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Post by juniper61 on Feb 17, 2017 18:36:49 GMT 7
Juniper, firstly welcome to the forum. It is a good place to visit when you need people that understand the adversarial nature of some people/organisations. Next is the important bit .... Breathe !!! You seem to be through the hardest bit with your DSP application (talking to a Centrelink Assessor). And yes, some questions do seem totally irrelevant and are simply asked to to see if they can twist the answers to support what they write in the report. Until she/he writes a report there is nothing to do but wait (and breathe). Here's hoping you'll get a letter/telephone call to set up a Government Contracted Doctors assessment. Meanwhile, to take your mind off things, regularly visit that foodbank charity and vent at that oh-so non-empathic volunteer that seems to be in the wrong profession. I'm sure we can come up with some cutting remarks for you to use when you need to respond to a remark about how "lucky" you are. Thank you for the welcome. I'm glad to have found this place, just wish it had been sooner. So the next step is a government doctor? I'm so confused. I was told the assessor was the last step before hearing yes or no in 6-8 weeks time.
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Post by krystal on Feb 18, 2017 17:00:22 GMT 7
Sorry Juniper but yes unless you get a "Manifest Grant", Centrelink brought in a second level of assessment for DSP. The Centrelink Assessor writes a report and yes, it covers your impairments (as well as supports needed, Employment streams, interventions required, barriers to employment blah blah blah). The Centrelink Assessor report will cover your impairments and how they relate to the tables. The Government Contracted Doctor will write a report that covers how the tables relate to your impairments and daily life. (A difference that shouldn't make a difference). www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/disability-medical-assessment
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Post by tasjo on Feb 18, 2017 17:12:08 GMT 7
Juniper61 - my biggest 'tip' would be to be honest with the mortgage provider aboit where you are at. I too have fibromyalgia (and rheumatoid arthritis) and went through a stress claim and termination of my employment. I havent yet been granted Disability but some of that I now know is due to a lack of preparation on my part. The other thing I would be checking is whether you have any income protection insurance on your super, and also what your TPD cover is. It could make a big difference to you financially while you go through the Disability claim. If you have been on Newstart for at least 6 months the mortgage company is more 'obliged' to assist you. We were 'lucky', our mortgage company worked with us and I managed to use my workers comp settlement to clear the arrears. Maybe look at interest only if you havent already?
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Post by juniper61 on Feb 19, 2017 5:00:46 GMT 7
Sorry Juniper but yes unless you get a "Manifest Grant", Centrelink brought in a second level of assessment for DSP. The Centrelink Assessor writes a report and yes, it covers your impairments (as well as supports needed, Employment streams, interventions required, barriers to employment blah blah blah). The Centrelink Assessor report will cover your impairments and how they relate to the tables. The Government Contracted Doctor will write a report that covers how the tables relate to your impairments and daily life. (A difference that shouldn't make a difference). www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/disability-medical-assessmentGeez... good thing I'm not holding my breath.. this process is coming up 8 months already.. add the 2 month wait to hear how badly I did with the work capacity... then more time after that with doctor and waiting... i don't think I'm going to make it... having an advocate has not been useful.. it was supposed to make things less confusing but I still feel like I'm making mistakes at every turn. I mean I'm giving honest answers but they feel wrong. For example when I filled out my application I was having panic attacks on a weekly basis due to having to front up at madec and other appointments where I was having to speak to people I don't know. When asked by assessor if I was still having panic attacks I answered honestly that I haven't had one for a while (I ended up having one after).. but without being able to add the reason why I haven't it seems like my problem with that no longer exists. The fact is that I now avoid everything that causes panic attacks where possible. I avoid certain places where I might run into anyone I used to work with, I leave the house only for appointments and my doctors appointments I arrange to be at times I know they are less likely to have herds of stampeding children or gaggles of loud talking elderly people. If I run out of anything before my son is likely to come over and need to shop I do so at 7:00am when there are usually only 1 or 2 other people there. It seems logical to me that as you go along you learn to adapt and make your life easier even if it means avoiding doing things but clearly they don't want to hear that and possibly I've done myself a disservice by not wanting to experience panic attacks and adjusting my life accordingly. I have no life in reality and battle daily with thoughts of wanting to die. Not thoughts of killing myself but simply being pissed off that I keep waking up and wishing this would all end. Nobody in this whole long 8 months has spoken to me about why I am putting myself through this hell. They have the medical information from numerous doctors and the application allows me to state my symptoms but the one thing they never ask and which seems to be the most important is the why and how? Why apply for a payment that means admitting to yourself and others that you're pretty damn useless now as a member of society and how is your life different than it was before? Without those answers they can and do probably judge people to be lazy. So unfair!
