Forms... Joy.

I've just posted section 1 of my DLA form.
I've got someone calling me in the next 5 days to help me with section 2 - I can't cope with it. It's like, my mind reads the question, I understand it - right up until I have to put down and answer, then I have to read it all over again - this loops on for maybe 20 minutes until I either just put anything down or give up in frustration until later. When the cycle begins again.
It's more than frustrating - I've never had a problem filling out forms or anything before - I even felt more of an idiot because this has been going on for weeks and I never noticed the bloody helpline number plastered all over the form itself.
Yes I'm a tit.

Amy on the free for all forums gave me this lil snippet of info too which has not brightened my day any:

Good luck with your benefit forms. I strongly recommend you get help filling them in...I used D.I.A.L for mine and they were very helpful...apparently citizens advice are good too.

I had already been turned down for my DLA once before when I got help from D.I.A.L. They arranged a home visit for me cos I was unable to get to their centre...it took ages to go through everything (nearly three hours to fill in the form) but she filled the form in for me and was really helpful.

Take a look at these links too....

http://www.bhas.org.uk/freeguides/dla-adults-physicalgrounds.pdf
All about DLA...

http://www.apachetear.net/textfiles/me_benefits_IB50.htm
this is for when you are filling out your IB50 form when you have been on incapacity benefit for 6 months (your SSP counts towards those 6 months if I remember correctly)

It is really important that you get these forms right so get all the help you can. It takes ages to get anything from them too....I applied for DLA in November, was turned down in January and they are looking at it again now (I had a visit from the doctor about it).

Also remember, that down the line you will have to fill in another, different incapcity benefit form (IB50) if/when you go on to higher rate benefit and you may have to have a medical....I did....

it's hard going. Especially DLA...dont expect to get it straight away...I've applied twice now...first time I didnt really know what I was doing and was turned down...this time I had help from D.I.A.L and they still turned me down! I know more about it this time so I'm asking them to look at it again for me.

You have to bear in mind the basic things that you shouldnt be able to do to get DLA....if you can prepare and cook a meal for yourself you cant get care component...if you can walk 100 yards (I think thats what it is) you wont get mobility component....you have to be very careful with the way you word things and always tell them about the things you cant do not the things you can.

See, the problem is - some days I can do those things, other days I can't - and I can't give a decent guestimate on the frequency of my difficulties either - I can go for a few days of being a 'normal' fully functioning human being, to the next few days unable to even get out of bed to go to the bathroom without help!
But apparantly if you tell 'em that then you don't need help - which is BOLLOX!
Gah, got the shakes so I'm going back to bed again - quick run down on today:

Stayed at Yogi's last night (his mum wanted me fed *grin*)
So up at 8.30 in zombie mode, brought home - couldn't make it upstairs so crashed on the sofa.
Up again at 12, lurched into kitchen got drink and rang helpline number.
(woohoo, cognitive ability returned) Sounded like a retard on the phone, had to check the forms in front of me for my address and phone number, groping for words... Ugh - I hate using the phone to strangers these days.
Forced myself to walk round to the post office (for the dla peoples information I stumbled no less than 5 times) to send off the first part of the form to ensure my claim is taken from february 7th, else I'd have to start this all over again and lose money if the claim is successful.

problems going to the loo (I'll spare any readers the details) shakiness, sore throat, blurred vision and ACHES.
That about sums it up for now.
I'm bloody hungry too and there's nothing in that doesn't need cooking *sigh* It'll have to wait, I just haven't got the energy today.