ESA No Way!

woodbon

I've just received a letter from the Jobcentre saying that my claim for esa has been refused and that I am capable of work. No surprises, the only surprise is that they gave me 6 points for not being able to sit for longer than half an hour. Everything else I can do fine! Oh, how I wish. I can now walk, use my hands perfectly well lift anything even high things! I must have a really good imagination to feel the pain as I try to do my exercises to allow me to put my hands over my head when I dress and not have to wear 'easy clothes' including buying frount opening bras and things a size bigger if they have buttons, so I can pull them on. I suppose my fingers are fine and I don't need to moan with pain when I frist wake up and move my hands in the morning. I'll throw the tramadol down the sink with the amatrip as they are not needed. I won't cry anymore when I do something and and end up braking the china because my hands and fingers have got caught in my fingers that are going like 'hooks'. I could go on and on, but as everyone on here knows from experience, I know you know already. I just want to get this dirty feeling that I'm making things up and lying to try and get a few quid out of my mind.

They only used the form I filled in and their doctors report to assess my condition they left empty the Occupational Health Doctor from work and the my GPs report box unticked, so I assume they didn't use the documentation from the proper medics who are caring for me. Sorry - I promised myself that I wouldn't write a bitter, hurt post when I got the result - after all I'm lucky, I don't need the money as much as a lot of people. Forgive the horrible moans. Love Sue

elnafinn

Hi Sue

I am sorry to read your posting. It must be horrid to receive a letter like that.

I wonder what job they would think you were ok to do, if you cannot sit for more than half an hour. Do they mean you could stand all day then? :? :shock: :roll:

What happens - if you were to bother and play their time wasting, stupid, crass game - when they find that actually no job is suitable for you?

Chin up,

Love
Elna x

woodbon

I think they don't pay you. Love Sue

chile168

Hi Sue,

Sorry to hear about your bad news. I haven't worked for 4 years but was called to attend a meeting at local job centre beginning of 2006. I just let her talk and talk then........ I shoved all the copies of letters of appointments, doctors letters etc and asked her if she would employ me?! The person being interviewed next to me must have thought I was mad, well he would have been right, I was mad with anger. The woman looked at me and apologised and then realised it would not be that easy for someone to employ me. Since then I have been called back twice and I have been lucky enough to get the support from O.T.

What I hate most about these illnesses is the fact the pain cannot be seen by others, unless we are limping or having other physical problems then it must be in our heads! You have not written anything bitter ..... you are simply stating the truth.

Keep fighting hun, don't give up and congratulations, I like the fire in your belly. Good luck and take care. x

Eve

sharmaine

Hi
Sorry to hear your news. It seems that these assessors don't know what they're talking about. I hope you are going to appeal.
My blood is boiling for you! GRRR....
This ESA business is appears to be run by clowns.
Sharmaine

woodbon wrote:

I've just received a letter from the Jobcentre saying that my claim for esa has been refused and that I am capable of work. No surprises, the only surprise is that they gave me 6 points for not being able to sit for longer than half an hour. Everything else I can do fine! Oh, how I wish. I can now walk, use my hands perfectly well lift anything even high things! I must have a really good imagination to feel the pain as I try to do my exercises to allow me to put my hands over my head when I dress and not have to wear 'easy clothes' including buying frount opening bras and things a size bigger if they have buttons, so I can pull them on. I suppose my fingers are fine and I don't need to moan with pain when I frist wake up and move my hands in the morning. I'll throw the tramadol down the sink with the amatrip as they are not needed. I won't cry anymore when I do something and and end up braking the china because my hands and fingers have got caught in my fingers that are going like 'hooks'. I could go on and on, but as everyone on here knows from experience, I know you know already. I just want to get this dirty feeling that I'm making things up and lying to try and get a few quid out of my mind.

They only used the form I filled in and their doctors report to assess my condition they left empty the Occupational Health Doctor from work and the my GPs report box unticked, so I assume they didn't use the documentation from the proper medics who are caring for me. Sorry - I promised myself that I wouldn't write a bitter, hurt post when I got the result - after all I'm lucky, I don't need the money as much as a lot of people. Forgive the horrible moans. Love Sue

kathbee

That's awful news Sue

So they are going to provide you with
a packing job stood at a conveyer belt
seeing as you cant sit down for very long
Oh, have they made provisions
re the pain you have and the
problems with your movement and your hands.

