VERSION|0.5.1|NAME|Dinah|DATE|1368960950|CONTENT|I believe the system is set up in the way it is in order to deter people from applying in the first place, and if that doesn’t work, to turn them down regardless of the facts so they are forced to go to appeal and hopefully won’t want to go through the stress and hassle.  The problem is, if you are sick and/or disabled you often just don’t have the energy to confront a system like this.  For those who don’t have much support, or perhaps are not particularly good at making a case for themselves in writing, it becomes nigh-on impossible.  

I would urge anyone going through this to seek help – from the CAB, or perhaps better still from a charity which specialises in supporting people with the condition you have.  When I last applied for DLA, someone from a charity like this went through the form with me over the phone for a couple of hours, (they phoned me by arrangement, so I did not even have to pay for the call).  Often it is not what you say but the way you say it which can make all the difference.

I should also add that when I first applied for DLA about 12 years ago I was turned down, which was over-turned on appeal, so this is by no means a new phenomenon, but undoubtedly things have got worse over the years.
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