If you require assistance or medical input in completing any application for financial assistance, there are a number of people who may be able to help you:
The Benefit Helpline on 0800 882200.
Your GP or specialist may be required to complete a portion of the application form, outlining your medical condition you may want to consult very closely with them on this as, once again, you may feel that you would prefer hepatitis C not to appear on the form. Remember to include any other health problems you may have on the form.
If you have a designated social worker or key worker they should be able to support you in completing the form. Or you may wish to make an appointment with your local Citizens Advice Bureau (their number will be in the local telephone directory). Citizen Advice Bureaux have a wealth of experience in ensuring those entitled to benefits receive their full entitlement and will be happy to help you complete the form, although you will probably need to call to make an appointment first. However be warned that they have been known to tell people they are not eligible for benefits that they CAN claim. Don't be put off by this, our advice is to complete the form anyway.
Once the form is completed and any necessary documents are compiled you should ensure you have a photocopy of everything being sent and post it to the designated benefit agency address.
Filling in Forms
Most application forms for benefits or concessions will ask you questions about your health or disability and how it affects you on a daily basis. It is very likely that some days you feel much better than others - good days may even be more common than bad. It is the bad days you should concentrate on. Try to focus on the worst-case scenario, that is a day when you feel the most sick, you have the least help and you have been least able to do things. Think about the impact this has on you both physically and mentally, consider how much help or assistance you need. Think about any adaptations that you have made or you feel could be made to enable you to undertake everyday tasks. Also think about how you have arranged your living space in order to make things easier for yourself i.e. moving a bookshelf/table to lean on to help you get out of bed or out of a chair. Have you moved to a bungalow, had a shower/bedroom moved downstairs for you?
When applying for benefits or concessions you should consider the emotional and psychological impact the disease has on your ability to perform everyday tasks. This includes whether depression or confusion or difficulty to concentrate (brain fog) means that your ability to perform every day tasks is impaired.
In the case of hepatitis C these are very real issues and ones that should not be overlooked. Overlooking them may jeopardise the likelihood of your being accepted for financial and/or practical assistance.
