Life is not fair

Post Reply New Topic

Just found out that my stepbrother who has CMT which is a condition where your muscles don't work very well dose not even have to pay for his driving as he gets some sort of mobility payment on top of the disability living allowance he gets.

How is that fair that in the future mine might stop just because i can walk well and because my muscles are ok i have to fork out for loads to drive, my future life in trying to live on my own and trying to find a job.

I know i can walk well but i still need as much help as him in needing to be independant, at least its not his brain

There is a great deal of work for Social Justice Warriors, including overcoming the scorn of those who usually use that term to malign volunteers with a conscience. Now that my career is toast from lack of basic help, I have to watch out for fools who want to care for me 24-7 as a vegetable.

It's part of the DLA and not in addition to. The DLA is made of two parts, Care and Mobility allowances. My wife gets the higher Mobility allowance and the middle Care allowance and I'm more than happy that she gets it as she really needs it - I'm her carer and her driver. If you think that you qualify then apply for it, although, nowadays, you'll be applying for PIP and not DLA.

http://www.autism.org.uk/PIP

You could always apply for disability income/assistance yourself if you feel your disability significantly impairs your ability to work and try to look into accommodations, rather than resenting people who have already taken that step and gotten assistance.

Not sure quite how disability programs work where you are, but if its anything like it is here...a disability allowance doesn't even realistically cover the cost of living like rent and food unless you live with family, other people or have gotten housing assistance where its subsidized and you only pay a portion of the rent and utilities.

I do get the DLA but the thing is i don't get the things like the free driving which i really want to do one day. It because the thing he has affects his moving so he gets extra help with the driving but i would not because i can walk fine.

Its just i only have 150 in the bank at the moment and no way to pay for driving, find a gf and live interdependently.

He gets 250 and i get 150 a month so he gets way more

You're right. It's nowhere near it: about £140/week at the maximum amount. But, PIP/DLA is a non-means tested allowance, so it's not affected by other benefits or income. I agree, if they think they can get PIP then apply for it.

Just be glad you can move around well.

It sounds like your stepbrother has a really nasty condition. Please don't be envious of him because he's able to get free driving. Or for anything. But make sure he doesn't act like an ass towards you.

It looks like you are saying a physical disability is considered more significant needs than a mental disability. I agree, that doesn't seem fair.

About 40% of people in the US don't "believe in" mental illness or any other non-visible difference between people. They think everyone with a problem is faking it to get extra consideration, and that they would do the same except that they have better morals.
Bill Gates also starts off one of his homilies with the old truism "Life is not fair" but he has also added such a large increment to the unfairness of life as to speak with real authority.

PIP/DLA is available for both as long as the criteria are met. Government guidelines states some of the reasons you may receive the Care component, which include various criteria that someone with ASD could meet: preparing or eating food; washing, bathing and using the toilet; dressing and undressing; reading and communicating; managing your medicines or treatments; making decisions about money; engaging with other people. As far as the Mobility component goes, the guidelines state that "You may get the mobility component of PIP if you need help going out or moving around". Whether the agencies that assess the individual are doing a decent and fair job is a different matter and they have come under a lot of fire for refusing people who have either physical, mental, development conditions/disabilities.

If cricketman has trouble getting around or caring for himself then he should apply.

I'm lucky. I have both substantial mental and physical disability. No one doubts for a minute that I'm totally screwed up lol.