Everyone who has had a stroke should apply for PIP. Ring DWP and start a claim they will send out a hideous long form to complete - I did the form for my partner.
When you get the form make sure you write the worst day you have so not put the times you can do stuff!
If you don’t then agree with their decision you should definitely appeal!
Once your stroke survivor has PIP carers can get careers allowance.
Check and see if there is a Care and Repair service in your area they can help with appliances, applying for grants etc really helpful.
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Thanks I know how to edit a post and I promise I will add some links over the next few days! And try and consolidate.
I may use a word doc or something and try and do it a bit better!
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@KGB
I hope you don’t take my suggestion as a criticism of your excellent offering.
What you are putting together, I am sure you realise, will be something very useful to others.
We often find ourselves in the dark wishing for a little light to see just where we are.
As always,
Keep on keepin’ on
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I took it as a compliment that you understood what I was trying to do better than I did 
I will keep on keepin on and
As always
Be cool like a polar bear 
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Cheers Simon,
I’m not quite that advanced yet! Perhaps we can have a chat on Thursday - I will join unless something else happens - which I bloomin hope it won’t. Had enough medical surprises this week already and it’s only tuesday!!
Stay cool
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I need some lessons!!! Don’t worry @ you all
I am not afraid to ask for help so be ready
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That should be helpful for someone! I am not considered a senior here for quite some time yet, which has been a problem for me. I appreciate the effort though, and will keep it.
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ESA - Employment & Support Allowance.
Along with the assistance I’ve read above on UC & PIP, I thought I would share a few things that may well help you get an ESA application over the line.
First up, I was self employed and was told to go for ESA as it was not means tested. I completed the application only to be told by the Dept for Work & Pensions that my app was denied as you must have 2 consecutive years of National Insurance contributions. I had a 1 year gap in 2020-21 (after 32 full years!) due to the bloody pandemic when we all followed the rules and didn’t work.
If this has happened to you, don’t panic. If you call HMRC, you can make a voluntary NI contribution over the phone. It cost me precisely £163.80. Within 3 days and a few calls to the DWP my ESA was approved.
A second thing to know. I had my stroke on the 1st April 23. I was expecting a back dated payment but the NI gap issue stopped it. If you pay the NI contribution, your claim starts from that payment with a 6 week penalty. My first payment is due in the 31st Oct. I have lost out on over £2k of benefits.
Thirdly, as much as I’ve been messed around, don’t be put off. Keep pushing and you will get what you deserve, don’t rely in the DWP updating you, ring them. You may have to wait 40 minutes for them to answer but do it. The best time to ring them is at 8am or after 4:30.
Good luck to you all, if I can help just drop me a line.
Rob
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Forgive me all I am trying to play around with some differnet formats to try and tidy up the original list and add the extra bits…
This format seems ok?
@SimonInEdinburgh @RobD1 @Bobbi @EmeraldEyes @Rups @ anyone else who might know!!
Does this seem ok? If I keep consolodationg?
Also is there a way for others to be able to edit it? etc etc?
Let’s start with a decent format 
| Thing / Topic / ?? | Description | Link / telephone number |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - how and when to claim, rates, eligibility. | Personal Independence Payment (PIP): How to claim - GOV.UK |
| Universal Credit | Universal Credit is replacing 6 other benefits with a single monthly payment if you’re out of work or on a low income - eligibility, how to prepare. | Universal Credit |
| Freedom pass London - disabled or other versions | The travel pass for disabled people allows free travel across London and bus journeys nationally |
Possible local equivalents|https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/services/freedom-pass|
That above had problems and tried to correct them below but wasn’t quite what I wanted - wanted some differnt fonts and 2 links… but i’ll keep playing around
| Thing / Topic / ?? | Description | Link / telephone number |
|---|---|---|
| PIP | Personal Independence Payment (PIP) replaces Disability Living Allowance (DLA) - how and when to claim, rates, eligibility. | Personal Independence Payment (PIP): How to claim - GOV.UK |
| Universal Credit | Universal Credit is replacing 6 other benefits with a single monthly payment if you’re out of work or on a low income - eligibility, how to prepare. | Universal Credit |
| Freedom pass London - disabled or other versions | The travel pass for disabled people allows free travel across London and bus journeys nationally - possible local equivalents | Freedom Pass | London Councils - Localgov Drupal |
Think I can get it sorted like this wih some time… any thoughts?
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And is it also maybe ‘archiving’ this topic and starting anew?
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Just trying to show a mistake and a correction!
edited that and this
I will try and get the full list of what I’ve done put together and see how unwieldy it is. Then think about other things… One stap at a time. but your feedback is as always appreciated @SimonInEdinburgh
Basically that’s just an illustration of a google doc with a table. quickly done - some links are better than others and actually - funnily the links put in this forum and then copied out are better than just links put straight in ha ha. I may have to get some IT peeps on here to help!! @im72 ?!?!?
I may play around with spreadsheets or something else too!! Forgive me but, I know it’s sad, I actually miss spreadsheets!!! I used to use them A LOT!!
I have also noted that in the past 10-14 days since I have been using this forum as my second home that the number of users has increased by around 100 or so - sorry haven’t kept count. But i think that’s great?!!
So I have been telling my OT, the lady at Newham Enabled Living, my GP, my consultant, my psycologist about how much it is helping me… And asked them to mention it to any of their srroke patients I would love to see many many more people on here and I’m not quite sure that it’s promoted even by the SA enough - I was told about it and signed up in Jan but then haven’t really used it until recently.
Not sure what the ‘trigger’ was, but i’m very pleased.
So I’m saying spread the word and the love peeps.
Maybe have a think @Alex_Moderator about if you could help promote it a bit more in things like SA assessments - because mine was great but can’t really remember the chap mentioning this specifically.
Keep cool K
It’s all to do with Discourse Trust Levels, you have to be at Trust Level 3 to be able to create your owns posts wiki. I think you are at Trust Level 1 so you can edit wiki posts.
Don’t know if you’ve completed any of this, it’s an interactive walk through/tutorial which might gain you another trust level, but I’m not sure. There are 2 levels to it, basic and advanced usage.
To start it you need to create a personal mail and key the following to get started:
@msg-bot start {name-of-tutorial} (which is “basic” or “advanced”…I think, it was quite a while ago when I did it)…and now he’s popped up below because I mentioned in here
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Hi! To find out what I can do, say @msg-bot display help.
@SimonInEdinburgh @EmeraldEyes
Thanks both I will certainly try and do those tutorial things and in the meantime I will certainly ask for help!!
Ok - I have spoken to a few people and got a few more ideas.
I am going to take a few days / a week - please bear (just bear not necessirily a polar bear) with me.
I will:
Do a table / whatever and get it all in with links etc.
Try and come up with some categories - eg, initial steps, out and about, help with being recognised as disabled etc - please feel free to suggest any!
then re-review with some of the regulars etc and hopefully come up with something useful rather than my usual ramblings
Thanks all
Kieran
Be cool
plus kb remember @smeadows1975 post re employment although something on here already about that? if anyone else would care to share - send me a private message rather than clogging this up and I’ll add it to my doc / spreadsheet
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@SimonInEdinburgh @EmeraldEyes @Bobbi
I can’t find my own trust level despite the tutorials and all your help
Can you tell me what I am? I think I’m a regular now TL2 or TL3?
Thanks!!
K
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Or not… still TL2 I think just a member - that’s cool - I know I have to build trust so I am staying cool
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