How to claim financial aid

Benefits

Whilst unable to work there is little other choice than to claim state benefit. Rent and bills still need to be paid and with no other income it is essential that you start your claims as soon as possible.
It can be a very stressful process but there are people around who can help you. the first port of call I would suggest is your local welfare rights office, they can usually be found on a search of the local councils website and will often have a freephone number to call or will at the very least call you back to discuss your situation and arrange for a duty officer to come to your home to help with anything that cannot be sorted over the phone
Should they be unable to assist you then your local support group or the citizens advice bureau (C.A.B.) should be able to offer suggestions for further action.
The important thing is to not feel too embarrassed to ask for help, that is what those people are there for.

The various benefits available to you will of course depend on your circumstances; if you speak to welfare rights they can advise you fully on your entitlements, they tend to be more 'on the ball' than the jobcentre plus with regards disability entitlement and will help you through every process from a first claim to the appeals process (should this prove necessary) These are likely to be:

Always make a copy of anything you send. It's advisable to keep a correspondence file for each benefit - a good rule of thumb is to attach a proof of posting/ receipt for each item you send to the copy in your file, that way should a query arise (and it will) you have all the information to hand.

The forms for Disability living allowance can be quite tough to fill in as they are not structured to suit a chronic fluctuating illness such as CFS, a welfare rights officer will come to your home if you request it and help but there is a telephone number on the form you can call for help. The operative will either guide you through it herself or she will arrange for a home visit from someone in your area.

Once you have submitted your claims there may be a delay of several weeks while they are being processed.
Do chase up your claims via email or by telephone should you have no response more than 2 weeks after mailing them. Keep a calendar and make a note of when your claim is due to end so that you can have the forms filled out and re submitted as soon as possible to ensure there is no shortfall or delay in continuance of your claim should you continue to be unfit for work.

Do not panic if your claim should fail however, there is an appeals process you can follow. The people at welfare rights and the C.A.B. have members used to dealing with these procedures so it is well worth your while speaking to them should this happen to you.