Any advice about making a claim for ESA please?

[Amb43]

[winey]

Hello, its me again. :). go to job center or phone job center and they should be able to direct you hun. you will have to send in sick notes from the doctor until you have seen atos, they now do the medicals in this country. they will then decide what programme to send you on. once this is done you don't have to hand in sick notes. hope this is helpful. xxx

[Amb43 in reply to winey]

Thank you winey, how are you doing? xx

[EJT01]

New claims number is 0800 055 6688.

You should have details of you bank account, National Insurance Number, (NiNo) details of your previous employer with you when you call. You will then be paid £71.70 per wk for the 1st 13 wks, this is called the assessment phase. During this time you will be sent a form called an ESA50, which asked you about your physical & mental health. Try to write as much as possible & attach any medical reports you have. Remember to put you NiNo on attached letters. Then you will be asked to attend a medical. You will then be told if you qualify & which out of the two groups you will be placed in. If you are not happy with the decision you have one mth from the date if the decision letter to appeal. If you appeal you will need to send in a new medical certificate & will continue to be paid £71.70.

Good luck

[Amb43]

Thanks so much guys x Any further advice on what to put about illness? Just Endometriosis? I have heard that it is not recognised and accepted as an illness? I just want to get everything right on the first contact with ESA, you know, stress how debilitating it is. x

[EJT01]

I always tell my client to tell the truth. One needs to be awarded 15 points to qualify for ESA. The descriptors are based around what you can & can't do, rather than ones illness. For example, one question is about standing or sitting at a work station for a period of time. There are different points awarded for how long one can do this for. The best thing is to demonstrate what the problem by explaining why you cant do it, rather than just saying you can't. As I don't know how much our diagnosis effects you, I can't advise you what to write. You could google the descriptors, so you know how many points are awarded for each question. Hope this is helpful.

[Amb43 in reply to EJT01]

Thanks very much EJT01, after reading your comment, thanks for taking the time, I am more relieved that it's based around physical capabilities, as that is a big issue for me, I am almost bed ridden, have only left the house about 6 times since Christmas and that was for Doctors or Hospital appointments. I am unable to sit/stand/lay/move about for long so can only just about get myself washed and dressed (taking a bath is a marathon that needs a dose of Morphine beforehand), make a hot drink, make a quick microwave meal. I am relying on my angel of a Mum (who lives a 20 mile round trip from me) and my 21 year old son who works part time needs more of a life than taking care of my every need.

So thanks again, good to hear that I will not be assessed purely on the word "Endometriosis".

[EJT01 in reply to Amb43]

Unfortunately, a lot of people are found fit by the process. I can't stress enough how important it is to appeal if this happens to you. If you don't fit any of the descriptors there is always Regulation 29, which states something like, that though one doesn't fit the descriptors, it would be detrimental to ones health if they were to seek employment. I work at the Citizens Advice Bureau & am always helping people with their ESA appeals, 9 times out of 10 they win ??.

[EJT01 in reply to EJT01]

The ?? Was supposed to be a smiley face with its tongue out, lol

[Amb43 in reply to EJT01]

Thank you so much, and for the smiley, lol .

Do you have any idea how long after the application is made that you will receive any money? Do you have to have had the interview before any chance of getting paid. My SSP finishes tomorrow and thereafter I will have NO income, my son will be paying rent, bills, food shopping etc., on his £105 per week. I am already owing my landlord £700. and I am minus £300 in the bank and cannot extend my overdraft anymore.

[EJT01 in reply to Amb43]

A couple of wks. Claim Housing & Council Tax Benefit.

[Amb43 in reply to EJT01]

Thanks, I am already on Housing and Council Tax Benefits, and they are rubbish when it comes to implementing any changes, so won't hold my breath there. Thanks so much for all your help and advice xx

[winey]

Hello Amb43, I'm fine thankyou. I'm abit sad after reading your post, I hate what this condition does to us women. I have only been this bad for 2 yrs and now i'm taking the zoladex i'm feeling much happier. I wish there was a cure so us women can have our lives back. I never realised how bad the pain got until i read this post. OMG your on morphine wow i never realised they perscribed that. Surely your doctor can send you back to the gyne? Have you sort out a specialist gyne in your area?

