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Thread: Agoraphobia

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Feb 2007
    Posts
    78

    Re: Agoraphobia

    I have just applied and am waiting to hear about, the form is really tricky and took me 4 weeks to complete because of how distressing it is to put in words how your illness really affects you. I had help from a number of people. If you are seeing a counsellor - ask her for her plan of care for you, and submit that with it. If you have any other psycholigical services input put that information down and put in copies of the plans of care they have for you.

    You are most definitely entitled - Definitely appeal!

    I have discovered that it is easier to get benefits when you want to claim them fraudulently than when you are really ill, because when you are ill, you have problems filling out the forms and finding the right information to fill them out with.

    If you contact your local council - they will have a benefits avice team, and they can send someone out to make sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, also CAB are ok depending on who they have trained to help.

    I found the easiest way to get accross how my illness affected me was to get someone to help me breakdown their questions that you have to answer into a more specific question. Because the DLA questions are ambiguous and don't help you to fill in how you really are.

    For example - do you need supervision from people during the day? you might think from the tick boxes that the answer is no. But if the tick boxes don't apply to you, but you need someone around - then tick the further information box and write exactly why you need someone there.

    For example - do you skip meals because you don't feel lioke eating or cooking for yourself, would it help you to eat properly if there was another person around? Do you forget to take your medication, or not bother, or forget if you've taken it? Do you have to set a clock to remind you to take medication?
    Do you wait until your friends suggest you shower or bath? or wait until you can't stand your own smell anymore?

    Break it down into smaller wuestions, that when you answer them, will show that you really do need help.

    Do you need help preparing a meal for yourself - In there write if you eat out of date food? even if it is only because you buy it because it's cheaper! It gets you points - as you areat risk of getting sicker by eating out of date food? Have you ever forgotten you put something on to cook? have you ever tried to put the milk in the kettle or knives and forks in the fridge because your brain wasn't working properly? Tell them that you do this, have you ever set off the smoke alarm because of your cooking burning? do you only ever eat toast or junk food cos it's all you can face, or do you not eat because your illness makes you not want to eat or feel like eating?

    It is a really hard form to fill out - you really do need people to help you do it. And to help you break down the questions into ones appropriate to your particular illness.

    So for agorophobia - do you only go out when there is someone with you? yes. But how do them being there make a difference, would you go out at all if no-one helped you, can you go to the shop and buy food or do you have to have it delivered by tesco? do you have panic attacks when you step outside the front door, panic in shops, throw up feel sick, is this averted by having a close friend with you? As for the time thing - if you needed to go out every day just to the shop to buy something - would you be able to do it on your own, the way you did before you were ill? if the answer is no - you need someone to help - then you need that help 7 days a week - because you don't go out unless you have help etc.

    Hope this long winded thing is making sense to you?

    Definitely appeal, and if you have a copy of the form you sent in - go through it again, with someone, as if you wer filling it in for the first time - and rewrite your answers having broken the questions down - if you can.

    Then you have evidence for your appeal.

    Freaky Chick

  2. #12
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    46

    Re: Agoraphobia

    Hi, everyone after much thought I did appeal, I rang up the number on the forms, and spoke to a woman, and she said that you can only get disability allowance if you can't get out of the house at all, and it didn't include agrophobia, so I asked her why was in on the forms that I filled in then, and she didn't know it was, I thought some system this is when them working there don't know that, I told her that I couldn't get out without my husband and then it wasn't very far, I asked her what made them turn it down and she said it was what my GP had said in the letter to them, I asked if I could know what she had said, and there wasn't any mention of my agrophobia in the letter to them, and she sent me a copy of it as well, so I told her how I was, and she is dealing with it, I will keep you posted, but if this don't work they can stuff it I won't waste any more pen and ink or phone calls on them.

