Has anyone had to have a back to work... - Charcot-Marie-Too...
Has anyone had to have a back to work interview, i have to go to go to one next week which is absolutely ridiculous i can`t work anymore.
I thought back to work interviews were something you had with an employer after being off sick? Is this something else?
it`s this new thing david cameron has decided to do for people who are on incapacity benefit etc., to try and get us back to work.
Hi yeah i think it is, I'm appealing myself at the moment they seem to know about the condition but I feel they don't understand how it can make u feel just because u maybe able to lift ur arm up and walk a few steps they say ur able to work. I've Been on the"benefitsandwork" website very usefull if u haven't do so. My appeal is in about 9 wks. In court . Not looking forward to it but have to do it. Be carefully in ur medicals they r not ur friends. Even if they make out to understand I don't think they do.
Its a waste of tax payers money!!. Bloody government.
If you mean a medical then yes, I had one, its based on a points system and designed to trip people up, be very careful how you answer questions, I can't work anymore either but failed the test and was told I could not apply for incapacity benefit and to go and sign on to job seekers ? I did not bother needless to say. Even people with missing limbs have failed too, The actual medical part of the interview will not be specifically related to your disability either, it is a government money saver after all. Good luck.
Ulrich thank you for your good luck wishes, went to the interview on monday didn`t k now exactly what would happen, had a medical and answered questions felt like i was on trial, couldn`t understand the doctor much, have to wait and see the outcome.
Hi, I know how u feel exactly my 1st one made me feel like a piece of meat and gave me no time to answer the q b4 I got asked another. My last went better he said he is aware of the condition and was very friendly but I think that is the ploy. To try catching u out. My concern Is that a specialist tells u to try goin for a walk even if u have to really push ur self to do so. Yet if ur seen doin anything like that ur well enough to work, even tho ur doin it so u don't sieze up. As I see it the government are saying if u can't work u can't do anything! So it's all or nothing, they want us to sit in doin nothin or die so we r not a burden on them. The truth is u were on trial. My advice Is be strong and appeal appeal appeal
hi Gunner thanks for your advice, stll waiting to hear from the dwp t see if i can still get my benefit yes will definitely appeal if i get turned down been on it since 1994.
williamalfred, well i got my letter from the dwp getting employment and support allowance and have been placed in a work-related activity group what a laugh will be appealing.
What is a work related activity group?
Hope you do appeal and see if they understand what you can and can't do, I doubt they will as they haven't got a clue!!
And a medical at which the examiner gets a huge bonus to fail you, something like £1000!
If you want some advice as to how to handle the interview, go to benefitsandwork.co.uk for all the best advice. As someone has already said, the questions are designed to catch you out, by asking seemingly innocent questions about your hobbies etc. Think about the implications of every answer before you say it, and be as negative as possible about your condition and how if affects you on a day to day basis. To access member only guides, you can use the CMT UK's login details
Username - cmt
Password - frame2
Good luck - and if you are found fit for work, APPEAL!
Karen
thanks for your advice went on monday before i read my messages, had a medical which i didn`t know about felt like i was on trial.
Hi, I was a social worker and helped people fill in DLA forms and have drs interviews. It is almost instinctive to say when the dr says 'how are you today?' to say 'fine' but you really must be careful what you say. I found it helped to write a list of things that are a struggle and how often, like needed help to do up buttons every day for a week or something.
Appealing does help too if you need too.
That is one whopper of a fee to earn too!
Lynne
Lynne thanks for your reply went for interview and medical which i didn`t k ow about didn`t read my messages before i went, felt as if i was on trial, couldn`t understand the doctor some of the time.
Thanks for the good advice.
Whiterose, if you go for a medical don`t say yes to any of the questions because that`s how they`ll catch you out, just, say it dependes how you`re feeling on the day, they ask if you can clean your own teeth, wsh your face, if you can go for a walk and how long it takes you.So just be careful with your answers think i shot myself in the foot a couple of times with the answers i gave. It`s ridiculous i`ve been on incapacity benefit since 1994 because i can`t work.
