New Claim advice

HI,

I am still working my way through all the guides and the forum but I thought I'd just ask the experts. I have put off claiming dla for years for worry about being refused and not having enough proof, or it somehow impacting my job as I'm not sure if you have to tell them if you do need this help as from their perspective they don't know I have these problems.

I have ME/Fibro and EDS type 3 sometimes called hypermobilty syndrome. I was diagnosed with ME/Fibro maybe 14-15 years ago now while I was at uni and was bed ridden, but had my lecture notes emailed to me so still somehow managed to finish my degree with some resits. I was told though to just get on with things as there wasn't anything the doctors could do to help and as I was still a student I couldn't claim any benifits then apart from student loans.

I have managed to struggle on in the years since and support myself working in IT where I can work from home a lot, so no one see's how much I can't do and I can just work in bed. I was diagnosed with EDS last year but that was because I asked for a referal to the genetics clinic due to other family memebers already being formally diagnosed and they just confirmed my diagnosis really and that was that.

So to my question I suppose, I realise I am now too late for dla and it will have to be for pip which I really want so I can have my cleaner come every week instead of 2 now, and so she could make some food for me sometimes as well. As far as my local doctors are concerned and my notes though, as I was basically told to stop going and bothering them there won't be anything detailing how my conditions impact my actual life or have done over the years. I am currently under the pain clinics care so I guess I can put them down as a specialist to contact about current care, but that is just the pain management side and I am not under the care of any other consultants.

I am just not sure should I make an appointment with the doctors before considering putting in a pip claim to make them more aware of my day to day limilations, as I am just worried if they are contacted they will be able to confirm my conditions but not have any details beyond that.

I would hope to apply for lower rate care I suppose for now rather than any mobility component just now as I can get about with my stick / crutches if I am having a bad patch. It is just things like feeding myself / washing myself especially I do struggle with at times but as I live alone I have no one who can vouch for me I suppose. I can have a week or more sometimes where I just can't have a shower and live of take aways being delivered but as far as my work think I am fine as I am still working from home in that time so have no idea about the reality of the situation.

So I guess do I need to go to the doctors or any other oragnisations to try and get more help before putting in the claim so that will support what I am applying for, or will that just look as if I am going just to try and support my claim and make it look worse?

Sorry if this is a bit confused I am just trying to understand the processes enough to see my best way of getting the help I really do need as the older I get the worse I get and I just don't see how I can maintain the house or look after myself well enough without extra help. I suppose it is my own fault in a way for not trying to get help sooner and beliving I had to struggle on by myself this long but I am concerned I have no papertrail now though I suppose to show how ill I really am.

Gorden, Thanks I didn't realise dla might still be an option so I'll have a look at that too.

I guess though my problem is I have conditions where I am told not to go to the doctor really as they can't help. So I could book an appointment to say I want to apply but as you never can see the same doctor twice I am not sure how much that will help. As I am single and live alone no one see's me at my worst which is 2-3 weeks out of a month or more at times if I have been over doing it, where I can't dress or wash myself and am reliant on take away deliverys for food.

My cleaner I suppose can help vouch for me, as well maybe as the window cleaner or postman who I don't think have hardly ever seen me out of my dressing gown I suppose, but I am guessing that won't be enough to get the help I need. So is there anything else I need to be doing to help my case do you think?

I sprain / sublex different joints all the time but again don't go to hostpital for xrays or anything as it is so common I just self manage these things and have crutches / stick / suport bandages etc as needed. I suppose do I need to start going to the doctors / hostipal all the time just to develop a paper trail to satisfy them? When I have over done things and can't do anything though, I don't see how I could go to the doctor if I can't even go out to collect my own take away. Also I don't think I can risk missing too much work as I can't afford not to be paid.

I can't be the only single person living this way, so I guess there must be something I can do to prove my limitations enough to get help.