Employment Support Allowance (replacing IB from Oct 2008)

[pen]

Wow, that was quick response - I am still waiting for result of my medical. The bloke didn't bother to take my blood pressure. He did swing this hammer at my left knee though which really hurt but I begged him not to do on right knee.
Vile isn't it?

[star gazer]

Hi pen yes very fast, considering bank holiday 3 working days ish. I think that there might have been something that made it a definative but not sure what it was out of the vast list of problems. What I did do tho was send a copy of my esa50 to the dm along with all my evidence because it was december i was worried about things getting lost in the post so the dm had 3 months to see my paperwork before the atos medical. I also sent atos a copy of my dla form as it had more indepth info (the doc said it was not necessary to do that as it gave her a lot to look through but even so I felt it gave the chance form more examples to be shown) In the actual medical I was totally honest and after lying down for a while was ok for her to do the examination, she did upper body first shoulders hands etc, this was no problem but explained that although there was full range of movement there, I was also prone to subluxes in my shoulders and was under the hand ot for carpal tunnel probs. lower body exam involved leg raise and bending the knee to rotate to one side, this was where my problems lie, as my hips are a big source of pain as are the knees, i did have a go but she stopped the exam before i put myself into to much pain, then checked heart rate. when i removed my leg splint and ankle brace the nerve which is dodgy in the right leg went into a spasm and the leg just started twitching uncontrolably and when she checked strength the leg just shook (tremor). I left the medical honestly having no idea or confidence with how it had gone especially as the doc was so abrupt to start with. At least with review at one year it will be a case of dwp have to prove that you are no longer entitled to support group rather than you having to prove to get into support group, so if things are unchanged in 12 months then it might be ok, wont hold my breath though.
it took the rest of last week to recover from the whole thing but at least thats it for now, and its just the hospital appts. to deal with
pen how long ago was your medical? I hope you get some good news soon.
love
sg x

[pen]

Hi star - I've been on ESA in WRAG group over two years now no pressure to try apply jobs I obviously couldn't do. I have managed to work most of my life (loads of sick days) since I was 13 in one way or other & only since I turned 49 my body said enough. Paid my NI & taxes all the way. My body is a mess now - hip replacement in 2009 was disaster & I have one leg one and a half inches longer than the other. All my main joints are caving in & there is no way I could even use a regular wheelchair on my own now. My shoulders & neck are too weak. I have to wear a shoe adapter & use crutch to get anywhere far but now that's not doing me any good. My jobcentre adviser said you have to be dying to be in support group but if you have been granted it I will definitely appeal if I'm not too.
I feel like I am literally falling to bits & I have worked as hard & tried so hard to be like everyone else all my life. Feel so let down by medical profession & so scared.
Will take strength from you guys & appeal if neccesary.
XXX

[curlysue]

Hi all...

Got The Letter today. i.e. the one that says I am being moved from Incapacity Benefit onto ESA. I am to get a phonecall within a fortnight to explain this to me further (!) and then I will get a form to fill in about my health problems. I'm sure a lot of you have been through this already and I will be reading this thread with interest to see what has happened to other people and pick up some tips if possible. Obviously I've also read a lot about the assessments and ATOS and how just about everybody seems to be being found 'fit for work'. I'm not massively hopeful for my chances...

Will post more about what happens as and when...

CSx

Update: I just tried to get an appt with my GP to discuss symptoms, inform her this was happening etc, and the practice receptionist said my GP was so busy (and only works one day a week) that she couldn't book me an appt at all. So that's got off to a flying start!!

[leashy11]

Curlysue the best advice I can offer is to join the Benefits and Work site to help with the form filling, if I hadn't I definitely wouldn't have filled it in right. Also if you've had medicals in the past for IB it's almost identical to those so nothing radically different to worry about. Give as much info as you can, I didn't even bother going to my GP beforehand because I know she doesn't really get it and like most of us I don't go in for every injury so she has no idea how bad I am anyway but I was going to ask my last and current physio for information if necessary as they did/do see all my injuries and the extent of my problems. I sent several pages of additional information about how it affected me in daily life but I'm not convinced the lady who did my medical had read any of it. But if you haven't already B&W is well worth joining.

[star gazer]

Hi all,I wasn't an IB transfer, I stopped work due to ill health 20 months ago, applied for esa(C) , filled the form in on my own, went for medical and was put into wrag. I was so relieved that I was awarded that I didn't even consider that I might be a candidate for the support group, as time went on I worried about appealing and losing any award at all. when my renewal came through in November I had four weeks to return it, by this time I had two new dx's on top of everything else (one being from prof Grahame) sent it all back before due date with all the evidence. In Jan we all heard about the welfare reform bill cutting esa (C) to a 12 month limit, it was then that I decided that if I was laced in the wrag again (which would mean no money from April 2012) I would appeal because I would have nothing to lose. I think that possibly I got support group on mobility and one where a return to work would seriously affect your health??? also on prescribed liquid diet (but as I can swallow liquids to a reasonable degree am not sure if that was included). to be in the support group you have to be within the descriptors and being unable to reliably and safely repeat an action is a biggie, for example walking, if you need a wheelchair but cant self propel due to heart probs or dodgy joints then that would count, Also if you cant walk without pain repeatedly or reliably that would count too. Have a good read of the descriptors for the support group on benefits and work. Also although it would seem that more people are failing atos medicals I have noticed on the forums that people with fluctuating conditions such as HMS ME MS etc.are getting awards, of course not everyone with these diagnoses will fit the support group because they might not be as affected as other people with those conditions ( there are also the ATOS muck ups that get it completely wrong and disallow people whoe should be awarded).
Pen from what you describe I would check the criterea for support group and appeal if you fit. I had already downloaded the GL24 appeal document and the how to appeal guide in anticipation but thankgoodness didnt (or dont) need it at this point (maybe next year I might).
good luck to all .
love star g xx

