My name is April and the CAB Home Visiting team really helped me – here’s my story.
Where would I be without them?
I’ve been living on disability benefit since 2002 and it’s a struggle for me to leave the house.
I’ve been ill with various ailments for several years now.
I just want to take care of myself and live as best I can.
Now I’ve reached pension age, I can live off my pension with a top-up of ‘pension credit’.
Then I found out I had to re-apply for a new ‘Personal Independence Payment’.
I wouldn’t have known how to do it all and the size of the form – 40 pages – threw me, so I phoned the Home Visiting team.
They came to see me and went through it all with me.
The new payment is meant to enable me to cope with the daily difficulties of living with my long-term health conditions.
My big worry was that there would be a delay and my money would stop.
I had to go for interview with the DWP.
I thought it went well but I was really worried that I wasn’t going to get the award. A week after the interview I received a letter.
I was so nervous I didn’t open the letter at first.
I am delighted to say that I was successful and, this time for ten years instead of two.
I’m extremely happy with the outcome and I feel more secure.
The more assured income takes some of the worry away.
I do think that, in the past, stress has made me feel more ill so this is a tremendous relief.
