Unaffordable public transport
It used to cost me £10 per week to put fuel into my car to visit my Daughter and Grandchildren in the next village (rough terrain and poor mobility means walking isn't an option sadly). Now it takes over an hour to get there and £7 per visit on public transport which has made seeing my family more than once a month virtually impossible since my car had repairs I couldn't afford to fix last year.
I have been told to apply for PIP but even making the initial telephone application is a huge barrier for me due to my Anxiety and Phobias (diagnosed and medicated as well as talking therapies)
I don't know where to turn for help because as my life currently is I don't even want to get out of bed due to the stress, emotional and physical pain I feel.
Some years ago I was diagnosed with Hidrandentis Superativa and more recently I have been diagnosed with Spontaneous Cronic Uticaria. I also have an unfixable slap tear in my shoulder which causes it to dislocate daily either on a night when I am sleeping or if I have to elevate my arm (which makes washing my own hair a huge challenge).
I am currently in receipt of Universal Credit with LWCRA attached to it which I've been in receiving for several years.
I have worked and tried to maintain jobs but with the spontaneity of my illnesses which can put me out of action for weeks if not months at a time trying to keep a job long term has been a living nightmare.
I would love to do something part time but I know financially as a single person it would not be sustainable due to high priced transport. I honestly don't know where to turn from here. All the services that help with PIP applications have long waiting lists or lost their charitable funding. I've been told to keep a medical diary about how things impact my daily life but the medical episodes I suffer don't happen daily so I get confused and forget to fill it in.
Where could I go for help
Comments
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Hi,
It sounds like you've checked the local services such as Citizens Advice and any disability services. Unfortunately long waiting lists are standard now due to high demand. The only other option is asking a family member to assist, your daughter for example? Or to attempt the forms yourself, spread over several days to reduce the strain each day.
The main thing to remember for PIP is that it's based on the majority of days. So we would usually consider 4 days per week, or more than 2 weeks out of each month. That can help when looking at conditions that don't happen daily.
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