Hi guys

I had a horse riding accident 2 years ago and still recieving treatment for my left wrisit and arm.  I have been told i may need my wrist to be fused. which will result in me not being able to do massage therapy which is my normail job.

I struggle with driving, using the gear stick and handbrake, and also carrying things and pushing and pulling things.  I also struggle in pushing myself out the bath, shopping etc.

I was wondering does anyone know of any help out there which i could get? ie for help in putting rails in the bathroom etc, and adapting my car?

Hope someone can help

Try contacting Social Services Thompson, they may be able to help you.

why don't you ring citizens advise, they know just about everything about claiming benefits and where to get help.
if your claiming disability allowance they should be able to help also or know who can. 

Are you having physiotherapy as they may possibly be able to refer you to occupational therapy who would be able to assess what aids you need and how to get them.

in my area its local council who deal with this kind of help as long as you are the tenant or owner of the property my OH mum got here whole house adapted free of charge and she owns the house,
think you have to get Dla tho,

If you are working and claiming a wage then you might not be eligable . Try asking at your GP's for who you need to ask .

thanks guys, at present i am unemployed as i used to be a sports massage therapist and can no longer do that job, plus I am waiting for another operation on my arm to help with the pain.  I may also need to have the wrist fused.

I dont think I would be able to get Disability living allowence or anything like that the GP said as he said its now changed and I would have to prove I need personal help getting ready, cooking etc.

I thought you used to be a hairdresser when you lived down south? Can you not do that again?

Hi I am a hairdresser to and owned a hair salon down south and also up north however it was a franchise and after my accident I was asked to sell them as I wasnt able to run them fully with having so much time in hospital.  My wrist is that bad I cant do massage or hair anymore as my left wrisit is just about useless :-(

i would think that if you have lost mostly all the use in one arm/hand then you should be able to get DLA , as you would need help doing certin things my mum has one leg she gets it , also my friends mum has Arthrites (sorry bout spelling) in her hands she gets it ,
i would get the form or do it online http://www.dwp.gov.uk/eservice/#

dont forget to be totally honest with yoursellf as to just how difficuilt things are to do now compared to when you had use of your hand, sometimes we forget just how easy life was before the crisis, and the change can come to feel normal as you get used to the way things are,
it must take you longer to do things now you may need help with some things now that before you could have done alone,
its a pretty hard form to fill out as you feel like you are putting youself down i know my mum had a very hard time with it as shes always been a very independant women whos worked all her life never claimed a penny even tho she was more than intilted to it she always thought that as she could work , (even tho it she struggled badly) she felt that her coping would mean she was not able to get anything , as a result she only started claiming at 60 years old and she lost her leg aged 4 years old, thats alot of benifit she should have got but no one ever advised her she was able to get it, give it a go you have nothing to lose ,good luck xx

Go on to www.entitledto.com - it might help.

You should be getting support though if you were self-employed and can no longer work, you should be getting some variation of unemployment support.

Your GP is correct, to get disability allowance at a minimum you need to show that you need help with day-to-day tasks, like preparing you own meals.

the direct.gov.uk site has lots of info, or you can ring the Citizens Advice Bureau for help.

> I was wondering does anyone know of any help out there which i could get? ie for help in putting rails in the bathroom etc, and adapting my car?
>

My dad has had his left arm amputated (below the elbow) and has arthritis in the thumb in his right hand, which means he struggles using the right hand for gripping/grasping things with the right hand. he has had no help for adapting a car. When cars are adapted, it is usually to convert them to hand controls (when the feet can't be used to work the pedals), which is pointless for people with only 1 usable hand as you need 1 hand on the wheel for steering & 1 hand on the hand control for the brake/accelerator.
My dad drives an automatic car, he uses a steering knob fixed to the wheel (easier to  steer with the one hand that way) and has had his brother fix a rod to elongate the control stalk (indicators I think it's for) on the left hand side of the wheel, to make it easier to use the stalk  as it didn't come out past the edge of the steering wheel and he wasn't able to get his hook behind to work the stalk.
He uses his right hand to put the car in drive/reverse/park and for the handbrake.

He's had help with having a shower fitted, as he struggles getting in/out of the bath.

He does get DLA, initially at the lowest rate, but since he's had the artritis in the right hand he claimed for more, that claim was refused, so he appealed. I went with him to the hearing where he got a good grilling by the people there (including a Dr.), after that they upped his DLA to the middle rate.
Basically the hearing was to find out what he can/can't do, every answer he gave was questioned - LOL my dad said he struggled putting on shoes/socks, the Dr. said 'but you can get an impliment to put in the back of your shoe/sock, you hold on to it and it helps you get the shoe/sock on' , to which my dad replied 'yes, that would be perfect - if I could actually grip the thing with my right hand' DOH!!

But this still means he is unable to get a disability badge for his car. He would love to be able to park closer to shops, as carrying/pushing things is a major problem, but he's been told he has legs, so can walk to a shop

sorry to hear of your dads troubles i no what you mean about claiming DLA we had trouble with my Mums claim and it was mostly because she had never claimed anything they wondered why and asked her if she thought her condition would get better my mum said well she thought it would and has been waiting for her leg to grow back but it hasn't as yet lol,

my mum said she felt like some kind of benefit fraudster being put on trial , and all because she decided to ask for a benefit at aged 60 when she should have been intilted to it for many years, no chance they will back date it, my mum seems to have been one who slipped thu the net,
even when she worked she payed the same tax as a single man not as a single parent as she was, no one ever pointed this out to her and she new nothing about how to sort that out, she was just a factory worker who slogged her guts out working 12 hour shifts to pay the rent while i was left alone most all of the time ,
then when she had an absus on her brain when i was 26 it nearly killed her she got in areas with her rent and was evicted leaving her homeless ,
is it any wonder she chooses to live in her caravan on a quiet site in kent with no hassles, no one ever done her any favours she hates coming back here when the season closes theirs always hassle with Doctors , limb fitting centre, my HA or something even getting her a pensioner bus was a nightmare with the forms letter and god they may as well have wanted blood, 3 post offices i had to go to with her to get it as 2 of them just gave us grife about her pension letter,
few year ago i had her applie for a disability bus pass they had her sitting up their for 6 hours before giving it her and when finally they did the blooming thing ran out 3 weeks later, we were told all of them ran out at this time and she had to come back into the office and renew it, total nightmare,

> asked her if she thought her condition would get better my mum said well she thought it would and has been waiting for her leg to grow back but it hasn't as yet lol,
>

LOL, it sounds like she has the same sense of humour as my dad :-)

>we had trouble with my Mums claim and it was mostly because she had never claimed anything

It seems as if those that realy need the help are the ones that struggle to get it. I know the rules & regs are strict to stop the fraudsters claiming, but it seems to just go against the genuine cases :(

"But this still means he is unable to get a disability badge for his car. He would love to be able to park closer to shops, as carrying/pushing things is a major problem, but he's been told he has legs, so can walk to a shop "

That's because there are two different components for DLA - one is a care allowance and the other is a mobility allowance.   It's only mobility that has any impact on whether or not you are eligible for Disabled Parking.    However, I thought individual cases could be taken up, but it looks like you've tried that route.

BTW, I assume that your dad is on the middle rate for care?  If so, he should also be getting either care allowance or (depending on his age) attendance allowance.

Anyway ... it annoys the heck out of me that for some of the supermarkets, no matter what the time of day, it is impossible to park anywhere near the entrance to the store.   I don't mean to lash out, but the number of "mother and child" spaces at some is absolutely ridiculous.   I can understand why mums with pushchairs and small children need the extra space - but some of the "children" getting out of the cars are nearly working age!   I wish individual stores would have their own parking schemes for people that need help, like your dad, with store badges to park near the store.

> BTW, I assume that your dad is on the middle rate for care?  If so, he should also be getting either care allowance or (depending on his age) attendance allowance.

Sorry to dissillusion you but there is no such thing as Care Allowance-there is Carers Allowance paid to a disabled person's carer. Attendance Allowance is payable to people over 65, who do not receive DLA Care Component.

The Disabled Person's Parking Badge scheme is for disabled people, who have difficulties walking.

> It's only mobility that has any impact on whether or not you are eligible for Disabled Parking.

Nope, you can get a 'disabled' badge if you are registered blind (regardless of how well your legs work), and if you have difficulty opperating parking meters, due to problems with your arms.