I am so very cross.

How I wish some of these people who pen push
and make these decisions could just have even a taster
of the pain and discomfort. It would be great to
watch them trying to do their jobs wouldnt it.

You have to appeal (again?) Sue

Love Kath

jenzie06

Hey Sue
Sorry to hear about your result. I only got 6 points too - for not being able to lift a drinks carton with both hands, basically I got points for milk! (Although I'm still flummoxed by how if you can raise your hands above your head you can work a 37hr week - any ideas?!)
I hope you will appeal. I've appealed once already and now heading for a tribunal so I will follow the process to the end before I take my case to the papers and make a big stink about the crappy system.
The DWP only took my medical into consideration and didn't look at my medical form (which really hurt my hands to fill it the bloody thing!) or want information from GP, consultant or OT. I sent them a letter from my consultant and info from my old work and still failed the appeal. Next stop the tribunal!

Keep your chin up! Don't let them grind you down.
Take care,
Jen

jordan7j

OK Sue, how about a pole dancing job? they dont sit down much do they!!
Or a firefighter, they slide down the pole!!
Maybe you could become an olympic athlete in your spare time too, wouldnt want you to get bored eh!!!
UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

lizzie7ne

Hi Sue,

its awful, and you have to appeal, dont let them treat you like this, the more appeals they have to deal with the more chance they will do something about this awful system. When I queried my medical report with ATos healthcare, who said I could walk 100 yards and
stand for 30 minutes (very definately not the case) and I told them my physiotherapist, occupational therapist GP and Rheumatologist would disagree with them their reply was "but our doctors are disability experts "! what an insult to my healthcare professionals!.Atos healthcare who the DWP employ for these medicals are a complete joke and its so awful sick people have to become victim of their lack of care. I wish there was an organisation somewhere that would take on the case of people like us.

Appeal Sue, contact the press do everything in your power to get what you are entitle too.
lizzie

woodbon

Hi, Thank you for all the support, it makes it easier to know that its not just me. I am going to appeal, when Jerry came in, he said its up to me, we can manage, but thats not the point. I looked on the Jobcentre site just now, and according to that, to quailify for Jobseekers, I would have to be able to do things I can't do now, unless I lied to them, I wouldn't qualify.

At the moment I only have the brief tick box document that is much smaller and has less information than the one that I filled in, but I phoned the jobcentre in Norwich, and they are sending me a 30 page document with all the things written by the deciders on. Some of the boxes that she has ticked as things I can do are not correct, say I can bend, and pick up a paper, when I did it at the centre, the doctor made me stop half-way through as my spine made an awful, loud noise! :shock: So, I could'nt do that, although she ticked it as something I can do normally.

I'd love to go back to work, I enjoyed the feeling of doing something that allowed me to discover and use my skills with disabled and elderly people. To be really well done, the people doing it need to want to do it, especially,the people who have dementia. The same job isn't possilbe for me, I don't have the stamina needed.

The one thing that really gets to me is, all this messing about and worrying, filling in forms, arranging medicals ect
is that it uses up the time and most of all the energy that we would spend trying to improve our health. To be able to just forget forms and money ect and concentrate on doing all the things I should do, and get the most out of our lives, however much or little we can do without the hassle and worry, which wheres us down so much.

Sorry, I've done it again. Gone on and on... Love Sue

salamander

Hi Sue, have sent you a PM

lizzie7ne

Hi Sue, it was the tick box section that they got wrong with me. He said I could stand for 30 minutes and walk 100 yards

I got a copy of the report from the medical and the doctor had actually been correct in a lot of what he had written and he had summed up by saying "the patients muscoskeltal problems severely affect her walking and standing" yet he ticked a box saying
I could walk 1oo yards and stand for 30 minutes why on earth did he do that???????? I think the DWP award points for the tick box sections for eligibility for ESA, so if the tick box sections are wrong well you dont get ESA no matter what it is that has been written.

Until the DWP appoint doctors who can accurately fill in forms people like us will continually not get what we are entitle to get and
the more of us who complain the more likely we will get something done about it. How arrogant of them not to take into consideration what our own doctors say - they are the ones that know us best.

I wonder if our MP's could help

lizzie

annebr

Sue,

My blood is boiling for you. I am so ***** angry with the whole system and they way you, me and others are treated. We are made to feel like dirty filthy liars when we're not.

Do you know what happens with regards to your NI payments, who makes them for you?

