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.

Pink-luckily enough your mother had someone capable to fill in the form and her doctors evidence/condition was enough. Many don't have people to do this and it depends on your condition.

I take claims to tribunals as part of my voluntary job, 85% of people turned down are being awarded at tribunal. They are people who are entitled but were turned down and can then get to an organisation and put up with the stress of appealing.

DLA can be used for anything, as it is awarded in cash.

In all probability this woman is fully entitled to DLA as she has problems you know nothing about. However, there is the possibility that she is claiming it fraudulently, whatever anyone says. But I guess it is nothing to do with you to judge her, as you don't know the circumstances.
It would be relatively easy, I imagine, to exaggerate the situation in a depression case, as who can measure how you feel? Probably she's not doing this, but she might be.
There is another posting about benefit fraud I saw, and I think the same should apply to this, surely?
Without people being vigilant about people apparently claiming DLA etc, and reporting suspected fraud, what would happen?
If you feel strongly enough, report her. What harm can it do if she is genuinely entitled to it? But if she is lying somewhere, then you have done the government a service, haven't you?
Surely it will do no harm to suspect?
I know loads of people have gone on about her possible coping strategies, but like I said, it could all be a fake. Just as easily as she could be putting a brave face on it.
Just because other people do, doesn't mean that she is doing the same.
Sorry, just had to say that, having read a load of the posts.
I know it's probably annoyed alot of the original posters, but it needed saying I think.

I have depression and a personality disorder. I make it into work every day. It's a bloody struggle and when I get home I normally have to sleep for a couple of hours.

I don't get DLA because I haven't applied, but if I did, I might use it to do simple things like buy lunch in town instead of making it the night before because some days I'm just too exhausted to make lunch so end up eating crap. Or I'd get a taxi some days instead of struggling on the bus.

That's what DLA is for. To keep people in work because otherwise they'd find it a massive struggle.

I receive low rate care DLA. I work part time. Many people don't see my "disability" as it's an invisible condition. The OP comes across as very narrowminded, then she says that DLA is for Very severe mental conditions. Physical is my problem and DLA helps me pay for things to help me with regards to my condition. Things like an electric tin opener or special baking trays. DLA can be awarded and still allow someone to work. So glad the OP isn't a work colleague of mine!

People saying "mind your own business"....how is someone potentially getting government money for nothing not everybody's business? The whole point of shopping people on benefits is to ensure people don't con the system. That definitely IS my business, and the OPs business.

If you disagree, then why have checks and balances at all? Why not just assume that every single person is honest? And that everybody deciding who gets benefits is also 100% honest and doesn't make mistakes? Sounds reasonable?

Sounds perfectly reasonable PerfectFather, you should suggest it to your MP. I was refused DLA at first. After a home visit from a qualified doctor (ATOS don't employ dr's, their investigators are unqualified) I was awarded DLA. I have MS. HTH

So what do you suggest, PerfectFather? That the OP shops this women because she doesn't seem depressed enough?

Excuse me while I roll my eyes.

here here

JuliaScurr - how is your case relevant? I don't see what it has to do with the OP at all. Are you saying that because you are justly paid DLA, the system works? Apparently not, since you were initially told you DIDN'T deserve that money!

yellowraincoat - given the picture the OP has painted, absolutely. £400 a month DLA for someone who is depressed....how is that money meant to help her? Is she depressed because she needs £400 a month? What's the money for? She can apparently hold down a fulltime job without anybody noticing anything amiss.

You're being extremely trusting of the system if you think people don't con it or that there aren't stupid, incompetent people involved in making the decisions on who gets money and who doesn't. Ultimately, it's not their money, so they'll chuck around £400 a month at someone who is depressed. How can you prove that someone is or isn't? Or shouldn't that matter because it's "only" £400?

Where in the OP does it say that the woman in question receives £400 a month? It doesn't. That was another poster talking about her friend's child, who has UTIs.
It has been said that the chances are the woman the OP is talking about would receive around £19 a week. Far cry from £400 a month.

JuliaScurr's story is entirely relevant towards establishing that the system as it stands is more likely to refuse genuine claimants than to allow fakers through. Amazed you couldn't see that.

Thumbwitch, the fact she was misdiagnosed makes it just as likely that the woman mentioned in the OP was similarly misdiagnosed. You're taking her one case as being evidence that they are apparently "more likely to refuse genuine claimants". In my opinion all it shows is that they have no idea what they're doing.

Regarding the £400, you're of course right, I got mixed up reading the rest of the thread. However, the principal is the same.

TPF - you're having troubles reading/understanding a few things, it seems. She was NOT misdiagnosed, ATOS did not allow her MS to be adequate reason for her to receive DLA because they do not employ doctors. The doctor would have done the home visit to establish how badly the MS affected her, NOT to diagnose her.