[sheppeyescapee]

I got a call from someone from the council because we had asked to see their welfare officer. We wanted to discuss the changes we are hoping to make in the coming months (wife cutting down hours at work (due to hers and my health/mental health issues), changing over to OU) but they hadn't told him that part so he passed on our case to her and she informed me that because we are in receipt of income based ESA that it is a "gateway" benefit and that we are entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit. Shame nobody told us 4 months ago when I got my ESA decision! We've been struggling to pay the bills all these months and we were eligible for more help all that time

[trekster]

Curlysue the best advice I can offer is to join the Benefits and Work site to help with the form filling, if I hadn't I definitely wouldn't have filled it in right. Also if you've had medicals in the past for IB it's almost identical to those so nothing radically different to worry about. Give as much info as you can, I didn't even bother going to my GP beforehand because I know she doesn't really get it and like most of us I don't go in for every injury so she has no idea how bad I am anyway but I was going to ask my last and current physio for information if necessary as they did/do see all my injuries and the extent of my problems. I sent several pages of additional information about how it affected me in daily life but I'm not convinced the lady who did my medical had read any of it. But if you haven't already B&W is well worth joining.

When my 'time is up' so to speak I will be in a similar boat to yourself, my rhemy understands my HMS better than my GP.

Has universal credit been approved yet? It says that people will be moved off ESA and some other benefits to Universal Credit Oct 2013.
I'm asking as im still on the old system of Severe Disablement Allowance. That is due to be moved over in 2016 but thats 3 years after
ESA is being phased out into the Universal Credit system. Im so confused.

[sheppeyescapee]

Universal Credit was passed as part of the welfare reform bill.

[trekster]

I got a call from someone from the council because we had asked to see their welfare officer. We wanted to discuss the changes we are hoping to make in the coming months (wife cutting down hours at work (due to hers and my health/mental health issues), changing over to OU) but they hadn't told him that part so he passed on our case to her and she informed me that because we are in receipt of income based ESA that it is a "gateway" benefit and that we are entitled to housing benefit and council tax benefit. Shame nobody told us 4 months ago when I got my ESA decision! We've been struggling to pay the bills all these months and we were eligible for more help all that time

Can you get a backpayment?

[trekster]

re UC. If anyone knows whats going to happen to those that are due to be reviewed after October 2013 that would be great to know.

Good luck to anyone trying to get or keep ESA.

[sheppeyescapee]

It will have different conditionally groups:

-Full conditionally - Job Seekers
- Work Preparation - Similar to the WRAG in ESA
- Keeping in touch - lone parent/lead carer of child below 5
- No conditionally - Similar to Support group of ESA plus carers and lone parents/carers of child under 1.

A worrying thing is the in work conditionally, basically the threshold for conditionally to start with will be the cut off point for out of work benefits but it says they are looking to raise that to include more people in the conditionally. So people in low paid jobs would find themselves pressured to take an extra job, more hours or try to find a better paid job. So even in being in a job won't necessarily save people from sanctions. Problem is there isn't enough jobs to go around! The conditionally chapter of the universal credit document is very worrying.

Edit: by conditionally I mean conditionality my predictive text changed them all

[pen]

Thank you, stargazer - I will take your excellent advice. ((gentle hugs)) to you all tonight - it is not fair that we have all this worry & stress on top of what we suffer.
Love Pen XX

[curlysue]

Leashy, many thanks, I have already downloaded the ESA guides from B&W and have had a flick through - so much to read! I have used B&W's guides before, for when I applied for DLA. I found them incredibly helpful then so am hoping that they will make a difference with this too. I didn't have a medical for IB as the form was apparently enough for them then, but I did have a medical for DLA - although a doctor came to my house, rather than me having to go to an assessment centre. So I guess this time it will be a little bit different.

I have had a look at the descriptors for the support group and they seem very harsh (designed to let as few through as possible I assume), I will have to read them in more detail and see whether they apply to me. The bit about doing things 'repeatedly' is a bit confusing as how many repetitions count I wonder? Considering an average day at work is around eight hours...

Sheppey, Trekster... regarding backpayments, I'm pretty sure that the DWP don't accept not knowing you were entitled to a benefit as a valid reason for awarding a backpayment. This sucks big time especially as the DWP aren't exactly forthcoming in letting people know what they are entitled to. The onus is on us to find out, unfortunately.

Sheppey that really is scary about the Universal Credit. I had read elsewhere about 'in-work conditionality' and it baffles me. Jobs are difficult enough to come by as it is and now they're going to tell people 'sorry, that job's not good enough, get a different one'. The mind boggles.

CSx

[sheppeyescapee]

Hi CS, the backpayment was regarding housing benefit. There is a section on that form that asks why you didn't apply sooner the council looks at the reason and decides whether to backdate it. I didn't realise that income based ESA means automatic entitlement to HB/CTB so hadn't reapplied for it as didn't think it would make any difference.