All Change (Part 2)

Firstly please accept my apologies as it’s taken a little longer than planned to get this next post together as to be honest I’ve been struggling, feeling quite isolated and didn’t want that much negativity to show thorough in my writing as let’s be honest that can be hard work to read and the last thing I want to do is bore the pants of anyone that stumbles across this blog.

So now to pick up where I left off in All Change (Part 1) with a quick recap:

In October 2015 I was sent a letter instructing me that I was being transferred from Disability Living Allowance (DLA) to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) but that this would require me to reapply for the new PIP benefit as there was no guarantee that I would get the same award. Now on the old 3 tier DLA system I had been awarded the Higher Rate for Mobility and the lower rate for personal care and with the mobility element I had managed to get myself a car through the Motability Scheme and this had truly allowed me to regain my independence and had meant that I was able to return to my career in the hotel industry which I absolutely adored and after a few hiccups I had now started to look for an opportunity to return to working in Central London and although it was bloody hard work the positive effects on my self esteem and mood made the exhaustion and increased pain well worth the effort and I was starting to feel like a pretty valid member of society again(albeit a very very tired one). 

So having received my letter from the DWP I called them as instructed to begin my new claim and was told they would log my intention to claim and send the forms out for completion. In the week or so that it took for my forms to arrive I managed to reinforce my clumsy klutz status by injuring my right wrist in an unfortunate collision with a shopping trolley while attempting to buy salad, and so by the time the forms arrived I was unable to complete them myself due to the fact that I am right handed and was in a rigid wrist splint, so I called the DWP again to explain and see if there was any other way that I could submit my claim and after about half an hour of being made to feel like a lonely loser for not having anyone local that I could ask to help me they eventually agreed that a local DWP officer would be able to come to the house and complete the form for me. A few days later I received a call from a very helpful man from the local DWP office and we agreed that he would come to my flat the following Tuesday to assist with my form.

When the DWP man, let’s call him Peter because I can’t for the life of me remember his name, arrived the following Tuesday as agreed he was incredible polite & helpful and assisted me in getting my form completed. Now these forms often leave me tearful and feeling quite sorry for myself as they mean I have to confront my disability and be brutally honest about my capabilities and that’s something I spend so much of my life trying to overcome that facing it head on in this way never fails to unravel me. However I tried to hold myself together as I asked Peter what would happen next with my claim and he explained that my form would be sent to the assessment office and they would either make an instant decision on my claim or contact me to arrange a medical consultation to provide further information. He also added that in his personal opinion he hoped they would arrange a consultation as he felt that would be my best opportunity for a successful claim. And so I waved Peter off with a tiny flutter of hope and continued my hunt for the ideal job to get me back into the big city.

To be continued...