New Zealand Supported Living Benefit Application

theJOYdecision

theJOYdecision

Senior Member (Voting Rights)
My very supportive dr has suggested perhaps applying for the Supported Living Payment (WINZ benefit type that appears to cover 2 years instead of the 3 months of the Sickness Benefit). My yearly review case worker at WINZ also encouraged me to apply. Two or three months later I finally got to a WINZ office to pick up the 45-page application. I wonder if any other New Zealander has attempted to receive this benefit and if so if they have any suggestions?
 
theJOYdecision said:
the 45-page application
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I'm not from NZ but UK. If that 45 page form is anything like our PIP (personal independence payment) form you will need a lot of help filling it out "correctly", as ordinary language responding to their questions saying what your difficulties are will not be believed. o_O Here you damn near need a legal degree to get PIP, especially with invisible illnesses like ME/CFS. :mad:

Help can be found over here, but since our government brought in "Austerity" :eek: it can be difficult to get help - it's very much a post code lottery. There are a couple of online places that can help, do you have anywhere like that in NZ?
Here's hoping that NZ forms and assessment of them is MUCH better and easier than here in UK! Good luck! :emoji_four_leaf_clover:
 
Get legal assistance from the beginning

It may cost money if there is no legal aid available (look into if there is) but it can make the difference between approval and denial. Its worth the money but discuss cost before signing if you can't get subsidized.
Make sure you really like the person you get, change if you have to. More then once if you have to. This matters more then you might think. Explain carefully and thoroughly what your condition is to your legal counsel, chances are they will not have heard of ME. Some pdfs you might consider using (beyond the CCC or ICC which you can find on MEPedia:

www.investinme.org/Documents/Guidelines/Myalgic%20Encephalomyelitis%20International%20Consensus%20Primer%20-2012-11-26.pdf

http://www.me-ireland.com/Review.pdf


Make sure you put together an airtight case, that explains the physical and cognitive problems in detail and paints a direct picture of why you can't work, if applicable what drove you away from employment (make it your story), what you have tried to mitigate your disability (critical) and what the future prospects are. Do not include anything in your application that creates doubt about your disability. Airtight can also make the difference between approval and denial.

And if your system is like ours they deny over and over again and you have to appeal and reapply over and over till you get approved. Don't get discouraged (this is their tactic to keep you off benefits your entitled to) and don't miss deadlines.
 
Trish said:
I think that depends what country you are in. I doubt legal assistance would be helpful in applying for disability benefits in the UK. What you need here is expert help from those who know how to fill in the forms. I have no idea what the situation is in New Zealand.
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That sucks :(
In Canada we have legal aid available, i had to use it extensively and if i had not i would have been royally screwed.
If i had looked into it earlier it may have saved me years and gotten me more money :(
 
Hmm there might not be legal aide but you’ve made me realise there might be... umm wait for it... my brain might, or might not remember the term... advocate? advisor? not the word I was looking for but close enough. And my local support organisation might have someone or be willing to develop the service. Thanks for that.
 
Daisybell said:
Sorry - haven’t ever attempted to get any kind of benefit! I always assumed I would be turned down....
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@Daisybell if you have a dr who says you are too sick to work I’m pretty sure they are legally obliged to grant a Sickness Benefit as long as you aren’t disqualified for other reasons (ie your citizenship status, the millions of dollars of assets you have, a sugar daddy husband etc). One of the reason’s it is so helpful to have a dr who is reasonably well-informed and on your side. It’s just sometimes hard to ask for help and not be the independent people we would prefer to be.
 
I've never applied for any benefit myself but a quick look at Work and Income's website comes up with this potentially significant hurdle (my bolding):

You may be able to get the Supported Living Payment if you are either:
  • permanently and severely restricted in your ability to work because of a health condition, injury or disability
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In your place I would make sure to have very solid documentation upfront from your doctor - great you have a supportive one! - and anyone else you can think of that your ME is a) permanent and b) severely restrictive. Unfortunately the idea that ME is something mild and temporary remains widespread and if you're unlucky you'll strike an assessor holding that opinion. Of course you could strike it lucky, too, and happen upon an informed one but best be prepared.

Maybe ANZMES and/or your local ME association have some experience and could advise on how to fill in those application forms for maximum chance of success?