Please feel free to messege me anytime you want to rant. And i hope u get on ok with ESA. Ive just been put in the ragg group which is great as im studying to become a counsellor/psychotherapist. I figured if i cant be in retail anymore because of this condition then i will change my carrer, i'm told the ragg group is good if you can try to work. but like EJT10 said. Follow his advice. And @ EJT10 its nice to see some people care enough to help people that need.

xxx

[vickiesouthampton]

ESA TRIBUNAL TOMORROW!!!!!!

Hi ya girls I too have had problems with ESA. I know exactly how you feel about being bed ridden the majority of the time & I'm on Oramorph, Zomorph, Mebevarine, buscoapn, Gabapentin & Ibruprofen plus marena coil, I came off Zoladex 2 months ago after being on it & has now stopped it even though it was helping. My partner had to give up work in march 2010 (he was a self employed carpenter he loved his job), but unfortunately I got to the stage that I was passing out with the pain one day passed out & hit my head off our cooker & ended up with black eye & swollen & bruised all down one side of my face another day our 2 year old daughter got out front door & was wondering around on the road while I was out of it (thank god for a neighbor who brought her home) frightened the life out of me what could of happened. My pain was just too bad I couldn't do anything without being doubled over in pain. We lived on my partners savings for the first year but lets face it, it only lasts so long & the debts were building up. We eventually tried for ESA & was awarded it & everything was fine until sept 2012 when I had my capability for work medical assessment. The points system they use I was awarded 0 points (which alot of us with endo score because they don't take into account the way pain affects our lives) as I was having a "good day" when I went, even though I was wincing in pain the hole time I was there I only managed to get out of the chair as it had arms on it that I pulled myself up with, I couldn't bend far without pain & in her report she mentions the fact I was in pain throughout the interview, when I went into the waiting room after to wait for her to photocopy my medical reports I couldn't even sit down due to the pain, I just about made it to the car & driving home my partner had to drop me home before going to pick the kids up as the pain was making me feel very sick & I ended up vomiting & I was exhausted & i agony for 3 days afterwards just for going to a medical.

If I had been having a "bad day" then there is no way at all that I would of even made it to the appointment in the first place. She took everything I said in the wrong way, like the fact I said I couldn't get to sleep til about 5 every morning due to the pain & being unable to get comfortable then my partner will wake me about 8 (if I'm not still awake) to give me my pain meds (I too am on morphine amoungst others) then due to the drugs I fall back asleep til about lunch time, but in her report she just made it sound like I just stayed up all night then just slept til lunchtime then laid in bed or on the sofa for the fun of it.

Most of the time I am doubled over with the pain & only go out to go to hosp or gp I even missed my daughters first day at school due to pain, my partner gets our 3 kids up & too school if it was down to me none of them would get to school.

After my medical the woman deemed I was fit for work, which makes me laugh as most women with severe endo symptoms say if these people could spend a day in our shoes they would know damn well that we cant work, let alone who the hell would employ us? I know if I was an employer I wouldn't employ someone who you couldn't rely on to be at work or if they do turn up to work they could be doubled over in pain anytime & have to go home.

I cannot emphasis enough how important it is to appeal against these decisions as the more of us that stand up to it the closer we will get to getting endometriosis recognized as a genuine illness & they will start taking notice of pain & how much pain effects every aspect of our lives.

I appealed against my decision & they denied the appeal so I am now going to tribunal which I have tomorrow, our wonderful M.P has helped me fight it all the way through but unfortunately I have nobody there to represent me on the actual day so its just me against the board, as far as I am aware its meant to be an independent Health care provider plus a sort of judge & me, to say I'm (excuse my french) s***ing myself would be an understatement, I'm dreading being in so much pain that I won't get my head around what they are saying & will say something wrong but on the other hand I know the ins & outs of my pain better than anyone else, plus they will be able to see how much pain I'm in & just how much movement I do have & what I struggle with.

I wish you all good luck with your claims & remember we deserve this help after all, we would work if we could, none of us want to live this life, I would do anything to have my old life back instead of this so called life that when I do walk anywhere old ladies walk faster than me & overtake me lol

Love & hugs to you all & your not alone xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx