Someone in the dog/net fraternity has lodged an allegation against me with the DWP - I am assuming in a effort to get my benefits stopped bless them. Have had a visit from a Fraud squad investigator, a very nice lady actually who made me realise that I can go about my daily life with no fear of reprisals etc as I am in no way defrauding the state or committing any offence by showing my dogs or even breeding and chipping the occassional animal or litter for myself or my friends.

Seems she knew I'd travelled to Crufts by train but my accussor failed to mention I wasn't alone on either journey and rarely am, I don't drive so she knew someone had to take me to shows in a car - my eldest was here and soon told her she was the one who took me and was taking me tomorrow to Blackpool.

The top and bottom of it all is that nothing more will come of this investigation as I didn't start a business. plus she could see how bad my balance was and my hearing - told her I had started a new course of steroids today to try and improve things - helped I'm sure having a few letters from my GP to hand to explain my problems and treatment options all of which included brain surgery and poss permanent hearing loss with no improvement in balance.

Perhaps Dakota's recent wins are more than some can cope with --- I do feel sorry for the person who made the allegation as they must be very unhappy with their life to feel the need to get some sort of revenge on another person.

Sorry to read your letter. Some people are so mean spirited! Keep going,keep winning that'll show 'em

Hi schip, obviously I know nothing about what benfits you are on or your circumstances etc, neither am I pertinent enough to ask! but surely (and this is hypothetical...not aimed at you neccessarily) if you are well enought to breed pups or have an income from chipping, then that must be deducted from state benefits? I dont know how these things work but as you will have seen from my other recent post.....its a bit of a bug-bear for me at the moment

Sam ,my disability is chronic and causes several different problems it's called bilateral Autoimmune menieres Disease and I am affected in both ears, I think most people on this board already know so I have no problems if you know too.

My last litter was born in Oct 01 and I have in 23 yrs produced 5 litters so although I am a breeder in the true sense I am not an overly active breeder never have been, I have only chipped a few animals that I are my own or a friends, I do not do have an income from chipping. I attend shows accompanied for my own safety and those around me as my disease gives no warning of an attack which has various forms.

Daily I suffer sever tinitus which affects my hearing, pressure pain, like that experienced on take off or landing in an aircraft because of excess fluid within my inner ear, motion sickness, and dizziness. An attack can be anything from sudden roaring tinnitus in 1 or both ears that throws me off balance and causes profound deafness in the affected ear at it's worst I fall with no warning and vomit profusely, this can last a few seconds but leave me exhausted or it can last a few weeks leaving me bedridden unable to move without sever vertigo (spinning dizziness akin to being drunk on a rollercoaster everytime u open u're eyes or move). It is called the invisible crippler because there are no physical signs of health problems except maybe a very good impression of a drunk - believe me I've been tutted at many a time in the street for being drunk at 9am trying to get to my Dr's.

So many disabilities are like mine in that they cannot be seen, do go into remission for a while plus no one gets to see a sufferer at their worst because they are usually bedridden, the benefits are to help you maintain your home and allow you some mobility ie paying people to come in to help with your daily needs, transport costs etc. Many like me have children who help with many of the daily necessities including the dogs and derive great pleasure from helping me in a way that enables me to keep 1 of my interests alive. I learned to chip so that if the new animal welfare bill becomes law I would be able to chip my own puppies - yes even the few I do produce and do the same for a few close friends if they so required and I was able to at the time.

So you see Sam although many of us may be able to do something 1 day we can and do pay a high price for several days to weeks afterwards, this is what makes us unemployable, we are deemed a public liability with a condition such as mine or we are too unrealiable for any company to take us on ----- believe me I've tried I don't do cabin fever well. In the last few yrs I've gone from being a person who runs her own business working with special needs children, breeding parrots, poultry, waterfowl, rabbits and showing most of them, producing sugarpaste celebrations cakes, typing for people and working out 16 hrs a week in the gym to someone who needs 60mg steroids to help her maintain enough balance to do a day out at a dog show once a mth and poss twice to the supermarket for food. So yes we do try to do things the same as everyone else and work hard at convincing ourselves and others that we're not really sick (I'm not ready to believe that THIS IS IT for the rest of my life and there's no cure or treatment available!).

I agree there are some really terrible people out there who try to defraud the system but so many of us go through this sort of thing when we're genuine and we worry if we do too much people will think we're not really disabled after all. I know it may appear that we do ourselves no favours but we are only human after all who will never live a conventional 'normal life' again.

Hi Schip...blimey that sounds pretty grotty. Like I said, not aimed at you. Hope things improve.
sam

Sounds awful - I too hope it improves :(

Chloe

Hi Schip I too suffer from menieres but thankfully for me it isnt at the moment anyway as severe as yours and my good days still far out number the bad, but those days of violent sickness and extreme dizzyness are horrendous.I am sorry someone is so jealous of your success that they feel the need to report you in this way.Hopefully your winning streak will last and fate will stick two fingers up at those jealous lowlives(sorry if that offends anyone but its the way I feel cos I know what this illness involves) Best Wishes Gillian

Hi

You may be innocent, but there are plenty out there who aren't! If you are doing nothing wrong then you have nothing to worry about, but if I thought someone was defrauding the taxpayer by claiming benefits they are not entitled to, I wouldn't hesitate to report them. I'm sure you would agree, after all, it brings down the genuine people too.

Chloe :)

what did you expect :rolleyes: youve got 2 cc's , remember mandy, what goes around comes around--theyll get theres :D

Of course Linda I should have made the connection sooner ------- IT'S BLACKPOOL TOMORROW!!! So do you think anyone in dogs has that much power?

Sorry it has made me more laid back about my life style and my dogs, the woman warmed to me when she realised I have upto 4 days at a time where I can feel pretty good but be totally deaf, do you know how quickly you forget how your children sound talking or the tune to a song? I never used to appreciate such things but last week was the first time in 2 yrs I heard the dawn chorus and must confess I lay in bed crying coz I don't know if that was going to be the last time I heard it too.

Horrible isn't it Gillian on your good days you can convince yourself that they've made a mistake and you're gonna get well again ............ stupid idea but we all live in hope lol.