My sister has a blue badge for her daughter who has autisum and she is only 6, my niece that is!!  I have never been able to work out how they give out blue badges, some seem to get them and others who need them dont.

>I have never been able to work out how they give out blue badges, some seem to get them and others who need them dont.

I think the term 'mobility' badge/benefit is misleading, as you don't have to have mobility problems to qualify. Being 80% deaf can entitle you to a badge as can being mentally challenged/suffer from behaviour problems or other disablities that require you to have somebody with you for help or your own safety.

now see my son has Autisum but i cant get a blue badge yet a women across the road from me's son has it also and on same level as my son but she got one, i think it really depends on whos dealing with your claim for it at the time,

Moonmaiden,

I should have taken more time and been more specific, if someone is on the middle or high rate for care, or on Atttendance Allowance, they are entitled to a "carer" and that carer will be paid carer's allowance. 

It is misleading, but the only "automatic" issue of the blue badge I believe is if someone is in receipt of the high mobility rate of DLA.  The rest I think is a matter of judgement by the officials, which does seem to vary depending on who is doing the judging. 

From the Direct Gov site


Who can have a Blue Badge

You are automatically eligible to apply for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

    * receive the higher rate of the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance
    * are registered blind
    * receive a War Pensioner's Mobility Supplement

You may also be eligible for a badge if you are over two years old and either:

    * have a permanent and substantial disability which means you cannot walk, or which makes walking very difficult
    * drive a motor vehicle regularly, have a severe disability in both arms, and are unable to operate all or some types of parking meter (or would find it very difficult to operate them)

If you are a parent of a child who is less than two years old, you may apply for a badge for your child if they have a specific medical condition which means that they either:

    * must always be accompanied by bulky medical equipment which cannot be carried around without great difficulty
    * need to be kept near a vehicle at all times, so that they can, if necessary, be treated in the vehicle, or quickly driven to a place where they can be treated, such as a hospital

It is misleading, but the only "automatic" issue of the blue badge I believe is if someone is in receipt of the high mobility rate of DLA.  The rest I think is a matter of judgement by the officials, which does seem to vary depending on who is doing the judging

this is so true my mum getsmiddle rate care and higher rate mobility and she got a blue badge no hassles execpt a 6 hour wait,
the women across road with Autistic son gets middle rate care and lower rate moblilty but she got one also ,

i get same rates as her but was turned down flat by a very stroppy young guy in the office he had me sit their 4 hours and as i had to pick son up he then refused to deal with the claim even tho i was only popping 5 mins up the road to the school to get son , said i had to be their when he was ready to look at the claim when i'd been their 4 hours already waiting for him to look at it, so i had to take all the paperwork back from him, and even others waiting Gasp in shock at his bad manners,

he kept me and me mum waiting 6 hours for her blue bagde also,

anyway i took claim back first thing nxt morning and he looked at it for 5 min and said NO! WWWWW WON WWWWORD COMES TO MIND FOR THIS MAN but i smile and say (thu gritted teeth) I Never did mind about the little things!!

i no i could try again but i really dont want the stress i think i must have been bad to this man in a past life and he remembers it, he seems to have a VERY BIG Chip on his shoulder,
i only have to discribe this little man to other people who i no have to go their for passes and badges and they all no Exactly who im talking about,

as it goes when he kept me and my mum waiting 6 hours even she said theirs something wrong with this guy as he seems to get some sick plesure in making you wait while he struts around the office (infront of you) with his blu tooth device in his ear chating to his pals,

i cant say to you all where id like to shove that blu tooth device as i may get into trouble :-)

I do believe some people that work for the government do so just so they can exert "power" over people.    Not long ago there was an article in my local paper about a woman with a seriously disabled son.  He was little enough so she could use a pushchair and not a wheelchair for him, but she had to carry lots of medical equipment too.   She was refused a blue badge, even after appeal.   One photo of the young boy and what this woman had to lug with her at all times would have been enough for us mere mortals to issue a blue badge, but not the petty bureaucrats.

Moonmaiden,

Yes, but what the criteria points out is that if you have already gone through the hoops with some other government body to be "certified" you will get a blue badge.  If you have not, then it is a judgement call and the latter is where the difficulty rests for a lot of people.