Please appeal I for one and I am sure many others will support you all the way via the forum.

I am waiting to hear about my DLA appeal, I phoned the other day to be told they had only had the form for 3 weeks, I have to wait 11!! Allan my OH is so disgusted with out stories he has written to our MP & MSP no response yet.

Love & Hugs.

Anne

tandel

Hi i also had my ESA payment suspended after a medical assessment i did however recieve 12 points,maximum being 15 points,the one i didn't get points for was the bending of my knees they said i have full movement and i have no problems in that section.i found that very amusing as i'm due in hospital this week for knee surgery (yattrium synovectomy) my knee only has 30% movemet and i take acupan & Meloxicam to ease pain.once again they ignored Rhumy report,GP & the actual hospital addmission letter.i have appealed and awaiting response should be interesting as my GP has signed me off till the middle of Feb ongoing as i need intence physio as my muscles in leg have wasted , after op and no wait bearing.i think the system is pathetic you produce the evidence they require ie: medical certiicates and they ignore the proffesionals who wrote them in favour of muppets that don't even know your history,they make you feel like a fraud cos it keeps their figures down and makes them look good. i hope you have appealed, and good luck. :x :x :x

fester

The whole subject of ESA makes my blood boil, as has been said before we're treated like liars and second class citizens. The people doing this have no idea what pain is or what stress and upset we go through and you know what they just dont't care, i've yet to see any comments from anybody doing this job and explaining how much they enjoy or hate torturing people and their families just to satisfy some suit up in whitehall or whatever who needs a good excuse to justify his/her pathetic existence and provide statistics which end up being fiddled (just like mp's perks!!).
I've already stated to my wife and consultant/gp if i get anything like this they can medical me at home as no way shape or form am i in my opinion or gp's come to that fit for work and i'm not going to denegrate myself by even attending their little charade where your being spied on as soon as you walk through the door and trust me they are spying hoping to catch us out. I can understand alot of people abuse the system but why oh why is it the disabled who seem to get the brunt of some mp or whatever who's had a bad day.
\Rant Off

sharmaine

Sue
From what you've said it appears they're just ticking boxes willy nilly. You must appeal. I know it's a pain and its frustrating but there's something terribly wrong with the system and it is up to us to put it right. I think when you are calmer you should write a letter to these so called decision makers and keep a copy. These so called medical examiners do not really know you or your condition and I wonder what medical qualifications or experience they have with arthritis? I think we should all be asking if their specialism lies in this area - from the posts I've been reading they all sound like a bunch of numpties.

Don't apologise for going on about it I think you've been treated disgracefully.

Sharmaine

woodbon wrote:

Hi, Thank you for all the support, it makes it easier to know that its not just me. I am going to appeal, when Jerry came in, he said its up to me, we can manage, but thats not the point. I looked on the Jobcentre site just now, and according to that, to quailify for Jobseekers, I would have to be able to do things I can't do now, unless I lied to them, I wouldn't qualify.

At the moment I only have the brief tick box document that is much smaller and has less information than the one that I filled in, but I phoned the jobcentre in Norwich, and they are sending me a 30 page document with all the things written by the deciders on. Some of the boxes that she has ticked as things I can do are not correct, say I can bend, and pick up a paper, when I did it at the centre, the doctor made me stop half-way through as my spine made an awful, loud noise! :shock: So, I could'nt do that, although she ticked it as something I can do normally.

I'd love to go back to work, I enjoyed the feeling of doing something that allowed me to discover and use my skills with disabled and elderly people. To be really well done, the people doing it need to want to do it, especially,the people who have dementia. The same job isn't possilbe for me, I don't have the stamina needed.

The one thing that really gets to me is, all this messing about and worrying, filling in forms, arranging medicals ect
is that it uses up the time and most of all the energy that we would spend trying to improve our health. To be able to just forget forms and money ect and concentrate on doing all the things I should do, and get the most out of our lives, however much or little we can do without the hassle and worry, which wheres us down so much.

