ESA

oldies

The dreaded forms have arrived,dont think they realise how hard they are to fill in with arthritic hands,after reading some of your stories of the medicals we all have to go for i am realy not looking forward to mine.I cannot believe the amount that are being put into the wrag group,if they could live in our shoes for just one day they would see how hard even the simplest of tasks are ;( :x

Ryedaledigger

Hi Yes the forms are another pain for us to deal with. Just a idea, have you contacted a support organisation to help you fill in the forms. I use Age UK they were great, they sent a support lady and within a very short time had the form filled in and she even posted it for me. She used words I would not have put in the form, and I passed!! yes and I did NOT have to go and
be grilled. So good luck. TTFN Steve

oldies

Thanks Steve,was just going to look for best place to go with help,just plucked up courage to open the blasted letter,the questions are a joke.All the answers seem to be it varies,never have two days the same !!!

frogmorton

Age concern DIAL and CAB to name, but a few.

Good luck oldies

love

Toni xxx

oldies

Thanks Tony,Just got number for dail and age uk see who can help first xx

oldies

Thank you for your replies,i have an appointment with CAB next week fingers crossed x

frogmorton

oldies wrote:

Thank you for your replies,i have an appointment with CAB next week fingers crossed x

Crossed for you oldies

Love

Toni xxx

oldies

thanks Toni x

Ryedaledigger

Hope the Cab visit is good, its amazing the words they use to get your points across. TTFN

barbara12

Hi oldies
I just want to wish you good luck with it,
I do hope it all goes well , and please let us know how you get on xx

oldies

Thank you all.
I have now got an appointment with DIAL next week,also my gp sadly he is a newish one so doesnt realy know me.I will let you all know how things pan out.
The rheumatolgy nurse and occupational terapist tell us not to do things then ATOS are telling us we are fit to do it !!!!!!

oldies

Hi All,sent my forms back on 1st october,been waiting with bated breath for the next saga,i got the dreaded phone call this afternoon !!!!!!!! glad to say they told me there and then i have been put in the support group ,what a weight has been lifted.I would like to than all on this site for any help and support you have given me.
Good luck to all who have to go through this process.
psI don't thinl i will believe it till i get it in black and white :roll:

toady

Congratulations oldies and thank you and ryedaledigger so much for the sliver of hope that it is possible to pass. I am currently wrestling with my form & wishing so much that it will be enough for me not to be called up, but worrying I will not do a good enough job. I did go to CAB just to satisfy myself that I was not missing vital advice, I have not had much success with them in the past & this time was the same unfortunately - the advisor had never filled in an ESA50 and I knew considerably more than them about the whole thing.. not to disrespect CAB as a whole, they do a good job but mine's a small branch maybe they just can't prime all their volunteers for this particular issue & I was unlucky. Maybe I should have gone to DIAL but I will have to make do now & cross fingers.

Anyway thanks again for the good news it has cheered me in the throes of my form-filling torture - can't count my chickens I know but it's nice to hear it can happen, and all the best to you oldies, must be a huge huge relief.

oldies

Hi Toady.
Make sure you put down your worst days,that is what DIAL did with me,having said that i do have a few other illnesses.I sent a copy of a consultants letter that he had sent my gp,that listed my illnesses and medication i was on.I also sent a copy of my prescription.
The other thing i did was sent my forms back about 10days before the date they said,my thinking on that was if i hang on to it till then they may think i was holding out,i was just trying to be one step ahead of them I was shocked to just get a phone call and not have to go for a medical,good luck and keep us posted x

littlemum

I have received my appointment letter today to go for a medical assessment, the centre where it is being held is a fair distance away, and they enclosed a 'suggested journey plan'....and 18 minute walk to the train station, a 27 minute train journey and then another 7 minute walk.....those walking times would be tripled in my case! I have arranged a lift there and someone to come with me.

I am a 31 year old single mum of two with Grade III OA in both knees, walking with two crutches, taking morphine to try and control the pain, I spend 99% of my life cooped up in the house alone, some days I cannot even take my daughter to school the pain can be so bad!

I am terrified that this medical will all go wrong, I have heard so many stories about the 'professionals' lying and including things against you they haven't even asked or observed!

It's so wrong that genuinely unwell and disabled people are having to fight to continue to receive the money they need to raise their families! I am only going through all this ESA business as I was moved over from Income Support as my youngest child is 5, and I was in reciept of the disability premium on my old IS claim.

villier

Hi oldies, cogratulations what a weight off your mind nice to hear a success story, my forms were only sent a couple of weeks ago so going by your timings it appears to take about six weeks, I think I will be a nervous wreck if I have to wait anotheer four weeks, I am one of these people if there was no bad luck I would have no luck at all.............well done.............Marie xx

toady

oldies wrote:

Hi Toady.
Make sure you put down your worst days,that is what DIAL did with me,having said that i do have a few other illnesses.I sent a copy of a consultants letter that he had sent my gp,that listed my illnesses and medication i was on.I also sent a copy of my prescription.
The other thing i did was sent my forms back about 10days before the date they said,my thinking on that was if i hang on to it till then they may think i was holding out,i was just trying to be one step ahead of them I was shocked to just get a phone call and not have to go for a medical,good luck and keep us posted x

Thanks I will certainly be back with updates. I am finishing the last of my form, it has taken me every bit of the 4 weeks what with all the research & reading up, seeing gp, asking for reports etc, stewing over what to put - will barely finish in time & I'm exhausted could do with more time, which stands to reason really, if i could do stuff like this easily i wouldn't be this ill I guess. Thanks for the good wishes.

littlemum wrote:

I have received my appointment letter today to go for a medical assessment, the centre where it is being held is a fair distance away, and they enclosed a 'suggested journey plan'....and 18 minute walk to the train station, a 27 minute train journey and then another 7 minute walk.....those walking times would be tripled in my case! I have arranged a lift there and someone to come with me.

I am terrified that this medical will all go wrong, I have heard so many stories about the 'professionals' lying and including things against you they haven't even asked or observed!

Hi there yep I too had the ludicrous travel plan, mine was 6 stages long & if i could do all of that I'd be more than happy! No chance.

Re your assessment, you can ask to have it recorded if you're worried about being misrepresented (ok, lied about) - i think it's better if you ask when you send your forms in but as far as i know you could still ask after, but I can check on that & point you at further info if you're interested. Atos don't like people asking and the system is under strain with increasing numbers of people asking for recorded assessments apparently which is another good reason to make the request in my book. Good luck with the whole thing.

oldies

Littlemum
I feel for you,i too was a single mum and struggled.these people have no idea what its like living with all the pain and frustration at not being able to do the easiest of tasks even more so when your on your own with children.When do you go?keep us posted on the outcome good luck xx

trepolpen

got my forms today , good to hear some of you are in the support group , going to ask someone from the Carers Support Service to help us fill them in , she helped us before on other forms before

was hoping RA would be treated like it did before on incapacity & dont need to see thier doctors but will have to wait to see what
they are going to do