inc.

I heard an advert on Talk Radio saying people could apply for benefits if they were partially disabled.e.g Bad Back etc.
I am self employed with a bpi injury and consequently have bad days with the pain and cannot work.
Has anyone in a similar situation been able to claim any benefit?
Phil

Hello Phil, yes you can get a benefit called"DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE" you have to get in touch with your benefits agency, or a social worker could help, or your local citizens advice beaurow(spelt wrong) they should have forms you need to fill in, it takes a bit of time, but you will get your payment back dated to the time you first applied.

hope this helps
p s i'll give you a little tip, when you apply lay it on Quite thick, & please do apply your entitle to it.

bigsel

Hi Phil

I'm not too sure what the rules are regarding disability living allowance/incapacity benefits and self employment; as you know, the 'self' bit of the employment alters a whole range of things, including income tax, and anything involved with national insurance contributions. I do know that the rules etc did change a short while ago.(they seem to change weekly I reckon!)Your best bet is to look at the Benefits Agency website where they list every benefit going, and can indicate whether you are entitled.

...or if you want to talk to a human, try posting on the benefits forum at Yourable.com; the link for that is;
http://www.disabilitynet.co.uk/TwoShare ... troduction

That should get you in; you might be asked to register first tho... good luck

Liz B

after my accident (5 yrs ago)I claimed for dissabilaty living allowance,I too am a self employed bricklayer.
a doc from the dss called and checked me out and it was granted ,about £70 per week.But this only lasted until i was able to work again,in my case 1 yr thenthe benefit stopped.
I dont know of an allowance that lets you claim for regular periods off work and the agro of all the paper work makes you wonder if it would be worth while..

let us know how you get on

karl

hi phil, yes you should be entitled to disability living allowance which is a non means tested benefit, ie it doesnt matter what you earn, when it asks all its stupid questions always use your worst scenario when it asks how many days u need help for potentially it could be 7 days as you dont know when your going to have a bad day or good day so in theory you need someone available to help you 7 days a week in case you have a good day. the cooking test is quite an easy way of getting £15 a week its a hypothetical test.......asking if you were given all the fresh ingredients from scratch could you cook a meal without the help from another person.............answers to put down on this section may be unable to peel potatoes, unable to open tins, unable to chop up meat, unable to hold saucepans still on the stove , unable to peel/chop vegetables, unable to lift pans safetly from the oven etc etc. theres much more & you may be able to do some of the above but the above is what there looking for for lower rate care. being in pain can also stop you doing anything!

i would advise you complete the form with citizens advice buruae as if you have other problems you maybe entitled to a higher rate & if you have mobility probs you may be entitled to a mobility element.

dont know how much you earn but there is another benefit called disabled persons tax credit but your earnings have to be fairly low to claim this......can get info from benefits enquiry line.

next benefit is & im unsure about this one if your self employed but after 3 days can you claim statutuory sick pay from the government??

best bet is to contact your local citizens advice bureau or benefits enquiry line (0800) 882200

hope this is of some help hazel, ps i work full time & get sick pay from work luckily also get dla at lower rate although at times & with the pain etc i think i should challenge it to get middle rate but at the time i got awarded it i got awarded for life so im loathed to keep having to reapply every few years & if they do away with the benefit i have a life issue. swings & roundabouts!!

Many thanks for all your e.mails, I'll keep you posted on how I get on.
Phil

Just a note to let you know that I have been successful in my claim for a Disability Living Allowance at the low rate. Many thanks for the help and advice.
Phil

Phil
Well done on getting your DLA at lower rate, how long did they grant it to you for?
I help run the Erb's Palsy Group in the Uk and I often advise people about claiming this benefit. I hope that as the TBPI group grows in the UK that they too will advise all injured people in the UK to claim this benefit, in the mean time, I have had a lot of experience in completing these claim forms and I am happy to offer advise either by e mail at;
erbspalsygroup@supanet.com or via the phone, in Britain call 024 7641 3293
I can't promise anything, but I am happy to share our experiences.
Karen

Karen
It does not mention in the letter how long I have been awarded the allowance for. As I told them I incurred the injury in 1971 and my doctor confirmed it was permanent I presumed it was till I was 65!
The CAB recommended that I also apply for Disability Tax Credit from the inland revenue now that I am in receipt of DLA.
It took 3 months to get the allowance, but it has been back dated.
I was getting hassled by the IR.Inspector as to what I did every day e.g. provide log of activities. My accountant said that they wouldn't believe that I have an injury that can occasionally pole axe me with the pain. I reckon they may do now!
Phil

Phil,
if they didn't mention a cut off date then it probably is until you're 65 - it doesn't stop then either, it just gets called Attendance Allowance instead.
If at any point your condition worsens and you feel you are needing more help, you can ask them to review the amount of benefit payable - often this can then go up to the middle rate, which is quite a jump in money from the low rate, and you can still go on working too.
Glad to hear about the IR and the tax credits too!
let me know if we can ever help!
Karen