Sorry, I've done it again. Gone on and on... Love Sue

lesleygraham

Hi folks
The system is doing exactly what it is designed to do, get as many people off benefits as possible. Unfortunately it seems to be the most vulnerable and poorly people who are being targetted. My cousin has been on incapacity (and mobility) for 15 years from age 20, absolutely nothing wrong with her, but a really good actor and liar. Why isn't she being targetted???
As for Dwp 'doctors' I have saw 2 and both were nurses and certainly not experts in disability, if they were they would understand how RA can render you totally immobile and unable to carry out the simplest of functions let alone any type of job.
Anyway, rant over but very frustrated by the whole system.
Les

happy_feet

Hi all
Firstly Woodbon Im sorry you failed your "Medical" but dont you give up!
If you look up ATOS doctors and ESA on Google you will find these so called healthcare people are doing this to everyone, they are lying and falsifiying their reports because they want people off the sick and into work (What work? There are no jobs anyway!) Its the reason theyre not interested in what doctors and specialists say-they know we are ill but it doesnt matter to them..
Apparantley 70% of appeals at tribunal are turned over, and people are asking why the doctors who lied about their capabilities and state of health dont have to show up and answer for themselves. Id like to know that as well. :x
There are people who have been found fit for work and told to go on jobseekers, but when they try to do that theyre told they cant keep to the agreement because theyre not fit for employment so they get nothing. So, the decision makers at the DWP are contradicting themselves! One decision maker says youre fit to work so cant claim ESA another says youre not so cant claim jobseekers. Absolutely mental! And when anyone tries to complain to ATOS about the lies on their reports they get nowhere.
Anyone who has the medical coming up, take someone with you as a witness and to take notes. Probably wont be of much use but it might make the "doctor" aware that you know what theyre all getting up to. Also take a note of their name and let them know youre doing it. If they arent going to lie about you they wont mind you doing any of this.
Oh and some of them are regular nurses and healthcare workers, they arent all doctors or disability specialists.
As Fester has said they do spy on you, they have cameras on the ceiling and outside that record how you enter the building, and if you read a magazine its noted, if you sit on the chairs in the waiting room its noted and for how long you sat. Your every move is watched and noted.

chile168

Hi Lizzie,

Had to reply to your comment. I hate when other people think they know more than the specialist. I have that problem with my GP who thinks he knows more than my Rheumatologist Consultant. He wanted to put me on a treatment but I queried it and thank God I did, she immediately wrote to him.

Sue, hope you're ok and still fighting x

penfactor

Edited

bertyboy

Sue i could swear for you it is just dipsticks ticking boxes dont give up ,these people should be made to spend time reading all the info that is available to support the diagnosis of the consultants the ones that have studied this thing called Arther in its many forms xxx

countessheather

Appeal,challenge, confront, and take no prisoners! Get a surgery with local MP by contacting the houses of parliment. Remember, under the Disabilty Disabled Act, if you have RA you are covered and take ATOS to court for disability discrimination - google `disablilty rights specialist solicetors' choose one near you - advice is free and lots are `no win, no fee'. This is a Stich-up!
Download the Disabilty Disabled Act and act upon it :x .xxxx

countessheather

fester, the car park has cameras and they are filming people getting in and out of thier cars, walking to the entrance doors before they start. And they are filming us people outside our homes, going shopping, going about our business using covert practices. ect
we are the most `spyed upon' nation on earth. It takes nothing at all to peice together any bodys movements as we are also tracked by satelite. Your phones and emails will also be accessed if they want to. remember the amount of local councils who have been using the `terrorism act' to track and fine people for putting out thier bins on the wrong day? Or procescuting the parents of toddelers who drop a sweet wrapper? Orson wells's 1982 has nothing on Sidcup 2010! :shock:

woodbon

I feel tearful and grateful for all the friendship and support you're offering me. I have sent for the document on which they write everything, and I think its just come this morning. To be honest I'm putting of opening it, thats why I've been looking through all the posts on here and adding my bit. Well, I would do that, anyway but, I can't put off opening the letter any longer so I'll post again and let you know what it says, wish me luck! :?
Love Sue xxx

jenzie06

Good luck!
When you do open it, remember they are a useless organisation (who repeated can't even get my name right) and to focus on the positives in your life and don't let the b**t***s grind you down!!

Sending you a hug.
Jen

penfactor

Know how you feel about upsetting letters, Sue - I got a letter full of lies from my manager, this morning, trying to put right things she shouldn't have said on the phone last week!
Also just back from consultant at hosp, who apologised again for my probs post op & said would never happen to others in future as "he has ordered some new equipment!" GREAT!!! What on earth am I supposed to feel about that!!
We both having bad days, hon but we have all our friends here to get us through.
love Pennie X