Incap Benefit and Employment and support allowance

HI

I was just listening to the news and from October everyone who is on Incap Benefit or Employment and support allowance are going to be re assessed.

What do people think?

Plumie

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Bring 'em on maybe they could increase bebefits too. If you played it straight down the line when you applied you have very little to worry about.

Bex

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I have asthma and other disabilities but was turned down for ESA. This was two weeks after a similar medical for work (run by another company for the government) decided I wasn't fit to return.

The ATOS doctor tested my lungs after I'd been sitting in an air-conditioned office for an hour - result, 'no asthma'. Also no arthritis, no trapped nerve in elbow, ... Apparently I take all those drugs for fun.

I'm still waiting for the tribunal hearing 7 mths later.

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Hi Plumie, The Tories are given the public the impression this has never been done before. This has already been done by Labour when they bought in ESA in October 2008. The appeals from the medicals carried out since then are creating a backlog along with ESA appeals. I was tested in October 2009 made exempt and then sent an IB50 Janary 2010 and found exempt again, why can't they just bloody well leave us alone to cope with our already difficult lives. So I will be called in again this October despite receiving a reply from the DWP from the IB50 sent back in January and decision received end of April which found be exempt again, what a waste of money paying Atos Doctors to do what they have done already very recently and the complaints against Atos doctors is stacking up as they ignore medical evidence such as inpatient letters and consultants letters etc and find a high percentage fit to work in order to meet Government targets, just look on the Benefits and Work website and see for yourselves the horrendous ordeal people are having with ESA IB medicals. Typical tores pick on the sick and disabled.

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hi...it scares the hell out of me because there are days when i prob look like there is nothing wrong with me but if i were employed i would be constantly having sick days and would get sacked it employed in the first place...i suffer from asthma, underactive thyroid, arthritis, hiatus hernia, depression -i could go on but to be honest there isnt enough room on here lol...i have a horrible feeling that everyone will get chucked off these benefits even if they are fit to work or not.....no employer will take me on because i have ill health 90% of the time....maybe if these ministers lived a week in my shoes they would understand that im not lazy just not well ....

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bex....that isnt always the case...i went for an interview and the woman was not english and she had trouble understanding not only english but my geordie accent, with the result being that she kept misunderstanding everything i was saying.she kept on asking if i did actuallyt take all of the medication that i had written down, as if i was making them up-why would i? its possible that on the day of an interview you may feel ok but suffer a bad attack the rest of the week but because they see you ok then you would be signed off....i think it should go from your gp, consultants and personal statements rather than on the word of a 'medically trained' (not nec a doc or nurse)person who has just met you.so being honest doesnt always mean that you will be taken as so

[KateMoss]

I get IB in principle but no actual money..........

My GP has done a few letters in the past, apart from that, it is a form that I fill in every couple of years....

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INCAPACITY BENEFIT

Hi

I have recently reeived a letter from the Shaw Trust Group for my back to work interview, I am a bit concerned to what type of work I can do. I am allergic to most things around, and anything can make my chest go tight and I have to use my Symbicort 8 times through the day and my Ventolin at times. Can anyone advise me if they have been in the same situation. I can do things as long as I do them in my own way and in my own time. My whole life has changed in the last two years. Many thanks Rose

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I can not believe my eyes- the hell and the bias we all recieve to 'its just asthma' just asthma this illness has ruined my life...I am lucky that if on a good day i can walk for ten minutes without a tight chest and a neb...I can not work - believe me i tried i worked every day and had asthma attcks every day until one day my lungs spasmed all day and after a trip to the emergency doc he advised that i should not of let my asthma get that bad it was a sure sign my lungs were in distress and could of collapsed! I can not take my son to school - this asthma, well it has taken living away from me ... we asthmatics are lucky to have a good day without feeling quilty - every true asthmatic knows that....my only annoyance is the common househould mild athmatic tendancy people suffer...because of that i think we are discriminated against. Try living our lives! Sorry all it just upsets me that a decision can be made after one good day- thats what we hope for- its not our fault we are incapacitated with an illness that on day to day can vary and after all a common cold is not just a cold to us- its potentially a dangerous trigger- try explining that to those who employ us.

