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This morning the BH and I had to go to the Independent Tribunal for the BH's Mobility Allowance.
Fourteen years ago the BH fell and damaged his spine. He fractured several vertebrae and ruptured a disc in his lower spine. He had chemoneucleosis, followed by a bungled operation and, to cut a long story short, now has three degenerating discs in the lower spine, sciatica and chronic back pain. He walks only a few yards at a time and can't do very much physically at all.
His condition is considered stable, but chronic. It will never improve. The DWP decided he was better and that he no longer required his Mobility car to get to work, hospital etc. So we appealed their decision and had to go as far as it is possible to go with the appeals procedure. Today was our final hearing. We've been waiting for this date since last July, dreading it, dreading the BH ending up housebound and completely dependent on me. Without the car he would have had to resign from his job and give up being Chair of Governors at school as he would have been unable to get to either place.
So this morning we met the panel, a judge, a doctor and a disability expert, answered loads of questions to the best of our ability and we won. We are delighted, relieved and exhausted. My poor BH now feels that he might be vindicated, as he has been made to feel like a - struggling to find the right word here - criminal (almost) for claiming this benefit. I know there are a lot of people who do claim when they shouldn't and who abuse the system and, as a result, everyone else is tarred with their brush and that's very unfair.
We've celebrated with a cup of tea and piece of caramel shortbread!
Jules
Fourteen years ago the BH fell and damaged his spine. He fractured several vertebrae and ruptured a disc in his lower spine. He had chemoneucleosis, followed by a bungled operation and, to cut a long story short, now has three degenerating discs in the lower spine, sciatica and chronic back pain. He walks only a few yards at a time and can't do very much physically at all.
His condition is considered stable, but chronic. It will never improve. The DWP decided he was better and that he no longer required his Mobility car to get to work, hospital etc. So we appealed their decision and had to go as far as it is possible to go with the appeals procedure. Today was our final hearing. We've been waiting for this date since last July, dreading it, dreading the BH ending up housebound and completely dependent on me. Without the car he would have had to resign from his job and give up being Chair of Governors at school as he would have been unable to get to either place.
So this morning we met the panel, a judge, a doctor and a disability expert, answered loads of questions to the best of our ability and we won. We are delighted, relieved and exhausted. My poor BH now feels that he might be vindicated, as he has been made to feel like a - struggling to find the right word here - criminal (almost) for claiming this benefit. I know there are a lot of people who do claim when they shouldn't and who abuse the system and, as a result, everyone else is tarred with their brush and that's very unfair.
We've celebrated with a cup of tea and piece of caramel shortbread!
Jules
) into the disc. Was supposed to cause it to shrink back. In fact it ruined the structure of the disc altogether 
They apparently don't do that any more...
)
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