Best of luck.
 
theJOYdecision said:
The space given to describe the condition :emoji_joy::emoji_joy::emoji_joy:

View attachment 7247
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Write see attachment and number your response. I don't see a number for the first box, so add See number 1 on attached page or similar if necessary.
My description of my physical and cognitive functioning was 1.5 pages long typed iirc
Remember to be 100% honest, with no ambiguities. They will try to pick apart your words if you exaggerate or claim your lying or to invent a reason why your still able to work so make sure its airtight. Get it approved by your legal counsel before sending.

As for the work you can do if the answer is none say none. In fact anything except none probably means immediate rejection. They don't care if you have to work for minimum wage in a gas station and could only do an hour a week, that would mean your not disabled.
 
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Alvin said:
Write see attachment and number your response. ...
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My description of my physical and cognitive functioning was 1.5 pages long typed iirc
Remember to be 100% honest, with no ambiguities...
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As for the work you can do if the answer is none say none. In fact anything except none probably means immediate rejection. They don't care if you have to work for minimum wage in a gas station and could only do an hour a week, that would mean your not disabled.
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@Alvin Great advice. I was considering attaching a separate page. This is after all the only place in the application for me to describe my illness. Hmm I also think it might be wise to take a double appointment for my dr to fill out his section and bring with me a thorough list of symptoms and severity. Perhaps it might be helpful to bring into my dr’s appointment an overview of most compelling research currently at least in terms of categorising the disease. Disease classification appears to be a preoccupation in some areas of the forms he needs to complete. In the application, the most likely categories appear to be immune system disorder, metabolic disorder or nervous system disorder though there are other categories too. If anyone feels there is a strong case for any or all of these classifications, a reference to the research or researcher would be helpful to me going in to see my dr. He’s sympathetic but knows he’s no expert. Would it be accurate to describe Dr Robert Phair’s Metabolic Traps theory as describing a “metabolic illness”. Anything I bring will need to be compelling and concise.
 
theJOYdecision said:
@Alvin Great advice.
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Thanks :)

I was considering attaching a separate page. This is after all the only place in the application for me to describe my illness. Hmm I also think it might be wise to take a double appointment for my dr to fill out his section and bring with me a thorough list of symptoms and severity.
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A double appointment is a good idea.

theJOYdecision said:
Perhaps it might be helpful to bring into my dr’s appointment an overview of most compelling research currently at least in terms of categorising the disease. Disease classification appears to be a preoccupation in some areas of the forms he needs to complete.
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If it asks for it then go for it but here anyways its more about you and your ability to not work and not about what the research is about the disease. Someone with dementia or cancer or Alzheimers would not need to classify their disease, they would need to prove they have it with evidence, severity and prognosis.


theJOYdecision said:
n the application, the most likely categories appear to be immune system disorder, metabolic disorder or nervous system disorder though there are other categories too. If anyone feels there is a strong case for any or all of these classifications, a reference to the research or researcher would be helpful to me going in to see my dr. He’s sympathetic but knows he’s no expert. Would it be accurate to describe Dr Robert Phair’s Metabolic Traps theory as describing a “metabolic illness”. Anything I bring will need to be compelling and concise.
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From what we know its some kind of immune mediated disease. I would have as much handy as possible form current research findings to some of David Tuller's posts and also papers debunking PACE and CBT/GET (there are many), and even listings with the CCC and ICC but its more likely they care about what your level of severity is and proof that you have ME. The reason to have these handy is if they object on various grounds after you have applied you have a response ready but i would not try to prove the disease is real on this application, that makes you look like your trying to cover malfeasance which your not.
 
I would steer clear of trying to define what type of illness it is. We simply don't know enough about it. But the WHO and most governments currently describe it as a neurological illness.

In the UK when applying for benefits that are about ability or otherwise to work, I think it's far more important to give a clear description of what you personally are able and unable to do physically and cognitively, and the problems with not being able to things reliably, repeatedly, in a timely manner and without consequences such as pain. And for ME, the cumulative effect of doing several things in one day, and the fluctuating nature of ME making you unreliable, etc.

So talking about not being able to sit on an upright chair for more than x minutes, or concentrate on conversation and take in and remember instructions, or walk more than x metres etc is more important than whether your condition is metabolic or neurological.
 
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