Disabled benefits?

I don't think that I'm going to be able to have a job while I'm at uni because of my disability (which is undiagnosed as yet.)

You will have difficulty with getting approved for DSA if your condition is undiagnosed -- they are awkward with who they deem eligible in normal cases, never mind without an official diagnosis.

Regards accommodation you may still have some difficulty if you do get approved -- depending on the cost of your accommodation you will still be paying for the majority each week as DSA does not cover much of that sort of thing (from memory the general allowance is £1700, and they don't often award the entire amount for a single thing).

Hi there

I'm going to be starting university in 27 days (arrrgh! I'm scared!) and I'm starting to get a bit freaked out about money. I've applied for DSA, and as yet have heard nothing, so I may have to fork out for a new laptop (this one is just about ready to combust as I type). I've applied for DLA and been rejected twice. I don't think that I'm going to be able to have a job while I'm at uni because of my disability (which is undiagnosed as yet.) It is something to do with my hips/knees/ankles and means I struggle to use my legs in most capacities for any length of time, so I'm not going to be able to do any typical student jobs like bar work, shelf stacking etc. Also, I've been recommended the most expensive accommodation because it has the most lifts (so I won't have to use the stairs), is the closest to the city centre and is the closest to where my course will be mainly based. So obviously I'm going to be handing over a lot of my grants and loans in rent!

So really what I'm asking is does anyone know of any benefit I can claim to help me while I'm at uni? Sorry if I sound like I'm trying to scrounge, but it seems to me that since I can't hold down a job due to my disability, I should be able to get some kind of financial assistance from somewhere.

Any ideas? Thanks!

why would this entitle you to a laptop? I'm not being funny but people who get computer equipment under DSA are those that need them to run software related to helping them with their disability eg dragon naturally speaking and inspiration etc.

Have you appealed your DLA decision? Which I'm having to do and it's really annoying me now.

Also, I've been recommended the most expensive accommodation because it has the most lifts (so I won't have to use the stairs), is the closest to the city centre and is the closest to where my course will be mainly based. So obviously I'm going to be handing over a lot of my grants and loans in rent!

This seems a little odd too. Lifts can't be relied upon in all circumstances, so surely it would make sense to have ground floor accommodation?

This seems a little odd too. Lifts can't be relied upon in all circumstances, so surely it would make sense to have ground floor accommodation?

There is no ground floor accommodation where I want to live (en-suite, self catered), so this was the best they could do. The building has three lifts, so chances are they aren't all going to break down, and even if they do, I'm living on the first floor, so I don't have to walk up that many steps. So I don't mind about the accommodation situation, it's just a bit of a pain in the backside that it's the most expensive.