Thumbwitch...are you serious? The woman mentioned in the OP would have had the exact same investigators. How do you not get this? The process would have been exactly the same, right? So in the case of JuliaScurr the ATOS people were incompetent, and she complained and got a review.

If the woman mentioned in the OP had the same system of ATOS evaluation, what's to say they didn't make a mistake too and say "yes she's got depression". That woman, if she was gaming the system, would not then seek a review! She would claim the money.

If the ATOS people are incompetent then they have to be incompetent both ways. If you have some other evidence that says ATOS are actually evil then go ahead and post it.

you might like to read this then

And yes of course I'm serious! YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WOMAN IN THE OP. For her to have received DLA in the first place it was probably pretty bad. Depression is one of the hardest things to get DLA for.

DDA is appropriate for some people with depression because :

Depression can cause severe sleep disturbance .

Depression can cause self neglect .

Ie not eating or drinking properly.

Some forms of depression can cause " psychosis " ie where the person becomes detached from reality .

Some people with depression need someone to help keep them safe because they feel suicidal .

Depression causes lack of motivation .

All these things are biological in nature - owing to brain biochemistry deficiencies .

Depression if it has lasted for 3 months and is expected to continue ,is classed as a disability .

The lady does not have to be experiencing those symptoms every day to be eligible for DLA .

DLA has a very low fraud rate .

She may be seen at work but who knows how much she struggles when she gets home ?
Nobody on here knows that .

Some people are in receipt of DLA and appear to live an ordinary life .
But out of the energy from trying to live that ordinary life , and in trying to contribute to society , they experience high levels of distress/pain/ unseen disability .

That is what the DLA is for . It is not a ' benefit ' but an allowance to compensate for the hardship encountered by a person with a disability .
However seen or unseen it may be .

The only good bit of news there is that it's hard to get DLA for depression.

I agree with helping those who cannot, or who struggle, to help themselves, like the lady with MS.

This woman in the OP has a full time job and her manager had absolutely no idea anything was wrong, and the woman had taken no sick leave etc - how bad can her disability be? If people are asking "are you saying it's not bad enough" then yes. If you have a disability that prevents you working, I think DLA is fair.

But why does she need money from the government? I know some depressive people just like we all do - I don't think their problem is solved or even helped by a government handout.

Surely EVERYONE feels entitled? My parents got divorced and it really affected me - how come I don't get a hand out? Where's my "child of divorce" benefit?

This is why the welfare bill is so bloody vast!

please take my dd's DLA
and take her disability too
what a jealous person you are

FFS, TPF - the POINT of DLA is to HELP people (who can manage it with said help) to STAY IN WORK.

Jeez.

You know what PerfectFather? Having depression has ruined my life. If the government saw fit to give me maybe £20 a week to make it even slightly better, maybe I wouldn't struggle so much.

Why would it be fair to get it only if it prevents you from working? DLA KEEPS people in jobs, it means the government doesn't have to shell out money for ESA and HB because the person can buy stuff to make their condition easier to live with. That is the point of DLA.

No one at my work knows there's anything wrong with me either. Because weirdly enough, you can't see depression. You don't have to be screaming and throwing things to have a mental illness.

There is a massive massive fucking difference between being depressive and having depression.

You think you're the perfect father? I seriously hope for your kids' sake they never get depression, because frankly, you sound like you don't have a clue how you'd deal with that.

And clearly you've never suffered with it, or you wouldn't be saying the crap you're saying. If you had it for one fucking second, you'd understand. I've had it for 15 years, that's 15 years of having to drag myself out of bed, try not to kill myself, do vastly worse in life than I should given my level of intelligence and willingness to work - so why don't you go and moan about something you know about instead of trying to make people who have more problems than you look bad?

^ What yellow said.

I can't be fucking arsed to write about my experiences with depression and job losses through it.

I would not wish mental illness on my worst enemy.

theunperfectfather I feel sorry for you .

You are very ignorant .

Your children will be too .

Depression is a debilitating illness .

And you know what ? Your life ain't over yet . You don't know what life will deal you .

I can only hope you are met with the same ignorance and discriminatory attitude .

There are some costs which we, as a civilised society, have decided should be born by society as a whole rather than the individual. Disability is one of those things. DLA is how society pays that cost so the individual doesn't have to. It has nothing to do with working/not working/income level. It's a universal benefit. If you think these costs shouldn't be paid for people with full time jobs because we have to save money, fine, but lets not discriminate on grounds of disability. Apply your principle equally to all.

So hands up all those working parents who would be happy to have state provision for their children's education stopped because they're working, or perhaps have it means tested. After all it costs taxpayers far more than DLA.

Of course nobody would support that because picking on the vulnerable people in society is so much easier.

Good post Kladdkaka, that's exactly what I wanted to say but couldn't think how to put it.