COVID, Homeworking, and Ableism
What does homeworking mean to those of us with chronic illness or a disability? Before COVID, we couldn’t get a job. Now, we can.
The Hampshire MS survey results
In my last blog post, I introduced you to the MS Hampshire Collaborative Working Group and our survey. We wanted to know what level of care people with MS are getting from their local MS healthcare team. Does it depend on where you live? and what happens if you don’t have good access, or any …
What is the Hampshire MS Services survey?
Some of you may have wondered where on earth I’ve been for the past year and a half! Well, apart from getting a new diagnosis and learning ways to manage the condition (a future blog post), I’ve been heavily involved in a group called the MS Hampshire Collaborative Working Group and a survey of MS …
Introduction to the PIP Online Bootcamp that tackles your PIP Application
I have chatted to so many people about the mountain that is the PIP Application Form, otherwise known as the PIP2 form. I totally concur with this metaphor – it would be a mission to get through it if you were well, let alone if you have a disability or chronic health condition! So far, …
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Are you sure your future state pension is protected?
If your disability or chronic illness means that you can’t work, you need to make sure you get enough national insurance (NI) credits. If you don’t, you might not qualify for a full state pension. How do you get them? Employment Support Allowance (ESA) or ‘new-style’ ESA. To get the full basic State Pension you …
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MS Sessions 2017 Day 1 – a Young Person’s Conference
Wowee. There was such a buzz of energy, support, understanding and positivity at the first ever conference for young people with Multiple Sclerosis! I am on a natural high, completely overwhelmed by our community. MS Sessions 2017, thank you! There’s so much content I need to share with you dear reader, but to kick things …
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Benefits and Disability: Have we got this all wrong?
Today, I am troubled. I’m troubled by conversations I’ve had over the past year or two. They keep replaying in my head. They go something like this: “….so that’s why I am campaigning against the incredibly strict mobility criteria created for the Personal Independence Payment. If we are able to walk more than 20m, then we loose …
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Energy from Others
It’s Tuesday morning and the sun is shining. Life is so much sweeter when those rays hit the garden. I can become lost in mindfulness outside the confines of the house and escape from my fears, as well as all my To-do’s for the day. I can reframe my day with internal mantras (stolen off …
Personal Independence Payment (PIP) Tip 1. Be Aware of your Coping Mechanisms
In this series of videos I will be covering all aspects of Personal Independence Payment (PIP), from general advice on how to approach the application form and assessment, to specific advice on tackling each question. For more detailed articles, you might also be interested in reading Your bite-size PIP application part 1: 7 tips to read before …
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Spasticity Trial Now Recruiting 2016 – new drug VSN16
Would you be interested in being involved in a trial for treatment of spasticity? The trial uses a new drug called VSN16 and is recruiting right now, with recruitment running for the next few months until all spaces are filled. In order to be a potential candidate for the trial, you must: have spasticity – if you are unsure, …
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