What does Benefit Money have to be spent on?

[Carneucopia]

B&m bargains I have been and there sell some lactose free and dairy free, gutten free, yeast free, wheat free, egg free, organic foods, not all that many. I buy as many things as I can find from a regular supermarket that are all those things, but they are still 2,3 4 times as much as regular things, then the things I can not buy from a regular supermarket I will goto Holland and Barrets for the rest. I buy Truble is with these foods they are sooooo much more expensive. FOr instance, a Gutten free loaf of bread is £3.99, a regular supermarks own loaf of bread is like fourty pence or something. Thats like 5 times more expensive and its similar with almost everything. Alternativly buy regular things and become even more ill or dont eat and starve! By the time I have bought my weekly shopping and my medicine theres nothing left at all. NOthing for anything else.

One thing that might help save a bit is if your Mum would get a bread making machine maybe? You can get gluten free flours in most supermarkets. Actually a decent loaf of regular supermarket bead can be well over a £1 so your Mum could make savings as well.
DLA is difficult to get for IBS, but not impossible. Often when it is awarded it is at the low rate mobility because of bowel problems. Any care needs also are usually because of that aspect of the disease.
I do think it is wrong that the NHS won't prescribe homeopathic/herbal medicines, many of which are known to work. But that's a whole other political issue! You need to try to find a way to get extra help. Presumably you have a dietician? If not ask to be referred to one - explain your problems coping with diet needs. See if there is an IBS national organisation or a local group. Contact with other sufferers could provide useful information.
As for your question about what happens when you go onto income based ESA - it's just the same. You can't be penalised for what you spend it on.

[Stepheninleeds]

Getting DLA for some conditions is not easy. It is strange when it is not suppose to be about the condition but how your daily life is affected. It is worth reapplying & getting help with it because it is how you say things. it is like, I have just said this to someone I have advised to reapply, asking for a bed. You cannot just say you need a bed as you do not have one or the one you have is broken, you have to say what you want the bed for. Now that should be obvious. It is how you explain how your conditions affect you.

I have looked at some of these free from items & they are not cheap at all. Have you looked online? I do not know personally of any good online shops, but often you can find things cheaper. Also online, if you can buy in bulk, which is not always easy to do, you can get things cheaper still.

Might I suggest, if possible to do what I started to do in buying larger packs, more when things were on special offer, etc. I built it up slower. So I may have been buying a pack of 8 loo rolls, but one week I would buy a 12 pack, then a 16 & so on. Then I would buy one extra of say washing up liquid when it was on special offer, & so on. So it built up slower to save me money. It did take years though as of course I do not have the money all at once, but it has worked. Now if I see a special offer or a larger size in items i use I can buy them as I have saved money. I know with food items this can be harder because they will not keep as long, but you might be able to do it with some things, slowly.

I would advise caution at buying drugs & alternatives online. I do know of a great site, not sure if they would have some fo what you need. I think they would allow me to post the link for this because of the reasons for posting. is you asked. They sell many vitamins, & supplements. They also have special offers, larger packs are cheaper, also you get free gifts the more you spend. You may want to just check them out. I use them because they are a reasonable price, they are fast, & I trust them.

[davewhit]

Getting DLA for some conditions is not easy. It is strange when it is not suppose to be about the condition but how your daily life is affected. .

The reason some condtions are hard to get DLA is because they expect with proper management them conditions not to impact much on your life, this is where it becomes VERY important to explain why you have more needs than mr adverage with that condition..
The DWP A to Z of Medical problems is best place to start IMO if thats the problem/issue with getting DLA

[davewhit]

lastfirst did a search of dwp data this is what they think of ibs



People may experience symptoms for many years without adverse long-term effects. 40% are helped by explanation of the condition combined with simple remedies. In one study 65% of people were symptom free at five years


Irritable bowel syndrome does not cause any significant functional restrictions that restrict walking or lead to a need for help with self-care. Although most people with frequent diarrhoea and urgency of defaecation will need to get to the toilet quickly, the condition does not usually cause faecal incontinence. They would have no difficulty in finding their way around out of doors and locating a toilet if required.


http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/s...-and-mobility/

[Paul]

Cheers for that Dave

Didn't know about the A-Z, bedtime reading for me...

[davewhit]

Cheers for that Dave

Didn't know about the A-Z, bedtime reading for me...

my pleasure its good as people have problems that they dont expect you to have .... its so easy to spot where you differ from mr or mrs average and thats what needs pointing out to dwp if you have the medical evidance to support the differance it makes a claim easier

[Stepheninleeds]

This is where a lot of people fail DLA, & more will with PIP. It comes back to the example I have said before on claiming for a bed. You do not just say you need a new bed as the one you have is broken, you have to say what you want the bed for. We need to explain how our disabilities/conditions affect us, sometimes in great detail.