Work Capability Assessment

penfactor

Hi Carol,
I'm only 52 but in same boat as you. I had to leave my employment too for same reason & my op left me with 1& 1/2 inch leg length discrepancy so I still have to use crutch, knees & other hips now worsened & I have to wear an adapted shoe. However I am still expected to find a poor employer willing to take me on in this state! My last place didn't want me so who else would!
Pennie

rosiesrred

i lost my job in december after 2 yrs severe pain in spine ,ive had my goverment medical which states im able for work,i was a minimum wage housekeeper which is manual work ,for 2 yrs ive been injected x-rayd nd ignored,ive just been told by the consultant at hosp that from 2 yrs ago havin narrowing of my 4/5 L vertibraes i now have been told surgery is not an option as i have arthritis in my spine from cervical to lumber and all my limbs are affected with it,i am very limited to what i can do,how do i get bills paid ,food for me nd daughter when goverment say im fit for work when i know im struggling with daily basic living,I cannot take medication as i have steven johnstone syndrome which is a severe tens allergy to all painrelief

caroldeeg

Luckily for me I have been told that I will get benefit until I get my pension in September. However, they dont seem to take any sort of common sense approach to ESA. Its all a ticking exercise, If they tick enough boxes u get benefit if not u don't.
When will the Government take a sensible approach to this. If u have arthritis working is very difficult and stress about money will only make it worse. I'm not sure if we can do anything about their approach but we should try.

RichC

I am in the same boat ...
been on IB for 3 years this October , so will be reassessed then under the new ESA .
In the last 2 years i have been volunteering for a well known advice service , so in effect i can keep in touch with being employable .
I live literally 100yrds from the place , am allowed time off (which last year i had months off) whenever i feel incapable or have brain fog
What they don't consider .. is the time the NHS take to diagnose and stabilise you.:O
I know benefits and the reforms inside out .. and i am scared for myself (and others) that i will be forced to claim JSA ,because according to their rules , i am fit for work .
This also will mean any entitlement to Return to work credit , and Disability element in Working tax credit and Housing Benefit disappears .

If i am unable to attend for a JSA interview or course then i face the possibility of being sanctioned etc :O

If i start work and then an employer dismisses me , then in future i will have no legal aid to help with any claim to an employment tribunal ( see current legal aid reform proposals) when an employer will have solicitors at the disposal.

The equalities Act looks good on paper , however it still means that you have to have a disability that puts you at a disadvantage , and i suspect that if the DWP have already declared you fit fr work ..then this will be used as proof that there is no discrimination
Employment and Employment Tribunal reform is underway as well , ie cannot claim unfair dismissal until 2 yrs of employment, and a system set up for mediation !.

I would emmigrate if i could :O

End of Rant
Rich

Jess86

Hi guys

I have been reading all these posts and it seems like things are just gonna keep getting worse. I guess in a way I have been quiet lucky as my employeers where totally aware of my condition when I was taken on and measures have been put in place to ensure I am capable on doing my job even when I cannot physically make it in to the office.
However I am only an apprentice and therefore am earning well below minimum wage for my age and have been (not so politely) told I am not in a position to claim anything to help me with bills etc.
When I was diagonoised (with arthritis) I had little choice but to change my career to avoid causing futher injured to the joint this has cost me approx 5 grand a year. But I am being treated and therefore when I had my last assessment I was having a good day and appeared completely well. Therefore no benifits or help.

Jess x

Airwave!

The DLA claimants cull will not start until 2013 maybe we will know more by then and how to deal with the DWP?

There will soon be a new underclass of people with disabilities and lower or no income and no support. or do we have to become beggars to survive, as in 3rd world countries? or accept a lower life span?

I'm sitting here laughing at myself, typing with my thumbs because my fingers hurt, who'll give us a job?

8) Its a grin, honest!

Ouch

I can understand the government's wish and need to get through the hundreds of thousands who are on ESA to weed out those who are fiddling the system. I have no trouble with that. What I don't understand is the way in which they are recklessly going through and declaring fit for work those who obviously are not. My husband has CFS/fibro and is bipolar. He recently had his re-assessment (has been on IB for five years) and the assessment came back with 0s on everything - even those issues where clearly he should have scored the highest. The "nurse" who did the evaluation did nothing to even address most of the issues. But because he could raise his hands over his head and pick up a pen off the floor on that day he is now fit for work. We are appealing. With the bipolar, particularly, there are many jobs for which he wouldn't even be considered. And with the CFS/fibro, one day's activity results in two days in bed to recover. All this makes me very nervous about making my claim for DLA in a month's time. I can't walk, have to take pain meds that compromise my ability to concentrate/understand. This is truly an unacceptable state of affairs.

Airwave!

Hi ouch,
Just tell it like it is on a bad day, thats the truth, don't be afraid of that.

In order to weed out those who don't truly deserve the benefits, a very large lump hammer is being used that will destroys peoples lives, unless something happens to change this?

Things are a changing, we'll just have to wait and see what happens.

8) Its a grin, honest!

