Hi all,
I have just discovered that if you are in receipt of various benefits, you could be entitled to a Warmfront grant up to £2700 for heating/insulation improvements. One of the benefits listed is DLA (Disability Living Allowance), which I expect some of you might receive. There are many other benefits listed as well as DLA. Perhaps you are way ahead of me, but I wasn't aware that we might qualify - I receive DLA for Rio. It's easy to apply online, just go to warmfront.co.uk
Cheers, Kestrel
You are here
warmfront grants
Beware of this - there have been a couple of articles on this as not being too good. BBC One - The One Show and Jeremy Vine have both run articles saying you can get this done cheaper by just shopping round yourself. These people come in with high quotes so it can cost you more money than just using Yellow Pages and searching for a company not under the scheme.
The other thing you can get is government grants for loft and cavity wall insulation. Even if you are not on any benefits or have any illness issues. All you have to do is contact your energy provider.
I made the call, an assessor came out and recommended 12cm loft insulation and cavity wall insulation the whole thing cost us about £400 and was done within 6 weeks. It has made a big difference to the temperature of the house.
Yes, again be careful...I needed help with a failing central heating system, but an assessor decided my loft insulation wasn't good enough and put that down to be done. No suggestion was made as to how I clear the loft space. The insulation I have is adequate and I couldn't bear the thought of all the upheaval involved in clearing the loft space. The eventual bill would be too high for me to manage (I would run out of grant) and the engineers do charge far more than a good local firm. A reputable local firm are now doing the work needed (and doing it NOW) and it is going to be well within my budget.
I am interested in how people are managing to access the DLA, as I am only getting it because I have a hip problem causing walking difficulties as opposed to the sheer exhaustuion caused a) by the Laukaemia and b) by the drug therapy on top of trying to continue working of course!
xxvickiexx
We were given a lot of help in completing the form appropriately by the CLIC Sargent Social Worker at the Hospital. In fact we didn't make a claim until Rio was due to have his BMT, but we understand that we could have claimed after his original diagnosis, tho he wouldn't have been assessed at such a high level of need then.
kestrel
I have twice been turned down for DLA , appealed once but to no avail ! I got the answer that I was ill & NOT disabled(very helpful huh)... Some people are so blinkered & ignorant as to the side effects of various medications/drug therapys & the exhausting symptoms of the illness itself !
I have given up now as it was just one more battle to fight.
Onwards & Upwards ...
Take Care All
Louise
Hi Louise
Yours is a familiar letter, so many of us have experienced as you have, but, to suceed you have to be tenacious, keep applying, and again, and again. I applied under special rules, i.e. a very short anticipated life span, I was denied, so after many appeals and the like, we ended up being offered a Tribunal, which we were ready for, when the relevent department was contacted as to the date, they were suprised that we were ready to attend. The next day a letter arrived retracting their previous decision. This had taken 14 months and two weeks !
My advice is 'keep going' If you want any further assistance, feel free to contact me
Have fun and keep smiling
Keith Pratt
Hi Keith
Thankyou for the inspiration to continue persuing this again. I will ring the benefits agency on Monday morning & request more forms.
It does certainly seem through your experience that if I stand my ground long enough they will/may give in. It is a benefit that I've been told time & time again that we as Leukaemia sufferers are entitled to .... It's just getting the people that read/deal with the forms to agree.
Thanks again Keith,I really appreciate your reply & should I need any help I'll certainly be in contact.
Take Care & Have A Great Weekend !
Louise.
Hi Louise,
It really might be worth contacting the Soc Worker attached to your Hosp - ours was able to give us some indication as to what the 'tipping points' were. She said to complete it on the basis of a 'bad day' as well. She then acted as the 'person who knows' the patient and said that she always tells the consultant what to write in their section too! You can download the forms online from the DWP, tho of course you have to print them off for the Consultant to fill in their bit.
Good luck
kestrel
Hi Kestrel,
Thanks very much for the advice I really appreciate it. I've got an appointment on Monday(16th) at Kings so I will ask then about the Social Worker.
