I've posted about this on this section before, but again, if it's in an inappropriate forum, feel free to move it x

So, around January this year I had my (traumatic) ESA medical, and found out after weeks of hanging on tenterhooks that I'd passed. Yippee. Big relief, takes some weight off my shoulders, can stop worrying about how I'm going to live one day to the next and can sort myself out.

Got onto the work group, went to one appointment at the Job Centre, who referred me to Reed. The first Reed appointment I was told they didn't think I was fit for work at the moment, and whilst they'd put my name down on their forms as attending, I didn't need to bother coming back because the program was closing. Also, they said, if and when I felt better, I could give them a bell and they'd help me out.

All good, then.

Or not so. Two or three weeks ago, I received an unwelcome brown envelope through my door that enclosed another ESA 50 application form with a kind letter from ATOS.
Filled it in, sent it back, now am waiting for a Summons to another medical.

I figured out that since it'd been six months since my first assessment - on the letter, it said to send it back by 8th July - that the doctor that assessed me had ticked the return-to-work review as Six Months on her sheet.

Without sounding too negative, I'm more worried about this potential second medical than I was about the first to be honest. I don't know how they expect me to make all kinds of miracle recoveries in six months when I've been ill for over a bloody decade. I'm still waiting for another psych and to be honest, I'm worse now than I was when the original Summons rolled around.

If they boot me off, I'll literally have not a pot to piss in and I don't know how I'd cope in employment at the moment; I certainly wouldn't be able to hold down a job - I can barely hold down part time college. In fact my attendance there is about 20%.


For something that's supposed to help sick people when they're unable to work so they can focus on getting better, it's one stress after another and pretty much not worth it with the shit they put you through.
Just when you've one weight off your shoulders, they decide to put you through it all again, thus rendering you back at square bloody one.


Grrr....