ESA

[Phil_7]

I have just applied for esa, liver disease hepatitis C virus. I don't feel very optimistic. Also I have high cholesterol the doc didn't give me statin because of liver does anyone know of something else I can lower my cholesterol please ????.

[AyrshireK]

Lots of pages on line for 'Reducing cholesterol naturally' or 'reducing cholesterol without medication' - type either of those into your search bar and you should get some good guidance.

As regards your ESA, I take it you've just phoned up and made the initial claim - when it comes to actually completing the paper form about your ill health and how it affects you or limits you I can wholeheartedly recommend a site called Benefits and Work benefitsandwork.co.uk/ they have on line guides showing you how to fill in the forms to score the maximum points, how to explain yourself & showing you which buzz words get you the points needed etc. There is a small subscription fee but it is well worth it. It also tells you to make sure you have supporting evidence of the degree of your ill health since DWP, Capita, Atos etc do not go in search of this stuff because it backs you up and not them. They'd rather make their decision based on their own findings and as you know it is faulty.

I am dreading it in case they review hubbies ESA - we successfully claimed it in 2012 and it has never been reviewed or anything since just been renewed. We also eventually successfully claimed PIP and he's got that award until July 2018 with reveiw date July 2017.

Best wishes with it.

Katie

[susieanna]

Sorry, i dont know anything about the cholesterol; i think Ayreshire is right re that website; wish id joined it; people are dying and still don't get awarded it; good luck.

[Catfishjumpin]

I am not quite clear but do you have Hep C? For how long, if so? Can you find any kind of exercise you can do several hours a week, every week. Thats your best bet other than your diet. I had Hep C 42 years. Two tratment, last one killed it or put it in remission. But I now have liver cancer although I really can't tell it and its been 2 years. I am 64 and live alone. I hope something there helps, keep looking for answers, research it. Good luck.

[Phil_7 in reply to Catfishjumpin]

Yes i have hep c, diagnosed with it in 2010 but I wasn't told I had it until last year..?.. No wonder I have felt my health wanning for the past 5 years ! Pre 2010 I was Mr fitness personified , now I am more or less bed ridden Just not wanting to do anything. I really miss cycling and swimming. I feel as I am living in a world of procrastination.

[Catfishjumpin in reply to Phil_7]

Can you slowly try to start over again. I was not exercising till 2008 and I moved to Hawaii in hopes of living better aand longer in a warm climate. I have worked up to 5 to 10 hours a week of hard exercise. I am diagnosed as living with Liver Failure and in need of transplantation to survive. I goad myself to exercise. Its very hard but I feel its my best shot...i hope you can feel stronger...

[jimfearnley]

Just to let you know that you don't need to pay a fee to access advice on your ESA claim. Citizens Advice Bureaux and other Not-for-Profit agencies provide free advice, albeit services are often very busy.

Claiming ESA can be difficult for people with Hep C, as it can be hard to demonstrate that typical symptoms (if no co-presenting issues such as decompensated cirrhosis) affect work capability as defined by the specific ESA activity descriptors. As relevant to you, I would make the fullest statement of the impact of brain fog, joint ache, and/or fatigue on your capabilities.

It will be a minimum of the official three months before you are assessed. If at all possible, take a support worker, friend, partner, or family member to the face-to-face assessment, and ask them to take an independent and accurate note of the meeting. This will be very important if you later need to challenge a termination of benefit based on a negative assessment.

For reliable general info on Hep C and its effects to share with the DWP (do not assume your assessor will know anything about it), contact th00090e Hepatitis C Trust.

[Phil_7 in reply to jimfearnley]

Hi Jim, thank you for your very good advice. I really wish I could make the fullest statement about brain fog etc. Even those few things you mentioned finally brought them to me in clear text after 5 years, if that makes sense. I was diagnosed with hep c in 2010 but was not told of it until 2015. It's no wonder I felt my health wanning, and now I am more or less bed ridden.

[hippoHH]

I don´t know if this will help but my husband´s NASH was put down to congenitally high cholesteral levels. However when he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes we cut sugar out of his diet as completely as possible and his cholesterol and triglycerides are now within normal limits without medication. Since I have discovered about needing carbohydrate 3 hourly with cirrhosis, am feeding him more carbs but trying not to include too much sugar. He used to have 3 teaspoons in tea and drink loads of sugary drinks. I´m sure now that that was what caused his cirrhosis.

[Phil_7 in reply to hippoHH]

Hi hippo sorry to here about hubby. After reading what you said I am going to leave sugar out as much as poss if any at all !! I broke my addiction to lucozade.

[hippoHH in reply to Phil_7]

It certainly sounds as if "they" are coming round to the idea that sugar is really bad for you and my husband was a real addict! So do try and avoid it. It may help your cholesterol levels.