Showing posts with label Brown Envelope. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brown Envelope. Show all posts
Thursday, 7 January 2016
A Trip to the CAB Office
I went with my Wife to the Citizens Advice Bureau during the walk in time from 9-3.30. I have never been to the CAB office before and I can now see why I could not get through on the phone as it is very busy. I basically spent about two hours there but most of that was waiting. I eventually saw a person who had experience with DLA and PIP and basically said I was on the right track. He gave me some extra printed material to help with the descriptors.
I have noticed in the new PIP application since the last time I filled in a DLA application that there are now more hoops to jump through all designed to catch me out no doubt. It just gets to me sometimes because it is just about money and no one is going to come round to help me. The thing is after you have a head injury after so many years that you never see the head injury consultants anymore and you just have to try and get on with your life and if you need anything you have to go through the GP.
I received another brown letter today saying that they had no medical notes from my existing DLA claim, thus putting more pressure on me. I am thinking of digging out my old reports from the head injury consultant from 20 odd years ago and copying them as evidence to prove this injury actually happened and I still have effects of it now. Oh well.
Friday, 6 March 2009
Have A Go At IB Claimants Week , Haven't We Been Through All This Before?
How do?
As it seems to be bash the IB claimants week this week in the newspapers I thought I might like to add a few points. It may well be alright having a go at IB claimants claiming they are lazy, fat, worthless pieces of shit who deserve all there benefits stopped and having it all claimed back, having them sent to the workhouse, starved, put in jail, do community work [I didn't know community work was paying so much these days] and the like but are there any better opportunities for people on IB in the recession?. I think not unless you fancy work focused interviews or the pathways to nowhere, thank the politicians and the banking fat cats with there £650000 year pensions for that, no doubt it will get a lot worse before it gets better so lets all get together and blame the usual easy targets on IB for it.
It will no doubt get worse for IB claimants. it always get worse for IB claimants unless of course you can magically recover or manage your condition and be able to find a rewarding job that pays more than the minimum wage so its actually worth doing.
All these people who write this crap in the comments sections about getting all the IB claimants off IB [even though they have not done anything wrong except be ill, being ill isn't a crime yet is it?] probably have no experience of having a disability/long term sickness at all. It also seems to these readers of these papers that if you are on benefits that you can not have some sort of social life or existence as well.
I have been writing for the last few months about my experience of brain injury, access to services, trying to get a job and experience of being on IB. It all came together 2 weeks ago with a session with a social work lecturer and a group of second year students at a university in the Midlands.
I was nervous before I went to the university and I had the same feeling you get when you go to the dentist and you are sitting in the waiting area and you can hear the drill in the background.
The lecturer explained to the students what the session was about and then what I was doing there and that I have a good few years experience of disability and the benefits system. The session was titled "Life inside the brown envelope from hell" I thought that bit up, clever eh?.
It was the first time I had done this type of thing and I did not realise beforehand that I was going to be doing most of the talking, it actually got very difficult trying to think what was in my head and then to actually say what I wanted to say. I think I surprised the students with some of my thoughts, the students asked me some very good questions as well. One of the students said that people should be able to manage there condition first without all the added pressure of trying to find work as all the extra pressure doesn't help your condition. just read some of the difficulties people have on the benefitsandwork forum to show what effects it has on peoples conditions.
If you are ill you know yourself when you are ready to try to go to work. When you do try to go to work then you find the other obstacles and blind alleys, getting your hopes up and then coming down again with bump.
It also makes me angry that every 18 months or so I have to go through the same old shit filling in the forms and having to prove that I am not well and my brain isn't going to get any better and I have had to adapt to it. Even though there is a track record from day one of my accident from hospitals/consultants/GPs I have to go through this process over and over again and it is draining.
I would love one of these hard working taxpayers or so they claim who write all there crap in the sun and the mail to take my place for a week. For one f***ing day just to be me again, they would soon change there mind.
I do love the recent benefits cheats adverts that were on tv recently, its typical how the people shown are the typical stereotyped type of people like the guy getting his cash in hand and looking unkempt. Also how do you expect them to be taken seriously when the guy who does the voiceover also does adverts for birds eye frozen products for a £1?.