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Post by juniper61 on Feb 19, 2017 5:16:50 GMT 7
Juniper61 - my biggest 'tip' would be to be honest with the mortgage provider aboit where you are at. I too have fibromyalgia (and rheumatoid arthritis) and went through a stress claim and termination of my employment. I havent yet been granted Disability but some of that I now know is due to a lack of preparation on my part. The other thing I would be checking is whether you have any income protection insurance on your super, and also what your TPD cover is. It could make a big difference to you financially while you go through the Disability claim. If you have been on Newstart for at least 6 months the mortgage company is more 'obliged' to assist you. We were 'lucky', our mortgage company worked with us and I managed to use my workers comp settlement to clear the arrears. Maybe look at interest only if you havent already? I'll have to get my son to help me figure out this stuff. He's been really busy the past few months and his days off tend to be weekends and he helps so much by driving over and doing some of the heavy work like gardening and repairs. I hate asking for more. I don't do phone calls easily so haven't spoken to anyone at bank or super. I did send in form to withdraw my super but I'm still a few months too young. Nice to be too young for something. Anything to do with super seems like a foreign language to me. It wasn't something that was common when I was young and during my marriage I didn't have to do anything about it personally. So my super is not large as it's only existed for a short time and I'm clueless about how things work. Maybe not totally clueless now as I know I reach preservation age on my next birthday but the terminology is baffling. Preservation age sounds like I'll not continue to age. Nice idea but clearly not the case! I didn't think income protection was available when you had resigned? TPD? Total permanent disability? No idea. Do I have that cover? I'm sure the old me would be able to make sense of things but my brain does not function as it used to.
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Post by tasjo on Feb 19, 2017 6:24:35 GMT 7
I'll try and answer the Super questions for you - based on my own experience You can check what Super you have either through the ATO or by checking your statements. 'Most' super will have both a balance and insurance linked to it. These are generally income protection and/or TPD (Total and Permanent Disability). Income protection is considered a temporary policy (often around 2 yrs) but can go till 65. You can either apply for these yourself or engage a lawyer or another person (some financial advisers will do it) to apply on your behalf or provide advice. Each policy will be different so once you know if you have any cover its best to try and understand what the policy is. It shouldnt make any difference the way you left work but again, check the policy requirements. In addition to insurance you can withdraw your balance due to permanent incapacity. This generally means having 2 medical certificates (1 specialist and 1 GP is a good idea) that state your condition/s and that you are not going to return to work. Once the super fund accepts the permanent incapacity you can then withdraw the balance because you are classed as having reached preservation age. lastly, if you have been on Newstart for at least 6 months or have a default notice on your mortgage you can apply to withdraw Super due to financial hardship... this is through Centrelink and can be up to $10k but is taxed. From an anxiety/stress perspective I wouldnt recommend the default notice method. I did the income protection claim myself but have a lawyer handling the TPD claims. Hope that helps and hasnt confused you more
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Post by tasjo on Feb 19, 2017 10:50:43 GMT 7
The other thing I found was that the lvl1 AAT appeal seemed to take into account a lot more of what had changed... I was asked about doing up shoelaces and things like that and was able to answer that I avoid having them undone and use pacing strategies to prioritise what needs to be done. The only thing I felt was scored under was mental health impairment but the table does clearly allow for social anxiety and avoidance of situations in order to keep your health stable.
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Post by warren1969 on Feb 19, 2017 15:30:10 GMT 7
I'll have to get my son to help me figure out this stuff. He's been really busy the past few months and his days off tend to be weekends and he helps so much by driving over and doing some of the heavy work like gardening and repairs. I hate asking for more. I don't do phone calls easily so haven't spoken to anyone at bank or super. I did send in form to withdraw my super but I'm still a few months too young. Nice to be too young for something. Anything to do with super seems like a foreign language to me. It wasn't something that was common when I was young and during my marriage I didn't have to do anything about it personally. So my super is not large as it's only existed for a short time and I'm clueless about how things work. Maybe not totally clueless now as I know I reach preservation age on my next birthday but the terminology is baffling. Preservation age sounds like I'll not continue to age. Nice idea but clearly not the case! I didn't think income protection was available when you had resigned? TPD? Total permanent disability? No idea. Do I have that cover? I'm sure the old me would be able to make sense of things but my brain does not function as it used to. Juniper I will try and give you some advice from my experience as I have been paid a TPD lump sum m amount as well as had monthly salary continuance for a 2-year period. Most superannuation funds you will find have inbuilt TPD insurance amounts that gives you cover in the event of becoming totally disabled. The amounts vary and you will need to check with your fund Depending on who your superannuation fund is you may be made to jump through hoops to access your Superannuation early for reasons of being TPD. Even with medical certificates the fund may use delay tactics because in their eyes if they accept that you are totally disabled and allow you access to your super then they are then admitting that you have a case for your TPD lump sum claim and will then have to pay you the lump sum as well. In the end after having the Super fund delay me, stall and provide every excuse for not paying me the lump sum whilst they paid me a monthly salary continuance for being disabled I engaged a solicitor and once I did that the fund paid me within about 6 weeks. Most fund as well don’t provide Monthly salary continuance for being disabled unless you were paying extra monthly on top of your automatic employee cover. The easiest thing for you to do would be place a call to your superannuation fund give your member number and just say you’re making a query and would like to know the levels of insurance cover on your policy and you will find they will be more than happy to provide you that information. Good luck with it all and if you have any questions about it all feel free to pop me a message and I’ll try my best to answer.
