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Thread: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

  1. #1

    Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Hi all,
    Can anyone give me some advice? I've suffered from depression and anxiety for over ten years. The depression I can just about deal with, meds help somewhat..but the anxiety is what really affects my functioning. After I was made redundant two years ago I was also diagnosed with IBS-D which as many of you will know goes hand in hand with anxiety. When i'm facing a lot of stress my IBS flares up badly and I find it dificult to leave the house.

    After my redundancy I was able to claim income support as a single parent until January when they moved me onto jobseekers allowance. I didn't think this would be any problem as I had already been looking for another job while on income support. I naively thought that I would be able to explain to them that there would be certain jobs I couldn't apply for due to my medical conditions. Not so unfortunately. They have already threatened to sanction me for not applying for jobs that are out of school hours even though they are not supposed to penalise single parents (childcare is very difficult to find and I also have a son with learning difficulties) and told me i'm not trying hard enough to find a job. The stress of not knowing whether my JA will be witheld from one week to another has actually made me very ill again to the point it's even difficult for me to write this and have it make any sense...I just cant think straight and i'm a nervous wreck.

    I was told by a friend that I may be eligable for ESA due to my medical conditions but when I enquired about it no one could tell me, they just offered to send the relevant form. Due to me being sent the form and without my knowledge my JA was stopped...I hadn't even recieved the form yet. I now have nothing coming in at all due to their mistake but they've said all I can do is reapply for JA...surely there's no point as the minute I send the ESA form back it will be stopped again, whether or not i'm eligable for ESA. What can I do? I've got bills to pay and kids to feed...this is making me so ill.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    617

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    This is something that makes me mad in this country.

    Unfortunately, the people who make all these rules and regulations regarding the sick have no idea what they are talking about most of the time. They fail to understand (normally because they don't suffer) that Anxiety is in fact an illness with severe debilitating consequences and results. Normally if any medical assessment is performed on the claimant, the procedure is carried out by staff who are invariably retired GPs who are used to only treating illness from below the eyebrows and have no or very limited knowledge or understanding of Anxiety and it's perils whatsoever!

    I believe a point system is currently in use as to whether a claimant is entitled to benefit or not with regards ESA. Needless to say this system is solely dependant on a questionaire and marks are given out of ten with regards to physical symptoms rather that mental. It would appear that as long as you can walk and move your arms you are fit for work. The fact that you may be Agoraphobic or suffer any other form of other severe incapacity due to Anxiety is totally irrelevent.

    My GP informs me that one of his patients who has suffered four heart attacks at an early age has been rendered fit for work because he can lift a kettle!

    My advice is to go to the Citizen Advice Bureau and see what you can do as far as this is concerned.

    Personally speaking, if I were not self employed (although my ability to work is severely limited owing to nerves) no way would I be able to hold a job down. Let's face it, no company is going to employ someone who will take time off being ill most of the time.

    Of course, the assessment board are too thick to realise this and more interested in just cutting the figures of claimants in order to make it look good when published.

    Stick to your guns and stay positive. Considering you were made redundant it is hardly your fault in the first place. Sadly, these people are not quick in getting things done either, so it may take some time. I also believe that any communication is normally done using 2nd class post (at least it is when I deal with them).

    Good luck.

    Horse.
    Last edited by Horse; 04-05-11 at 08:54.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Posts
    402

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Sarah, unfortunately horse is 100% right in his analysis and I could not have written it better. I do really feel for you and the only thing I can suggest is that you go and see someone at the work centre and explain your plight but more than likely it will fall on deaf ears as yes the Government is just set on saving money, not the welfare of ill individuals but you never know fingers crossed you may get a sympathetic advisor. Write to your local paper, member of parliament and explain how it is leaving nothing out.
    Yes anxiety is debilitating and in extreme cases disabling, but that is never understood by ATOS HEALTHCARE. It is my understanding that ESA is notoriously difficult to get unless you are totally incapacitated so maybe stick with jobseekers if you can do some work at some point, it maybe a less stressful route but you know your circumstances.
    E mail me if you just want support or just somebody to get things of your chest as sometimes that can help but I do realise the big issue is momentary support at this very difficult time.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    617

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Agree with Ronski here.

    Also. I'm not sure but sometime back when I was getting ESA (before I was crossed off the list) I believe it was only something like £50 or £60. Better than nothing I know but hardly worth the form filling or stress I used to think, considering that amount doesn't go very far nowadays.

  5. #5

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Hi,
    Thanks for your replies. I saw a benefits advisor independant of the Jobcentre who told me that I could claim Jobseekers but ask to see a Disability Advisor who could put restrictions on my claim or I could continue trying to claim ESA. I explained my concerns with the Jobseekers though that they are already not supposed to penalise a single parent for not applying for a job that is out of school hours (the rules are slightly different for single parents) and yet I was threatened with a sanction anyway...if they can break the rules in that respect what's to stop them breaking them on disability restrictions? Sure, I could appeal the sanction, probably win and get the money back but that's no use to me two months down the line. I've also been told that if you have a sanction on your records it immediately cancels out the help they give you when you get a new job such as 4 week rent run on, clothing grant and £40 a week in work credit (I think that's what it's called). The way I see it I just wont be able to claim Jobseekers, the stress is really too much. But it was £65 a week that I can't do without.