Even though I don't think the No.10 petition site actually achieves anything I think this petition is well worth signing after what I wrote in my blog last time which is along the same subject:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/MumsAtHome/
Till next time
Brainblogger
As it seems to be bash the IB claimants week this week in the newspapers I thought I might like to add a few points. It may well be alright having a go at IB claimants claiming they are lazy, fat, worthless pieces of shit who deserve all there benefits stopped and having it all claimed back, having them sent to the workhouse, starved, put in jail, do community work [I didn't know community work was paying so much these days] and the like but are there any better opportunities for people on IB in the recession?. I think not unless you fancy work focused interviews or the pathways to nowhere, thank the politicians and the banking fat cats with there £650000 year pensions for that, no doubt it will get a lot worse before it gets better so lets all get together and blame the usual easy targets on IB for it.
It will no doubt get worse for IB claimants. it always get worse for IB claimants unless of course you can magically recover or manage your condition and be able to find a rewarding job that pays more than the minimum wage so its actually worth doing.
All these people who write this crap in the comments sections about getting all the IB claimants off IB [even though they have not done anything wrong except be ill, being ill isn't a crime yet is it?] probably have no experience of having a disability/long term sickness at all. It also seems to these readers of these papers that if you are on benefits that you can not have some sort of social life or existence as well.
I have been writing for the last few months about my experience of brain injury, access to services, trying to get a job and experience of being on IB. It all came together 2 weeks ago with a session with a social work lecturer and a group of second year students at a university in the Midlands.
I was nervous before I went to the university and I had the same feeling you get when you go to the dentist and you are sitting in the waiting area and you can hear the drill in the background.
The lecturer explained to the students what the session was about and then what I was doing there and that I have a good few years experience of disability and the benefits system. The session was titled "Life inside the brown envelope from hell" I thought that bit up, clever eh?.
It was the first time I had done this type of thing and I did not realise beforehand that I was going to be doing most of the talking, it actually got very difficult trying to think what was in my head and then to actually say what I wanted to say. I think I surprised the students with some of my thoughts, the students asked me some very good questions as well. One of the students said that people should be able to manage there condition first without all the added pressure of trying to find work as all the extra pressure doesn't help your condition. just read some of the difficulties people have on the benefitsandwork forum to show what effects it has on peoples conditions.
If you are ill you know yourself when you are ready to try to go to work. When you do try to go to work then you find the other obstacles and blind alleys, getting your hopes up and then coming down again with bump.
It also makes me angry that every 18 months or so I have to go through the same old shit filling in the forms and having to prove that I am not well and my brain isn't going to get any better and I have had to adapt to it. Even though there is a track record from day one of my accident from hospitals/consultants/GPs I have to go through this process over and over again and it is draining.
I would love one of these hard working taxpayers or so they claim who write all there crap in the sun and the mail to take my place for a week. For one f***ing day just to be me again, they would soon change there mind.
I do love the recent benefits cheats adverts that were on tv recently, its typical how the people shown are the typical stereotyped type of people like the guy getting his cash in hand and looking unkempt. Also how do you expect them to be taken seriously when the guy who does the voiceover also does adverts for birds eye frozen products for a £1?.
Even though I don't think the No.10 petition site actually achieves anything I think this petition is well worth signing after what I wrote in my blog last time which is along the same subject:
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/MumsAtHome/
Till next time
Brainblogger
Wednesday, 3 September 2008
Brown Envelope from Hell Part 2
First I would like to say thank you to Benefitscroungingscum for plugging my blog. I have not got a thing for Jeremy Kyle but it makes me angry when I hear the media say that allegedly Incapacity benefit recipients are sitting on there backsides watching the 42" plasma tv watching Jeremy Kyle.
I just came up with this taking it easy watching Jeremy Kyle and it seemed to stick. I imagine Bendygirl came up with hers with how people see benefits recipients as scrounging scum or benefit cheats rather than human beings just trying to get on with there lives as best they can.
While on the subject of TVs I was given a TV because someone had just bought a new one and thought I would like there old one which was very kind. If anyone would like to donate a 42" plasma tv that would be nice as well.
If the media actually took the time to see how people on IB get through day to day, week to week, month to month, they might find out what it is like to be on IB.
I had my brown envelope from hell come this morning, after I stopped shaking I read that the DWP have decided that I do not need a medical [that's a relief in itself] and I have enough points and my case will not be reviewed until September 2013. I have been since told that 5 years is the maximum that they can leave before another review. It was also a good indication what was in my brown envelope that there was not a map to go to the medical test centre. I think it is the first time I have not had to go to a medical.
What a nightmare it has all been what I have had to go through in the last few weeks just to prove I have had a brain injury and the symptoms exit and I am not just making it up. Why is it necessary to put IB recipients through all this?. We would all love to go to work but peoples medical conditions can make it difficult. I could sit at home feeling sorry for myself but I don't and I find doing voluntary work is quite therapeutic and I am putting something back into the community.