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Post by Denis-NFA on Feb 19, 2017 23:40:02 GMT 7
Good luck with it all and if you have any questions about it all feel free to pop me a message and I’ll try my best to answer. juniper61, As warren1969 says and indicates, keep asking us questions. Only way to learn. There have been lots of folk come through the forum that have experienced all sorts of 'stuff' and each person's experiences are different except their dealings with C/Link. I think you will find that there are many folk on this forum that find it hard to go out and deal with the world as once they could. Take heart. You are not alone.
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Post by juniper61 on Feb 20, 2017 12:48:01 GMT 7
Update.
Should hear from bank in a couple of days regarding temporary reduction in mortgage repayments. Will contact super tomorrow. One phone call was enough for the day.
Thank you everyone.
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Post by juniper61 on Apr 5, 2017 8:34:50 GMT 7
Update. Just got rejected. No assessment by a doctor. Work capacity jerk did not assess me on my main condition at all. Claimed there was no supporting letter but have checked with Centrelink and they can see the letter.
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Post by murphy on Apr 5, 2017 8:53:37 GMT 7
Do an FOI request (instructions in another thread) to get your file and JCA report so you can see what their reasoning is and clearly argue against it.
When you appeal to ARO ensure you mention the relevant letter on file with them and also attach another copy of the letter to your appeal.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 5, 2017 11:31:11 GMT 7
Makes me feel sick Turnbull handing out $50 billion taxpayers money to the big corporations and big banks who already make billions profits and don't even need the money , it will all just go to the wealthy investors. Imagine if instead that $50 billion was handed out to the disabled and unemployed like Juniper who really need it.
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Post by tasjo on Apr 6, 2017 18:07:41 GMT 7
Juniper... having gone to the point of a 2nd appeal with hindsight I would have reapplied earlier and kept reapplying until a JCA assessed my condition appropriately (for fibro use table 1). The 2nd appeal is it seems a fairly lengthy process.
Check that there is a letter from either your GP or specialist (possibly a rheumatologist) that confirms the fibromyalgia diagnosis. Also check that the information you provided to CLink states how your condition impairs you... in the ways described in the impairment tables. Check the examples used for 10 and 20 points and ensure your doctors address the highest level you think should be awarded. Send as much as you can before requesting the ARO review... if they arent given anything new they are unlikely to change what the JCA said.
As dory says... just keep swimming!
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Post by juniper61 on May 1, 2017 14:25:33 GMT 7
So when I spoke to someone at dsp the day after my last post... I was asked if I wanted to appeal and I said yes so she said she would start the process for me and I would hear soon about what I'm supposed to do. Haven't heard anything. My original application had letters from GP, rheumatologist and psychiatrist all confirming the conditions on my application. The woman at dsp said they could not even consider fibromyalgia which is my main condition as the GP letter where he mentioned my fibromyalgia the assessor took his wording as to mean that treatment was not completed. That wasn't what he said but of course the assessor twisted it so they didn't even read my rheumatologist letter. Never mind that the letters were written months apart and they would have saved money simply by asking me for an updated letter rather than go through this again. I'm really struggling as my depression and anxiety have gotten worse since their decision and i have started self harming and currently not under any mental health care as my psychiatrist is unwell again and could be absent for 6 months plus. He put me onto a psychologist as he didn't want me without care but she won't take me as she is not wanting any bulk bill patients at this time. So I've seen nobody. I am floundering in ways I hate to admit. The fibromyalgia causes cognitive issues so I can read something 20 times and not really grasp it. I used to be intelligent.. now I hate what I am. I have a GP plus advocacy meeting tomorrow but I'm not holding my breath as advocacy doesn't talk me through the process and I need someone to be doing that.. as much as I hate to admit that. Even with paying interest only on mortgage I'm not really catching up because the bills keep coming in. I've basically given up eating as I can't afford petrol to the next town because I'm trying to keep the phone and internet on. Now the cold weather is here my pain is through the roof but I'm so tired and dizzy anyway that I spend most of the time sleeping. You get stuck because you need the phone and internet in order to do all the Centrelink stuff. I've been selling stuff so I can feed my dog and cat so that's okay so far. I don't understand half of the abbreviations people use sorry.. I can't read lots of posts because my eyes hurt and are blurry.. I need new glasses that aren't held together with tape. I just feel stupid and pathetic and useless. I got my GP to give me sick certificate for Centrelink as madec wanted to send me for harvesting jobs. Insanity! I can't even look after myself or my home and my hands make it hard to hold a pen and I can't stand for more than a few minutes and have frequent falls but apparently I'm okay to harvest grapes or oranges. So even though advocacy said no sick certificate I am not equipped to dealing with madec bull as well. So I'm trying to hang on but every day gets harder.
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