I think it is a question of how you fill out these forms & have been told there is a 'knack' to them .
Thanks once again Kestrel & I hope Rio is going on ok .
Take Care
Louise.
I agree with Kestrel, you have to think of the worst day possible and write about that, I get it for my son for things like reminding him to drink, take tablets but also things like getting up during the night, do you wake up at night worried unable to sleep, do you have to go to the loo several times at night, these things add to your problems you are tired during the day as not sleeping properly at night, do your muscles hurt due to tabs that you struggle to get round the house, can you stand to cook for yourself. Hope you get some help at the hospital.
Julie
Thanks Julie for your reply & advice , I have received new claim forms (again) today & will endeavour to work my way through them over this weekend.
My main problems are excruciating hip pain , extreme tiredness (I have a Myleoproliferative Disease also ~ Jak2+ that adds to my tiredness) & muscle stiffness/pain. As well as the usual side effects of Glivec ....
I really appreciate you taking the time to reply.
Take Care
Louise.
Hi everyone, My daughter (16) has been receiving DLA for the last 12 months. I had to appeal last time as they said she didn`t qualify for the care element. We have now had another letter this morning to say that she is entitled to nothing this time as well. I am appealing, I cannot understand why we have to go to another appeal again, they have been paying her for the last 12 months! It just proves that you have to keep on at them. The independant tribunal granted her the DLA last time and hopefully as side effects have increased because of her increase from 500mg to 800mg per day will grant it for her again. Don`t give up. :-)
Going back to the warmfront grant - the assessor came on Friday. He was from Eaga, who run the scheme for Defra. It all seems above board. we qualify for cavity wall insulation and a top up of loft insulation. I think problems can occur when the work that needs doing to bring the property up to scratch heating-wise, exceed the amount of the grant, which is a maximum of £2700. And of course, if the people who are contracted to actually carry out the work do a substandard job. Eaga have a lot of contractors apparently. Anyway, we will have to wait 2 - 4 months, so won't feel the benefit till next winter, but I'm pleased we can have it done.
kestrel
Hi everyone i have just being reading all your comments about being able to get any help. My mum is getting worse rather then better since she had the cml. She gets really bad cramps in her hands and sometimes they seize up really badly. Her knees hurt her all the time she is on strong painkillers. I worry about her alot. She does work full time. Mums friend told her to see if she can claim any help but mum thinks that cos she works full time she would be classed as not bad enough. There are days when she just do much around the house. We help her as much as we can. My mum is 42 somedays she feels like she has had enough of the tierdness and the pain. my mums consultant at the hospital does not think the cml can cause these die effects, so she is quite dismissive of what my mum says. Thanks for listening guys and hope you are all well. I find this site good to help my mum.
Thanks again guys.
Hi Sweet
It's so upsetting to hear about a consultant who doesn't take the pain, tiredness and cramps seriously! My 15 year old, who had a bone marrow transplant for CML last June was on Glivec (imatinib) for 2 years, which I'm guessing is what your Mum takes. Its a great medicine for CML and can reduce the level of CML right down so it doesn't show up in tests, but imatinib does unfortunately have side-effects. My son had cramps in his legs, pins and needles in his arms and feet and was often very tired. He wasn't able to continue playing for his football club as the training and matches were too much for him to manage. The side effects your mum experiences seem to fit the pattern and do need to be taken seriously by the Hospital. I do hope she can convince them that her pain and tiredness are real. Is there another Consultant at the same Hospital that she could talk to I wonder? Sometimes the side effects can wear off a bit after a few weeks/months. Rio found that they did get a bit better, but if he had the dosage of imatinib increased, they came back again.
I'm not any kind of expert in benefits, but I think it is still possible to claim DLA when you are working. Filling in the form is quite tricky and it would be a really good idea for your Mum to get in touch with the Social Worker at the hospital to get some help with this. The S/W might have other info as well.
Really good that you are keeping up with this site to help support your Mum!
I'll be thinking of you and hoping things improve for you all.
kestrel