Ouch

On the form we filled out prior to the "examination" we did a worse day scenario for my husband - they still scored him with all 0s! I know that when I fill out my DLA claim I will put in the worse day. Heck, even if I put in a best day I would qualify!

Here's hoping! I am able to claim on May 4...

Martha aka Ouch (because I say it all the time!)

woodbon

hi I know how close to the edge I felt when I claimed ESA and had to go through all the hoops, including appeal, which I won. I intended to go to the appeal, but felt too stressed out and ill to face it, so I wrote explaining to the board. I was awarded ESA.

So many people must drop out of the system, either through lack of understanding all those forms or stress of having to go through so much. In fact, I often wonder how badly someone who is ill and alone, recieving a refusel, must add to their ill health. I'm very lucky as we could scrap by without money for me, although it would be hard. Sorry, I'm going 'off on one'!

I hope that you will be able to appeal successfully, so many people do.

woodbon

Hi I have to fill in the new medical form for ESA :???: I was only awarded it in January, although the case had been going on for over a year. I have quite a few new things to add, like my gyne problems, which are also effecting my back pain according the Gyne.
I'd love to go to work, but I am not supposed to try even a short while, as now they worry I'll burst the cyst! My ever loving and patient husband, just stopped me from throwing it in the bin!!! So, back through the hoops, I suppose. :???:
Love Sue

tillypink

Hi everyone, was just coming on site to post a question about the new esa rules and came across this topic.

I had a meeting at the jobcentre yesterday, for someone to explain to me about these new rules and system that has come in. Well I was tamping coming out, its hard to get ESA as it is, (I won my appeal in april this yr). The jobcentre adviser said that I will proberly will be back in work with in 11months, or on a scheme to get me into work!!

Pissed off is't the word I will use,but close to it.. I've always worked, and now I'm not cause I have servere OA in my hip, I need a hip replacement, but dr's don't want to do it yet as I'm 34. She was questioning me that i'm too young for this etc,the usual crap when they pretend to care, when all they see u is as just a 'number' !

Surely the person who has divised this stupid scheme has never had daily fights with bouts of pain and illness that people who are have arthritis sufferer's have or anybody else with a disablity!

I'm sorry to moan, just feel so deflated and I'm sure i'm not the only one! I know at the end of the day its to stop the billy liars from claiming,but omg its a silly system!

Sorry for the rant!

thanks

Lisa

sbolam

yeah i know what you mean..talk about a sledge hammer to crack a nut..I am going through the appeals at the moment and I feel like a criminal the way they treat you, and the things they imply in there reasons for failing you...I have OA in both knees (worse in my right one). As I am only 39 they wont even concider a TKR at the moment.

Yet you have some toffy nosed jumped up millionaire making decisions that they clearly know nothing about..ITS JUST BONKERS.

traluvie

I too am going through the process of appealing and it is a right farce.. so many lies have been told..
Am ready to let rip though and will be making an official complaint against the nurse that done my medical assesment..

weejean

I got a letter about ESA yesterday and they will be contacting me over the next week to discuss the possibility of me going back to work. I am really nervous about this. I have osteoarthritis in every joint and have a good few years of surgery ahead of me starting with bi-lateral THR in three weeks time. I have no idea how I am going to be able to go out to work. I can barely make it to the toilet. There are so few jobs in this country as it is. My 20 year old daughter has been looking for a job for over a year and has had no luck yet. She is young and very healthy and would give anything to have a job. Would it not be a good idea for the government to focus on getting the healthy and young people into work before assessing all the disabled people. I agree that there are many disabled people who want to work and may be capable of doing certain jobs and I think its great that they will have the opportunity to work but there are many of us who are just not fit to work at the present tiime. I usually find that the people who are assessing whether a person is fit to work or not are totally unaware of how disabilities affect your life and many of them are not very understanding. Sorry for the rant.

Love
Jean x

sbolam

it really just show the total lack of information they have on the day to day living that people with arthritis deal with and that the whole thing is only about saving money.

traluvie

WeeJean.. can you not ring them to say you don't think your ready for work yet?? not sure how it would qork, you would prob have to have a medical assesment..
I have done alot of investigation since the failure of my esa last week and i am shocked at some of the things i have discovered.. The assesor has general questions on the computer and answers already there too, the assesor then will delete or add the necessary words , so when someone is sitting there saying well i am unable to use the kettle at the moment untill i have my aid delivered and if my oh wasn't there i would be able to put a meal in microwave for me this was interpreted as " able to use kettle, microwave and toaster despite pain" The assesor is not writing in the important bits that matter and that explain our condition on a day to day basis.
I read somewhere(not sure how accurate this is) that the assesor gets commision based on the people they pass as fit for work, this is an outrage if true, no wonder so many people are getting awarded 0 points if money is involved..
I know the system has been made to worm out the frauds but this is ridiculous and the system i believe needs a new strategy

sbolam

when they, in one breathe comment on your swollen tender and PAINFUL knees. and then in the reports says can walk without aids and able to stand for more than 30 mins..

even tho I have a stick and cant stand tooo long without discomfort..

tells you everything really.

weejean

Hi Tracy

I will await the telephone call and answer truthfully to the questions I am asked. I will inform them that I am having a double hip replacement in two weeks, followed by two ankle fusion surgeries, followed by fusion of some of the joints in both my hands and see if they think I will be able to work during all this going on. It is all madness and what they dont realise is that we would all be working if we were fit enough to do so. I hate the fact that I cant work at the moment and hope once all my surgeries are complete that I may be lucky enough to go back to work. Time will tell. I will keep you posted on how it all goes.

