Disability Living Allowance is a financial aid – a Benefit - paid to disabled people under 65, who need help looking after themselves; To those with mobility problems who find it difficult/ impossible to move around; And to those with a terminal illness – Expected to die within the following 6 months.
It is not based on [the] disability but the needs arising from it. Needs involving bodily functions such as bathing, feeding, dressing up…
Getting qualified to recieve this benefit takes a lot of time – applying for forms, filling the forms (There 59 pages of very personal, depressing stuff to fill in), getting the medical assessments, waiting for those results and those of other medical/ physiological/ institutuional… bodies involved in the referral and assessments.
It does take a lot of time and painstaking effort to put it all together (hopefully) right. All the while being at the painful mercy of that disability.
Nearly half the time, though, the application is usally rejected. Then the entire process starts all over again, as the disabled applicant tries to appeal for a re-assessment. Or makes an appeal to the tribunal.
Now, the big question on the lips of many is – What’s all the fuss about DLA?! Everything else is being cut, Why not DLA as well?!! To which the simple and Honest answer is …
Because as a result of their disability, the disabled get paid much lower wages/ salaries than their non-disabled collegues.
Because, much as they would love to, the disabled cannot work for as long or as consistently as the non-disabled. There are days when the failings of their minds/ bodies mean searing pain and agony.
Because the disabled cannot do many of the everyday tasks and activities non-disabled people do without thinking about it, nor of it – Skipping out of bed, Bathing, dressing up…
Because they need special care, treatment, therapies, transport and daily living aids/ equipment to achieve what the non-disabled would, without much effort. All which come at a monetary cost.
Because an increasing pressure on social care budgets mean DLA is often the only financial support those living with a disability get.
Because it is more expensive to live as a disabled person in our society.
And THAT is the reason why NOT to cut Disability Living Allowance. Nor to deny those that trully need it.
It’s there to bridge the gap between the disabled and the non-disabled. So they also, can achieve their full potential – Even with a disability!
