esa appeal

[shaz33]

HI I AM NEW TO THIS, JUST WANTED TO SE IF SOMEONE ELSE BEEN THROUGH SAME SITUATION AS ME, I WAS A POST MAN TILL 2009 THEN I HAD A ACCIDENT AT WORK AND INJURED MY BACK BADLY, LONG STORY IN SHORT, I LOST MY JOB AS DECLARED UNFIT BY ROYAL MAIL AND BEEN PUT ON ESA BY DWP, FAILED TWICE IN TRIBUNALS NOW THIRD TIME ITS IN TRIBUNALS HANDS AGAIN, I HAD HEARING IN APRIL BUT I COULDN'T ATTEND BECAUSE WIFE COULDN'T ARRANGE BABY SITTING TO TAKE ME TO TRIBUNAL SO I RANG THEM AND ASKED THEM TO MAKE DECISION IN MY ABSENCE BUT FEW DAYS LATER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM TRIBUNAL ASKING FOR MEDICAL RECORD FROM MY GP, ITS BEEN ALMOST TWO MONTHS NOW DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FROM THEM, RANG THEM TODAY AND THEY SAYING STILL WAITING FOR MEDICAL FROM GP AND GP SAYING HE SENT IT 6 WEEKS AGO

HAS ANYBODY GOT ANY EXPERIENCE IN SAME KIND OF SITUATION ?
MY QUESTION IS HOW LONG WILL THIS TAKE/ AND WILL THEY PUT ME BACK IN QUE AGAIN FOR HEARING?
THANKS IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR HELP

[Granny Primark]

I was working over 60 hours a week when I started with panic attacks. I was only a community care worker so my wages werent great.
I cant get any benefits because weve got no dependents and my hubbys wages are just above the limit.
Hes only a bus driver! Its not that hes a doc, solicitor etc.
I feel so cheated by this government. I worked hard and paid in tax and insurance.
They are targeting the wrong people.

---------- Post added at 14:11 ---------- Previous post was at 14:10 ----------

Oh forgot to say welcome to this site. Its been a Godsend to me.

[clio51]

Lynn,

esa is an individual benefit it's not a family benefit you don't have to have kids.
I would ring them up,I think you have been told wrong. If you are sick you should me entitled to esa.

[nomorepanic]

I started filling in the ESA form online and it asks about "Household income" not individual income so I think like Lynn I can't get it either cos my partner works.

[Annie0904]

ESA is not means tested. My husband works and I have no dependants and I get it.

---------- Post added at 21:05 ---------- Previous post was at 21:00 ----------

I think it depends if it is contribution based ESA or income based ESA If you have paid enough contributions you can get contribution based.

[flori]

My sister is 56, married and had worked since leaving school, apart from 3 years off when kids were young. She took ill and own gp has found her unfit to work again.
She got contribution based esa for 365 days and then was told because her husband worked she was not entitled to income related esa. She gets nothing.

The system is all wrong.

[flossie]

Hi shaz33 and welcome to the forum. This is a good site for finding info about benefits http://benefitsandwork.co.uk/

[daisydaisy]

Hi,

I do not have any personal experience at this point but can I also recommend a site. As a worker in recruitment and some prior knowledge I know some clients have found this organisation useful, it's free and impartial: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

Xx Daisy

[AuntieMoosie]

If you apply for contribution based ESA, it's a stand alone benefit and is not means tested in any way, so it doesn't matter whether you have a partner that works.

The only downfall with contribution based ESA is that you can only have it for 365 days = 1 year, after that, if you are still in need of ESA you would then have to apply for income based ESA, which is means tested so would be effected by a partner working and any other income that you may have

[nomorepanic]

I haven't paid enough NI for the last 2 years either so I won't be able to get the contribution based one.