Love
Jean x

Ilovemystaffie

Airwave! wrote:

The DLA claimants cull will not start until 2013 maybe we will know more by then and how to deal with the DWP?

There will soon be a new underclass of people with disabilities and lower or no income and no support. or do we have to become beggars to survive, as in 3rd world countries? or accept a lower life span?

I'm sitting here laughing at myself, typing with my thumbs because my fingers hurt, who'll give us a job?

8) Its a grin, honest!

Perhaps we`ll have to move abroad where we`ll get foreign aid!
strange that they can afford to give millions to rich economies such as india and china yet can`t afford to look after their own people!
Sure there are very poor people in both countries,but surely their govts should be looking after them,not us!

Emily

bubbles wrote:

I am not looking forward to the re-assessment later this year, mind you, it is only a few months since they wrote and said, no need for any more medical evidence, sick notes, GP's letters, it will carry on as normal with a £10 Christmas bonus each year.
It is a worrying time for a lot of people who are genuinely sick and disabled, having to go through yet more hoops. Even more annoying when you read about people and families reaping tens of thousands in benefits and laughing at the mere suggestion of working.

Derisory Christman bonus for pensioners and disabled, in some samll EU countres the Christmas bonus is a full months payment. Also their payments whether it is for pensions or Disabled benefit is so much more generous compared to UK. Also other benefit such as travel this is across the borad ie trains, buses and coach travel.

Uk is the lowest paid state pension in the EU and other benefits as well, it has been like this for some considerable ie before recession and now it has gotten worse. :?:

carolp

I have only just registered and read the forum but wanted to share my experience. I had an assessement done in April which said I was fit to work but I appealled on the grounds that the assessor had not tested my abilities fully and had not taken notice of my comments to him and my appeal was successful. Also at the same time my claim for DLA was refused because of the ESA assessment and again I appealed and won. They said after my JSplus appointment that I wouldnt need to see them again but have just sent me another appointment! I only get the lower DLA car Component even though I cannot walk more than 50 yards and live in an area not well served with any public transport. I was even refused Patient transport to a hospital appoiuntment 2 weeks after a knee operation as they said if I could walk out of the door I coulkd get in a taxi!

peterwicks

ATOS is a private company charged by the DWP to carry out these medicals on disabled people....most of their staff are completely unqualified to make assessments of a dead cat, let alone a human being.
In short ATOS do not give ATOS about your medical condition....they have a GOVERNMENT agenda to follow and that is to make YOU pay for the Bankers greed.Many claimants are going to their assessments armed with a camera and a tape recorder to photograph the person who is giving the assessment and asking for their names when they make you go to work and cause more damage to your already damaged limbs and organs.You tell them this after the assessment that they personally will be sued in the courts should your health deteriorate...if needs be take a witness along to take notes also...your human rights are being abused here...

penfactor

Hello there!
I just want to share a bit of my experience with the assessment that I hope may reassure some of you worried about it all. I was judged straight off after my first as having limited capability for work & was satisfied this was fair as I would really like to find a new & more suitable job than my last one in retail where I was for the last 10 years.
I was terrified of my first appointment with the Jobcentre advisor but I had absolutely no cause to be as he was completely understanding of how I felt. I completed all 5 interviews there on the Pathways to work scheme & at no time was I pressured into doing anything I knew I was physically incapable of. I still have not found employment however but that's no surprise considering most without disabilities can't get work either but I really want to help allay some people's fears. Of course it may be that I was lucky enough to have a good advisor & I'm sure there are some bad ones out there but that was my experience.
Pen

Hibee

Hi All

I lost my job in June this year due to medical capability. I was put onto contributions based JSA as i did not qualify for income based JSA my benefit stops on the 6th January.

I was diagnosed with probable ankylosing spondylitis on Monday and have been suffering with chronic pain in lower back and in other points throughout my body since beginning of the year.

I was at the job centre on Friday and asked about DLA and was told that 60-70% of applications are getting knocked back so I should not bother applying. It looks like from reading the posts here and news reports that people are being taken of DLA as well and been classed as fit for work I think this is shocking.

I also have mental health issues and I am now very anxious about the future. I have been unable to even get an interview and it looks like as from 6th Jan my benefit will be stopped as well.

Hibee

joysuffolk

I too was subjected to the new rules of dla. In september 2011 i had to fill in the new dla form which i took to the CAB and they helped fill it out..then i had an assessor come out to my home from atos who do all the assessing of people on dla.
My outcome was good as i was awarded dla,,im unable to walk far, and have to have someone with me at all times,,
i have known other people to get knocked back, and on appeal get their dla reinstated..
hope this helps
joy x:-)