To be taken aback this woman is getting DLA?

[lesley33]

Was talking at work with the receptionist about the changes to DLA and the move to PIP. I am worried about how this will negatively affect some people. However I was taken aback when the receptionist said that she would lose lower rate DLA which she got for depression.

I know she had depression a couple of years ago. But since then she has been in work every day and always seemed fine at work. I know people can be depressed and seem fine, but really if you can manage to work with depression then surely you shouldn't be getting DLA?

Just to say she is a very honest type of person and I am sure wouldn't have lied to get DLA. She hasn't been off sick. And what sticks in the throat a bit is I know there are other colleagues on low wages who have honestly struggled with mental health problems during this time such as anxiety and depression.

And I know you can work and get DLA. I just think if your disability is depression and you can work fine then you shouldn't get DLA. I am her manager so I know she has had no sick leave and there are no special measures in place to support her.

Sorry you're hungry, helga.
Room for a ?

"in most other countries in the world, would just get on with things, live normal lives..."

Normal lives with no support? really? Don't think so. They might "get by", they might even learn to cope - but "normal lives"? Doubt it. I suppose it does rather depend on your definition of 'normal' but my definition of normal doesn't include fighting depression every day, just for example.

Yeah, I have to say Talking Books for somebody who can't leave the house is a more worthwhile cause than extra money for somebody who has a full-time job, IMO.

Am genuinely interested, though... what would the DLA be meant for in this case? Also, drug addicts... why do they get it? What are they meant to do with the extra money?

Not judging, just curious.

Cn I just point ut that the FT job thing - Dh had depression and a FT job, he managed to keep the job (with a few inevitable weeks off sick) despite a suicide attempt, severe illness etc- I would have to care for him and help him just to survive and not disappear or harm himself. But he could cope with work- the GP asked him not to as she thought his permanent nights were making it worse but he needed that purpose or I am sure i;d have been a widow.

We didn't know about DLA then but there was a short time where I was struggling to cope with 2 tiny boys under 2, a demanding job and the constant paranoid calls from DH; I wonder if we could have used DLA to buy him some therapy, he enver got any for a decade until he went to college.

As for DLA when working- my friend employs 1 1people: he also claims DLA. He only has mobility in one arm which he uses to control his wheelchair, uses a vocal box as he ahs no speech- without DLA he could not afford the voca or electric chair that enable him to work.

And laughing at people who would just get on with it. DH would be dead; without anti depresants i'd be dead or in a Psych unit I suspect (though a much mor recent admission- took a potential thirs diagnosis of autism in a child to throw me). People ended up like my Grandad alcoholic abusers, or reclusive outsiders. Or in the massive horrid psych unit where my Uncle spent a decade after losing his daugher, and where I worked for a while so understandperectly how awful it was and how little many there needed that level really if they ahd proper input

I know people can get DLA and be working and in many cases that is perfectly valid. And I don't think people with severe disability get enough help. But in this instance I was taken aback that she was entitled to DLA

malibu - Drug addicts and alcoholics get it because they meet the criteria of genuinely not being able to care for themselves e.g. you can't cook a meal if you are wasted all the time, can't take care of your safety if you regularly wander into traffic drunk, etc. But in their case I don't think giving them extra money is a help at all.

Lots of people work on DLA.
I do.
It's really none of your business .
DLA has a very low rate of fraud .

But how does extra money stop a drug addict from wandering into the road? And as if a drug addict is going to say, "I am going to buy myself some nice, nutritious food with all this extra DLA money I'm getting".

It doesn't make sense. But I would be happy for it to be explained to me.

DLA may pay for her counselling. Or physical activity that helps her cope. Or whatever coping strategy she uses. Presumably the lady is also a taxpayer, does that make her more or less exempt from questioning from other taxpayers?

I don't believe the OP. I have seen too many threads like it, and many from Lesley 'just asking' questions about this sort of thing, with no judgement of course.

I have always thought, if you are going to pick on people for claiming benefits, why not pick on the rich people who are claiming Child Benefit when they don't need it?

Depression can be a horrible, debilitating illness/condition.

If shes receiving lower rate she will only be receiving £19.55 a week

But that may be paying for a therapy or conselling session, or a hobby which means she can function cohesively enough to live arelatively normal life.

