INCAPACITY BENEFIT CHANGES

[CAPRICORN6]

HI, I HAVE BEEN AGORAPHOBIC FOR ABOUT 15 YEARS. SOME WEEKS I CAN GO OUT 2/3 TIMES AND OTHERS I DON,T GO OUT AT ALL.
I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE IS AS WORRIED AS I AM ABOUT THE NEW CHANGES WITH INCAPACITY BENEFIT.
IT,S OBVIOUS THAT TONY BLAIR DOES,NT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT AGORAPHOBIA, OR WHAT THE SYMPTOMS ARE.
HOW CAN HE EXPECT US TO JUST TURN UP FOR A "COMPULSORY" INTERVIEW, IF IT TAKES US ALL OUR TIME TO GO OUT AT ALL?
I HAVE TO "PSYCH" MYSELF UP AT LEAST 4 DAYS BEFORE I GO ANYWHERE, AND I NEVER GO ANYWHERE ON MY OWN.
I CAN,T SEE THE JOB CENTRE LETTING ME HAVE SOMEONE TO SIT IN WITH ME FOR THE INTERVIEW, OR TAKING MY MOM TO WORK WITH ME.
WHAT DO OTHERS THINK?

 

[sickofbeinglonely]

Hi Capricorn6,

I agree with you about the Incapacity Benefit changes. I'm actually claiming Income Support as the DWP told me I wasn't entitled to Incapacity Benefit as I hadn't paid enough tax credits or something.

I know that there may be some people who do cheat the system and try to get as much out of it as poss, but I think these changes are likely to affect many people who are far too ill to be able to work in the near future.

15 years is a long time to suffer from agaraphobia so I really feel for you. I've been agaraphobic for about 9 years and although I also go out 2 or 3 times a week it doesn't get any easier for me.

 

[Dilzem]

If your on income support will u still have to attend these interviews

 

[miss_moose]

Ive been agoraphobic for nearly 5 years, i've only been to 1 intervie and i swore never again.
I had severe panic attack in the bulding and collapsed. it was awful, i still had to do the interview, the doctor who came to help me after my panic attacks asked if i have panic attacks :roll:
last time it took loads of phone calls and hard work to get my doctor to agree to me having a home visit interview.
my next review is in 2007, i panic about it now because i'm so frightend about what will happen and what if i'm still unable to go for an interview.

i've not read about the changes, does tony blair say even severly agoraphobic people HAVE to go and cannot arrange a home visit?

I wish people would show mre compassion and understanding to this and other mental illnesses.

 

[IceLad]

I think the Government is obsessed with getting absolutely everyone into employment no matter what's wrong with them.

 

[Scottish_Player]

I think the Government is obsessed with getting absolutely everyone into employment no matter what's wrong with them.

Iam not making any judgements here and dont mean to offend anyone.

Do you not think it could be a good thing in a way to be pushed into a decision, as for some people it will be the only way that they will ever be given the chance to get help, othewise the chances are that if they have been the same for X amount of years then it will just keep getting harder to change and they may never go out, i do understand agrophobia to a certain extent as i have had it for a short while of a few months really badly and i know its not just a case of goin out and getting it over and done with.

Hope you's can see where iam coming from

 

[IceLad]

Yes, I can defintely see where you are coming from Scottish_Player.

On the whole though, I don't think Incapacity Benefit recognises mental disorders anywhere near as effectively as physiological ones. I think that the reforms that are being pushed through will make it even more harder for people with disorders like SP, GAD and agrophobia to claim and remain on benefit.

It's all very well pushing people into a decision, just as long as they are capable of coping by themselves, or that there will be enough support from other sources for them to enable them to cope- something which the Government, in my opinion, isn't currently doing.

It's very true- the longer you leave things, the more it sinks in and the harder it is to change. I wished I started to tackle SP years before I actually did!