What would you say to somebody else in the same situation that's access, thinking about needing to access the Benefits system?
I'd say it all depends if they were mobile, some people need the care allowance, some people need to be looked after, I was on the mobile side, I needed the mobility to get about and I couldn't afford to keep the car going without having something like that.
I explained this to the doctor that came to examine me in the house and she actually says “Well this is what the benefit is about” and she explained that and she says if I pass a medical, well if I fail a medical for this, I will be granted the Disability Living Allowance.
So I would advise anybody else to actually, if they are in a similar situation which their mobility is affected to go and get the mobility allowance because this really helps. It's about £40 a week and £40 a week is round about what I'd spend on petrol to get to the shops, to get here.
I mean I need a car to go any more than about 150-200 metres, to go 150-200 metres can take me an hour and a half if I've got bad pain. I go to shops that's about 500 metres away and I've seen me take an hour and a half, 2 hours, to get there and back when my pain is pretty bad but with a car even if you've got your pain you can get jump in the car, go, get your messages and come back again and be back in the house pretty quick.
Gives you a wee bit mobility, a wee bit of freedom, you can, if I go to the swimming pool, I can never go without the car. You need the car to go out, it's public transport just isn't in that area so I use the car, get to the swimming pool, relax about in the swimming pool, use the sauna, jump back in the car again, come back. If you're in pain at least you're home pretty quick. It doesn't affect my ability to drive for like half an hour at a time. Any more than half an hour it's just even sitting in a car is too uncomfortable so... |