Hi I am a newcomer to this site as I never knew it exsisted, however regarding the question i to have to go for an interview, it was supposed to be this Wed 11th July but they rang me today to cancel as the DWP have requested i see a DOCTOR for my medical and they don't have one on Wed, but i had one of these in 1999 and lost my Incapacity Benefit so I appealed and..... WON!!! The tribunal board did not have a clue about my HNPP so they advised me to go away and gather some info about it which I did from my Consultsant a Dr Bajalan, he confirmed I fell into one of the EXEMPTIONS on the form, so I got it back and all the money I had lost too. This one may be harder this time so thank you everyone for the advice on how to answer their questions! I have not worked since 1994 and like many of us it is because I can't not that I don't want to, but me and my husband have said that if they decide I am not entitled to it then I want that GP to sign that I am "Fit for work" then when I have an accident within the work place I will SUE that GP for every penny! the trouble is that a GP does NOT understand how dibilitating our condition is and most of them don't even want to know. these doctors at these medical won't be specialized in HNPP but my god they will let you think they are! Good Luck to everyone who has to have a medical and fingers crossed eh! even though most of us can't even manage that! Has anyone had their resuylts from the medical yet? If so how long was it after your medical did you find out?
hi pam49 i`m sue (williamalfred),i`m really a woman, use my dad`s names as he un fortunately passed away last year. I was diagnosed in 1991 with cmt and also fnished work in 1994, i`ve never had an interview before for incapacity benefit until david cameron decided to bring this back-to-work scheme, get people off benefit doesn`t matter if you`re disabled anymore, had my interview/medial on 18th june still waiting to hea, if you have to go for an interview take someone in with you don`t drive yourself because they`ll be watching you all the way to the door. The doctor i saw said he knew about cmt, as my daughter gave him some info on the subject, he wasn`t very pleased with that so we took it back home. asked me if i could use a computer, i said NO,can i text use a mobile i said in emergencies you have to be careful with your aswers because they`re very canny these doctors (i don`t mean cute) good luck.
Hi Sue
Thanks for your reply. Guess what? My medical was cancelled by the Powers that Be as they said that DWP want me to see a Doctor not the nurse, so after getting all worked up and getting myself sorted for the barrage of questions it was a NO GO! Fortunately my incapacity benefit was not stopped because THEY cancelled and not me. I am now waiting for another brown envelope to drop through my door to inform me of the next appointment (not that the doctor there will know anything about HNPP!) My own GP on Thursday did not even know about it and he has been giving me pain killers for over 13yrs! He wanted me to give HIM info on it and then he would refer me to a neurologist as I haven't seen one for 13yrs and according to info from CMT we are supposed to see one at LEAST once a year! So what hope have any of us got at these medicals when the people in front of us do not even know what we have and how it affects our day to day life? Its utterly pathetic and a genuine medical proffessional who would understand what we go through has neither the time nor the audacity to sit us through one of these government atrocities! What we all need is someone who suffers like us all to be sitting the other side of the table!
Has anyone yet had the results of their medical? If so how long did it take for the results and what did they ask and do? Don't forget too if all else fails APPEAL APPEAL APPEAL!!!
It's approximately 8 weeks since my medical for ESA. I have CMT1a, sleep apnoea, prolapsed disc in spine, restless leg syndrome and to cap it all endogenous depression. My initial medical was cancelled due to needing a doctor - I was actually sat in the waiting room when they cancelled. The 2nd appointment was cancelled by them as the doctor was running behind!
When I eventually got to the medical, the doctor was pleasant enough but I did find the examination painful. I live alone and rely on benefits and am petrified of being turned down.
I worked for the DWP myself for 14 years until I was dismissed on health grounds (likely sleep apnoea, which hadn't been diagnosed at the time). I know how long these things can take and I don't think I could survive on a reduced or nil rate whilst awaiting outcome of appeal.
It would be very interesting to know if anybody here has actually been successful in their application.
I'll keep you posted on my progress, glad to have found this site though, my GP and my consultant are a little dismissive of my problems coping, I could do with some good news for once.
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