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carrie, i only have mild asthma but it affects my life too. Hope your message wasn't meant to upset mild asthmatics.

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Apologies if i offended mild asthma sufferers

hey

No no, i am soory if i offended you- that wasnt my intention, i didnt want to offend anyone and im sorry if i did upset you and any other mild asthmatic.....I really wish this illness never hurt anyone mild...medium, or severe....my only querrel is with those who sit in an office and say its just asthma they can work without living our day to day lives....

Kind regards

Carrie x

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i didn't think you had meant to, everyone on here is so nice. I know what you mean now, my family are offenders, they don't think its a big deal, they don't get that i could die if i had a bad attack! You sound like you're having a tough time, take care and sorry i got the wrong end of the stick xxx

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Hi Everyone

Since my last message regarding Incap Benefit, I have spoken to the Medical Dept of the Job Centre, and was told because I have a Medical Exemption, I need not worry to much at this time. I will have to under ago another medical when the new benefit system is brought in. Although it comes into effect next year, I was told there hasn't been any descisons with regard to how they will roll it out, so depending on what they do, it might be quite a while before we all have to worry. Hope this helps.

Rose

x

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hi, i know i have replied to a post about this before but it worries me greatly. i have a great deal of different medical issues, some very bad and some mild, but put together i struggle every day. this ruling is causing me a great deal of stress as the last meeting i went to the doc who couldnt understand me, implied that i didnt take all of the tablets (which are all prescribed for illnessess that have been correctly diagnosed by gps and consultants and which if i didnt take i would be very ill) i was told i wasnt at risk of falling, when i lose my balance constantly as my leg gives way, and a short time after i dislocated my knee after falling which still hasnt healed properly. she didnt speak english as her first language and it ended in me not being able to claim disability living allowance-at the min i am on incomesupport/sickness benefit. if the docs (well thats if she was a doc cos might have just been trained to read the questions and interpret them)are like the one i spoke to loads of people who need to be on the sick who will be forced to work when they are not able to which will make the likes of me very stressed and very ill....would love to find an employer who would take me on as i would need so much time off for sickness, hosp appointments and days /weeks off when i cant even get out of bed cos my arthritis/siatica and all the other health issues i have (including asthma which can mean that i cant even leave the house at times cos i have so many triggers)are that bad....maybe the gov will take me on to do the interviews if they think im able to work?

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This is slightly off the topic but I had a job interview today and I had to fill in a medical form and I wasn't sure if they are allowed to not give me a job because I have asthma and some minor mobility problems? Any advice appreciated thanks.

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God help you if you're on any benefit etc and you're asthmatic.

It seems that what was once a life-threatening disease does not exist any more

due to 'the miraculous qualities'' of preventativer medication.

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Backaway. Your are better to declare health problems. If u get it and go off sick will be harder for employer to terminate contract as may be covered by disability discrimination act(dda). If u get job without disclosing it U may find that the dda will not cover u if u went of sick. If you declare it and get told that ur asthma stopped u despite that ur a capable of doing the job and best qualified then u can claim under the dda. Bit of grey areas in the dda act as to what they claim is disability and how the asthma effects u.

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I was advised I should get it, then NO with the new system! My GP writes me a fit note - but it states 'unstable/brittle asthma'! They advise I should be on JSA (which thank heavens I got). I am a lot better since finishing my last job but could do with a little more time to get back on my feet properly without stress of finding work. Also, lots of competition for jobs, who will they choose? Good candidate or good candidate that left last job because of asthma. There is no incentive for employers to employ someone with health prob/disability.

If applying for work and they ask, I'd advise honesty though and explain what can be done to assist. Some employers are OK about adjustments and in my experience, surprisingly, private firms are more flexible than public sector (who reckon to be SO supportive to those with disabilities/health problems). Also, anyone being forced back to work, speak to your Disability employment officer at local JobCentre, mine's brilliant and I heard her colleague tell someone to go back to their GP the other day as it sounded like they weren't well enough to work.

Controlled asthma is not considered disability but if you're on all sorts and it's not resolving things, it is, I've had it confirmed for me by a specialist.