  3. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    1,380

    Re: Agoraphobia

    Wow what a Doctor? can you change Doctor or even mover to a differnt surgery, its the Old if they dont understand something they just say we are fine? thats why I cant be bothered with CBT and stuff to go and see teenagers who have no experienced only what the book says. I dont think there is a book in the world that knows our personal experiences with anxiety disorders as we are all very different. My Gp is ok as her son suffers anxiety and she hd an uncle who killed himself with to much drink, she is asian and to me that qualifies her to understand. hope you get some better luck, love Vernon

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    46

    Re: Agoraphobia

    Thought I would let you know about my appeal for disability allowance well I got turned down again, so they can stuff it , and if I ever get to the grand old age of 700 and decrepit and any of the people involved suggest I put in for it then, well wont they it hear from me! could anyone tell me if you have to have some sort of benefit to get a disablement badge for parking your car, or do they give them out willy nilly.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    1,380

    Re: Agoraphobia

    Hi Carol, I have dla middle rate for both and a blue badge, But I do remember when I was registered partly sighted I got nothing, then when hospital regerstered me blind I got the dla and badge. but there are people with anxieties who do get dla. Maybe different in different Towns! Try getting an appointment with CAB and see what they sugest? take care all Vernon

  6. #16
    Join Date
    Jul 2006
    Location
    , , United Kingdom.
    Posts
    259

    Re: Agoraphobia

    Hi

    Appeal again. I did with the following information and got lower rate mobility disability. It's a bit long, but copy it and they so not have a leg to stand on. Here goes:

    For a start the woman you phoned was wrong as you will not the the lower rate mobility allowance if you cannot go outside at all.

    You can get it:

    State: "I cannot go outside my door without supervision and guidance from another person due to my condition of agoraphobia and anxiety. Before even venturing outside my front door I need to be cajoled and encouraged by another person to cross my front door. I then need contant reassurance to enable me to take advantage of walking outside.

    Section 73 (1) (d) of the Social Security Contribution and Benefit Act 1992 state:

    "He (she) is able to walk but is so diabled physically of mentally, disregarding any ability he (she) may have to use routes which are familar to him (her) on his (her) own, he (she) cannnot take advange of the facility of walking out doors without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time".

    I therefore suggest that failure to take in to account the fact that due to my mental illnesses of agoraphobia and anxiety, I CANNOT walk outdoors without a person with me amounts to an error of law with regard to Section 73 (1) (d). CDLA/042/94, paras 17-20 deal with the meaning of guidance and supervision as used in S 73 (1) (d). In these paragraphs a commissioner expressed the view that guidance could involve physically leading or directing a claimant or oral suggestion or persuasion. Supervision he regarded as including encouraging, cajoling, providing distraction from possible alarming situations orgrammar errors the mere provision of reassurance by the presence of a helper providing that this had the effect of ENABLING THE CLAIMANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACULTY OF WALKING OUTDORRS.

    CDLA 757/94 the commissioner took the view that S73 (1) (d) proceeds on the basis that guidance or supervision will remedy the claimant's inability to use the faculty of walking outside.

    This will bom bard them with legislation that they obviously aren't aware of. Also go back to your doctor and explain again about you inablility to walk outside with out help and that you are claiming DLA and you need to make this clear in his correspondent with them.

    I know it is long winded but this is what I wrote back to them. I used to be a social worker and used to help people with their claimant forms.

    Please do not be down hearted. I just get so annoyed that the people with the power do not know the legal part.

    Please let me know how you get on.

    Sheena
    Last edited by sheena; 22-11-07 at 13:19. Reason: grammar errors

  7. #17
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    130

    Re: Agoraphobia

    i get both care and mobility at low rate i am totally reliant on my husband to leave the house he is the only person i feel safe....well half safe with its not regularly maybe once a week twice at most i have severe ocd as well as anxiety an paranoia i just got awarded it an wondered if low rate is the norm or should i appeal for higher rate my husband had to stop work to as i cant be left alone also i have six kids who i would not be able to get to school without him but because i only get low rate he cant get carers allowance for me either ! sorry if this is a ramble


    lee xx
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