    I already changed my gas and electricty suppliers, asked for a discount from my mobile phone service provider (which I do need as my son needs to be able to contact me at all times), got the cheapest home insurance possible and have help from CCCS with regard to debt that was run up from other people's mistakes and living costs...I still can't afford to live without this money coming in.

    It infuriates me that I try so hard to get a job...I really do want to work again and i'm treated like a complete scrounger because there are some jobs I just physically/mentally can't do/cope with. Every time the Jobcentre speak to me like a piece of dirt it makes my depression worse, as does worrying because I dont have enough money to live on.

    So long as the government are happy though, after all...it'll be one less single parent on benefit, will make the numbers look good :(

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2011
    Posts
    772

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Hi Sarah

    Your situation sounds awful. I had a similar ongoing situation with another government department and got my MP involved. They do tend to take it more seriously if you can get someone like that or CAB, like Horse suggested on your side.

    Tyke

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
    Posts
    617

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Sarah.

    A couple more points.
    You may consider getting your local paper involved in your story. One thing the government dislikes is bad publicity regarding disablement. You may find it worth your while and I'm sure the paper would jump at the idea!

    Another thing is changing over to a water meter (if it is possible for you to do so). I was paying £36 per month last year and because I live alone, I obviously don't use as much as a family would do. Since having a meter fitted, my monthly payment is now only £8 saving me £28 per month!

    Strongly advise getting your MP involved considering your child has learning disabilities. Sadly, we are in an age where we have to fight for our rights now but please remember that our weakness can give us immense amount of strength!

    Horse.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    118

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    I've had some experience jumping through government hoops to get ESA and I was sucessful in the end. The advice I'd give is:

    Firstly, don't try and do any of it on your own. Get the Citizens Advice Bureau to fill in the forms for you. There are specific ways the system works and key things that are looked for, they know them.

    Secondly, I'm surprisd to hear that you ended up in a situation with no benefits at all. My experience was that they put me on a temporary form of ESA (which was only a couple of pounds less than the full amount) whilst they assesed my claim. So right from day one as soon as the forms were received by them I started being paid.

    Thirdly, it is assessed on a points scoring system but there are quite a few points available for mental health issues it's just a case of knowing how to claim them - see point one above. In addition there are some "hidden" points categories that don't appear on the form - see point four below.

    Four, my initial application was rejected, but only after me being paid 6 months or so of ESA benefits. I then appealed the decision which meant they reinstituted my benefits for the couple of months it took them to carry out the appeal. The conclusion of the appeal was that they granted me some extra points from some "hidden" categories only available internally to them. This took my point score high enough to qualify for the full benefit.

    Lastly, there are two parts to ESA: the basic allowance of 50-60 quid and a second part which I think is called Severe Disability Allowance. It's not as scary as it sounds: you don't really need to be that severely unwell, just unfit for work. This adds another 50-60 quid on top taking the totally weekly amount to around £120 which is quite significant.

    Best wishes fighting through the system. It is a swine to do sadly as they treat you like a criminal for daring to try and claim. Just keep in mind that the longer they force you through more and more appeals processes, the longer they have to keep paying you while they do it.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2011
    Posts
    80

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Hi Sarah,

    I agree with deepreason, go to your GP and get your doctor to sign you off with anxiety/depression, if you apply for ESA this will be required, you will that get a period of 13 weeks (I think) while they make an assessment - you thenmight have to appeal or reapply for JSA ....but in the meantime you will be able to claim Housing Benefit if you are on a low income. Good luck I hope it all works out for you xx

  10. #10

    Re: Please help, I dont know what to do ESA?

    Thanks all. I had my letter this week to say they would pay me x amount of ESA, which i'm obviously grateful for...I dont know when they will pay it (backdated), it didn't say. There was no information at all about what will happen next.

    I'm assuming I will need an ATOS assessment and just the thought of it makes my heart race. Going somewhere new, or having to set foot in a jobcentre...ATOS have a really bad reputation. I try to tell myself that its not a big deal, if they say no they say no. I can't bring myself to go back on JA though, if i'm refused ESA I wont claim anything, it will make me ill being judged and being threatened with no income on a particular week. I know after years of depression that i'm on the verge right now.

    I sleep as much as possible when the kids are at school because I cant sleep at night, they come back to see me awake looking normal...i'm pretending to them that everything is ok.

    Can anyone tell me when I'm likely to be assessed and what will happen? I dont want to spend months worrying about it

    My apologies if i'm not making much sense yet again...head all over the place.

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