Having recently seeing how a McDonald's staff member treated there disabled team member I certainly won't be rushing to apply to take meals out to the customer in the blue bay. I never did hear anything about my complaint about my observation.
No doubt though James Purnell and his cronies or whoever in the future will think of new ways to pick on disabled people. They are probably thinking up something new now.
I feel that the my recent experience with the IB50 has not helped my health at all with all the worrying. I have been worrying about stupid things like whether the DWP have been parked outside in the car park where I volunteer checking on me. I imagine it will take a few days to sink in and I will start sleep properly again.
The only thing I am thinking of buying at the moment is the definite remastered edition of Rage In Eden by Ultravox. I loved the album when it came out the first time, it is a very dark album, I still love Billy Currie's swirling synthesizer riffs while he makes love to his keyboards. it still sounds as good as it was then in 1981.
right I am off now to go and sit in front of the 42" inch plasma TV and watch Jeremy. Where's the lottery ticket?
I just came up with this taking it easy watching Jeremy Kyle and it seemed to stick. I imagine Bendygirl came up with hers with how people see benefits recipients as scrounging scum or benefit cheats rather than human beings just trying to get on with there lives as best they can.
While on the subject of TVs I was given a TV because someone had just bought a new one and thought I would like there old one which was very kind. If anyone would like to donate a 42" plasma tv that would be nice as well.
If the media actually took the time to see how people on IB get through day to day, week to week, month to month, they might find out what it is like to be on IB.
I had my brown envelope from hell come this morning, after I stopped shaking I read that the DWP have decided that I do not need a medical [that's a relief in itself] and I have enough points and my case will not be reviewed until September 2013. I have been since told that 5 years is the maximum that they can leave before another review. It was also a good indication what was in my brown envelope that there was not a map to go to the medical test centre. I think it is the first time I have not had to go to a medical.
What a nightmare it has all been what I have had to go through in the last few weeks just to prove I have had a brain injury and the symptoms exit and I am not just making it up. Why is it necessary to put IB recipients through all this?. We would all love to go to work but peoples medical conditions can make it difficult. I could sit at home feeling sorry for myself but I don't and I find doing voluntary work is quite therapeutic and I am putting something back into the community.
Having recently seeing how a McDonald's staff member treated there disabled team member I certainly won't be rushing to apply to take meals out to the customer in the blue bay. I never did hear anything about my complaint about my observation.
No doubt though James Purnell and his cronies or whoever in the future will think of new ways to pick on disabled people. They are probably thinking up something new now.
I feel that the my recent experience with the IB50 has not helped my health at all with all the worrying. I have been worrying about stupid things like whether the DWP have been parked outside in the car park where I volunteer checking on me. I imagine it will take a few days to sink in and I will start sleep properly again.
The only thing I am thinking of buying at the moment is the definite remastered edition of Rage In Eden by Ultravox. I loved the album when it came out the first time, it is a very dark album, I still love Billy Currie's swirling synthesizer riffs while he makes love to his keyboards. it still sounds as good as it was then in 1981.
right I am off now to go and sit in front of the 42" inch plasma TV and watch Jeremy. Where's the lottery ticket?
Friday, 25 July 2008
Brown Envelope Day
As I predicted I have received my brown envelope yesterday with a IB50 old style questionnaire. Perhaps somebody has been reading my blog. I have been preparing myself for this moment for months. Now I have got over the shock, here's how it looks to me.
This is the form from previous experience that asks next to nothing about things involved with a brain injury, The questions relate more physical things, ie: walking, lifting, sitting down, toilet needs etc. Anything relating to a brain injury has to fitted in at the end next to the mental section. From previous experience pretty much whatever I fill in will end up with me going for a medical.
This is when I end up going to the place where they do the medicals which I dislike intensely and which makes me very anxious and my blood pressure goes into orbit. Then at the same time I have to be able to remember all the things I want to tell the doctor while I am feeling very anxious which is not an easy thing to do.
