ESA,PIP and PENSION

General health and lifestyle
1

Hi need help please, I have been off work for almost a year now, last April I gad an Op for Hip Bursitis, it was not successful, since then I have tried various alternative pain relief but no joy, next month I am having sessions of Shockwave Therapy, this is on my right hip, my left hip also needs doing and last week I tore the cartilage in my left knee.I have widespread Osteoarthritis, gave had two carpal tunnel procedures and both thumb joints replaced, I had a prolapsed disc in 2011 and this too was operated on.

I was on minimum DLA but when things got worse I claimed PIP have been awarded standard rate Daily living component and enhanced rate mobility component, I gave kept work updated with all information I have, they are trying to get me to retire, thing is my works pension is only £80 a month but if I take the pot it's 20k.

i also have been put in the Support group for ESA and get just over £100 a week, I had planned to meet se my pension pot to get a stairlift installed, and to buy a mobility scooter, but I called ESA earlier to get old if I claim my pension from work I will lose my ESA, my husband is retired and gets a pension, we also gave our life savings which we planned to use in later years to help when we get older, we are both 61, have worked all our lives from leaving school at 15, yet it seems we are penalised for being careful with our money, we live in a council house and get no other help, anyone advise the best road to rake please.xxx

2

Hi Eloise,

You state you are on ESA (Support Group) is this Income-based or Contribution-based ESA??

Sadly, being careful these days with money does not always pay as such - our society, governments have changed so much over the years with more to come in the next Election. You also stated about getting a stairlift installed, have you ever contacted Adult Social Care Services in your area? They maybe able to help you out, by reviewing needs with an Occupational Therapist. These people look at how you are living day to day, and items like Stairlifts can be authorized and funded by your local council using a Disability Funding Grant also known as a DFG. Many disabled people take this route, unless you plan on staying in your property for a long time. If at some point in the future you wanted to move into a bungalow then people tend to go for this option, because the stairlift can be removed at a later date, if you did move.

I can give you details of a website that would know more under your circumstances. But I would need to send you these details via a Private Message, because we are not allowed to post website urls or email addresses on here.

Regards,

Les.

3

Hi Les, just want to publicly thank you for all the invaluable advice you suggested.

Because of you I now have a bath Lift,a perching stool, we've just been told we're able to have a stair lift installed and I am being provided a wheelchair for my Worst days.

I also contacted my works pension dept for costings on my pensio,I intend to tatetattake my entire pot, I called ESA and PIP and they informed me that all my benefits are safe as none are means tested. What a relief, anyway again thank you so much lovely Les, I would never have asked for help, but your advice was so easy to follow, thank you thank you thank you Les xxxxxxxx

4

Hi Elouise,

You're more than welcome. Everything I stated to you is mostly what I have been through over the years.

The trouble with this country is nothing like these details are publicly known, so by asking others on a forum such as this one, is where you would find people that at some point have been in the same situ.

At the moment applying for an Electric Dual Motor Riser/Decliner Chair, because I have many problems trying to stand on to my zimmer.

I do have a bath seat, which works but is awkward - so, an electric bath lift is also on the agenda. But the main thing on the list is a Clos-o-mat, more commonly known as a bidet the cost of this alone is over £5,000 + labour. Properties made to make it more independent for the disabled person is always covered by Disabled Funding Grants, when they are expensive - there is a annual limit on this funding of £25,000 per year.

I would say in the past 17 years, we have had about £9,000 worth of changes made to the property, mostly done via an Occupational Therapist. I have a manual wheelchair, I am unable to steer a normal wheelchair due to the nerve disorder I have. I also have a Quadstick and a Quad-push with 4 wheels and a seat, which you can lift to put items in, if you need to move them with you to another room.

The best thing I had lately was my doctor asking the District Nurses to provide a hospital bed, to most it might be good having an electric bed, but for me it was to aid me to getting in to a sitting position from lying down, because my spine locks up. I can raise it at my own pace and do not have to ask my wife for help, sometimes I still do - because I fall asleep and slide down the wall by the side of bed, that is not easy to get up from, and I'm in more pain than usual.

Anyway, I am glad the information helped you - I like the nice comments I get on here.

Regards,

Les.

5

You will never know how much you helped me Les, bless you, as for pain I do understand I am in constant pain with both hips, I have undergone Physio and Shockwave Therapy which was so painful, I had stupidly put all my faith in the treatment but unfortunately it has made no difference at all, I must say though don't know if I've just been extremely lucky with my assessors but both times I was called for ESA and PIP they were so understanding and went through every little detail with me to make sure I understood thing is due to my memory Problems I can't recall any of it, luckily my husband was with me and he can so at least I can rely on him, I'm not happy that I've had to go back on the maximum dose of Tramadol after weaning myself off them following my spinal Operation in 2011, that was successful but 6 months after was when the hips problem first began, strangely enough and not sure if it was partly to blame but I always had niggling pain in my hips for many years which I put down to my Osteoarthritis, my workplace FORCED me to have 12 sessions of intense Physio, rowing machines and such like and it has been gradually getting so much worse since then, could well be a coincidence but I do feel it has made my preproblems worse especially after the consultant at the hospital pain clinic told me under no circumstances was I to allow the Physio dept to allow me anywhere near the gym as it would just aggravate my problems, they were just to give me very light exercises.

Anyway this is about thanking you LES like I say thank God for you and your kindness, I wouldn't have known where to start or who to contact but thanks to you the black days of worrying are mostly behind me, you're an absolute treasure LES thank you from the bottom of my heart, I constantly mention you in my prayers for your pain to lessen, God bless you and your family xx