**A Lifetime Benefit, Until It Wasn't: My Experience with Disability Support in the UK**
There’s a lot of noise right now about welfare—particularly around the financial support disabled people receive. The idea that it costs more to live with a disability isn’t up for debate; it’s a reality. But the conversation around it keeps stirring controversy. having all this controversy in the news is embarrassing for didabled peopele Back in the 1990s, a social worker encouraged me to apply for Disability Living Allowance (DLA). At the time I thought, “Why not?” To my surprise, I was awarded it. DLA came in two parts: the mobility component and the care component. Each had different levels of support depending on the severity of one’s condition. I received the lowest rates, which was what was available to me then. Over time, I met others in similar situations who received more support than I did. But as the years passed and I became increasingly dependent on that money, I grew too anxious to reapply. I didn’t want to risk losing what I had. I also had (and still have) a deep distr...