Here are some possible scenarios how I see it:
scenario 1:
fill in form, get no medical. Carry on voluntary work trying to get myself magically fit again, get away from Jeremy Kyle. See what Jobcentre can do to help, you are having a laugh aren't you?. Jobcentre pack me off onto pathways or whatever it is called to practice writing my c.v again [not that anybody takes any notice of your qualifications on your cv when you are damaged goods] and look for non-existent jobs on computer at college. Jobcentre makes unemployment figures look good because you are officialy not on IB. Then get another medical after 2010 and end up on ESA or JSA anyway.
scenario 2:
Fill in IB50, get medical, try and convince doctor if doctor actually listens that you are actually ill and these things it says in GP notes and hospital notes did actually happen and you are not making it up as you go along. Even though you know all along the doctor has to meet his targets and doctor is already thinking in his mind that you look a surefire bet to add to his magically fit for work list.
Scenario 3
Fill in IB50, get medical, pass medical as fit for work, apply for JSA and appeal against medical decision [6 months min] JSA is means tested, get no JSA due to other circumstances except stamp [live off savings] I have done this before when I appealed last time and it is not very pleasant.
The nice people at the Jobcentre tell you not to bother to come in and sign on when you are appealing, thy did the last time anyway. And I thought Jobcentre might help me to find a job paying £20000 a year while I was appealing and forget all this incapacity benefit malarky.
Scenario 4:
Fill in IB50, get medical, pass medical as fit for work, don't bother appealing, get JSA as above, look for a job
Scenario 5:
Don't bother returning form, This is what our caring government wants us all to do, Get a job/part-time job packing soap, filling shelves and claim tax credits. But then make yourself ill in the process because you were only kidding yourself when you thought you were well enough to go back to work again. Go to doctors do not pass go with out collecting prescription for Seroxat.
Scenario 6:
Find a magic cure for brain injury, take magic cure, I thought there would have been a cure coming through with all my spam I get, stop moaning, go back to work and live happily ever after as if you have been living in some dream world for last 18 years.
That's my thoughts for today, now I have got to build myself up to try and fill this damn form in. now do I have any problem controlling my bowels or my bladder?.
This is the form from previous experience that asks next to nothing about things involved with a brain injury, The questions relate more physical things, ie: walking, lifting, sitting down, toilet needs etc. Anything relating to a brain injury has to fitted in at the end next to the mental section. From previous experience pretty much whatever I fill in will end up with me going for a medical.
This is when I end up going to the place where they do the medicals which I dislike intensely and which makes me very anxious and my blood pressure goes into orbit. Then at the same time I have to be able to remember all the things I want to tell the doctor while I am feeling very anxious which is not an easy thing to do.
Here are some possible scenarios how I see it:
scenario 1:
fill in form, get no medical. Carry on voluntary work trying to get myself magically fit again, get away from Jeremy Kyle. See what Jobcentre can do to help, you are having a laugh aren't you?. Jobcentre pack me off onto pathways or whatever it is called to practice writing my c.v again [not that anybody takes any notice of your qualifications on your cv when you are damaged goods] and look for non-existent jobs on computer at college. Jobcentre makes unemployment figures look good because you are officialy not on IB. Then get another medical after 2010 and end up on ESA or JSA anyway.
scenario 2:
Fill in IB50, get medical, try and convince doctor if doctor actually listens that you are actually ill and these things it says in GP notes and hospital notes did actually happen and you are not making it up as you go along. Even though you know all along the doctor has to meet his targets and doctor is already thinking in his mind that you look a surefire bet to add to his magically fit for work list.
Scenario 3
Fill in IB50, get medical, pass medical as fit for work, apply for JSA and appeal against medical decision [6 months min] JSA is means tested, get no JSA due to other circumstances except stamp [live off savings] I have done this before when I appealed last time and it is not very pleasant.
The nice people at the Jobcentre tell you not to bother to come in and sign on when you are appealing, thy did the last time anyway. And I thought Jobcentre might help me to find a job paying £20000 a year while I was appealing and forget all this incapacity benefit malarky.
Scenario 4:
Fill in IB50, get medical, pass medical as fit for work, don't bother appealing, get JSA as above, look for a job
Scenario 5:
Don't bother returning form, This is what our caring government wants us all to do, Get a job/part-time job packing soap, filling shelves and claim tax credits. But then make yourself ill in the process because you were only kidding yourself when you thought you were well enough to go back to work again. Go to doctors do not pass go with out collecting prescription for Seroxat.
Scenario 6:
Find a magic cure for brain injury, take magic cure, I thought there would have been a cure coming through with all my spam I get, stop moaning, go back to work and live happily ever after as if you have been living in some dream world for last 18 years.
That's my thoughts for today, now I have got to build myself up to try and fill this damn form in. now do I have any problem controlling my bowels or my bladder?.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