Please don't make judgements on the "hidden" conditions, they can be just as disabling and restrictive as someone severely physically disabled

x post ninkynonk- you have the same train of thought as me

I knew some would say I am making it up. Honestly I'm not.

Tell you what, why don't they do away with the 40-odd page form and the supporting evidence from GPs and consultants and everything. Instead, lets make them all come on here so ignorant strangers on the internet can decide if they're 'deserving' or not.

it is every taxpayer's business how their tax money is being spent. That is why we vote. Don't attack the OP for a prefectly legitimate question. She is not saying DLA is wrong, just that the criteria for getting it may be flawed. I agree.

Fgs it is none of your business and none of ours!

Interesting that you are "taken aback" at her getting DLA.

Let's look at this closely:

• you've lied about being her manager
• as you are NOT her manager, you have no idea if there are any special measures in place as, unlike you, it sounds like her manager doesn't discuss her situation with everyone (which is good, as it's quite frankly none of your business)
• your partner has MH issues and doesn't get DLA
• you don't think she should get DLA (even though you have absolutely no idea what her medical history or current status is, and have no idea whether it's going to work each day that is helping her cope or whether she struggles daily to come to work)

It sounds like you're upset that she is getting DLA for what you perceive to be a relatively low level of depression, while your partner is bipolar and doesn't get DLA. In other words, it sounds like you're jealous.

One would think that someone who has a partner with MH problems would be more understanding that sometimes people manage to hide the level of MH problems they are having. Or simply that they don't wish to broadcast it to everyone.

Perhaps you'd be better to focus your energies on helping your partner get support, rather than questioning the support that others are getting. My DH has suffered from clinical depression for the last 2 years. It has quite frankly been horrendous at times, however, while we are not getting DLA for it (and haven't applied and don't intend to at this point), I certainly don't begrudge those who DO receive it for MH reasons.

Support and treatment for MH problems in our area are abysmal. He has had to wait almost a year for treatment, and the only reason he is close to getting treatment now is because we had to go outside the NHS to get help and support. Personally, I'd like to see more outrage at the incredible lack of support by the NHS for MH problems, as opposed to outrage at people getting DLA for MH problems.

Can I just correct the erroneous assumption that low rate DLA is £50 a week?

It's £19.55 per week, not even enough to cover the cost of a counsellor for an hour in my area (£37 an hour)

The lady in question is also a tax payer. Maybe she pays her own dla?

"it is every taxpayer's business how their tax money is being spent. That is why we vote. Don't attack the OP for a prefectly legitimate question. She is not saying DLA is wrong, just that the criteria for getting it may be flawed. I agree."

First of all, the OP is NOT saying in her OP that the criteria for getting it may be flawed. She is saying she doesn't understand why that particular person gets DLA. How is bloody hell can she POSSIBLY think the criteria for getting it is flawed when she doesn't even KNOW this woman's medical history or details??? So she has NO IDEA about what criteria she is qualifying under, other than "depression."

She's making a judgement based on the assumption that because this woman is working, she can't possibly be that depressed. It's ridiculous. DH was working FT and severely depressed. A lot of people are working FT and severely depressed. You know how people sometimes commit suicide due to depression and others say "I had no idea they were that depressed ... didn't see it coming... " and so forth?? Think about that.... you CAN'T read minds, so you have NO IDEA what's going on in their head.

You are so nbu. just about everyone could use some support for one thing or another. it sounds like this woman has some problems she can address without the state's help, like most of us do.

I am not questioning that this woman has depression.
I am not questioning that she may genuinely struggling.
I am not questioning that someone with mental health problems can get DLA
I am not questioning that she is genuinely entitled to it.
I do know that she has no extra support measures in place

I am questioning that someone who can work full time in a stressful job has severe enough depression that should be entitled to DLA. It is not about this woman, but about the system. I don't think we should be giving benefits for disability, in this instance.

chandellina how do you know she can address them without help?? do you know this woman? does the OP know her medical history??

No. You don't. She doesn't. You have NO IDEA what her medical condition is, therefore, you cannot possibly make an accurate assessment on whether or not she needs "the state's help."