my incapacity is changing to ESA - Fibromyalgia Acti...

Fibromyalgia Action UK

59,448 members66,494 posts

my incapacity is changing to ESA

22 Replies

i currently receive incapacity benefit .today i revived a letter from jobcentre and saying.

we will telephone you soon to talk about how this change will effect you .we will send you a questionnaire to complete with details of your illness or disability .this questionnaire is called limited capability for work.

my question is do they call to every one before sending form to ?

is any one know about it ?could you please let me know what they what me to Ask?

thanks very much

Edited by Admin This member has left the community, therefore replies to this post are switched off :)

The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.

22 Replies
ellie172825 profile image
ellie172825

I received 2 phone calls, no medical and no visiting Doctor.:) :)

in reply to ellie172825

thanks

Tannels profile image
Tannels

initially they phoned me and asked a few questions about my health and how it affected me daily. Some claimants do not have to attend a medical some do. It's a game of chess. I submitted my form in December, due to the change from IB to ESA. They finally phoned me in March to arrange a medical. I had been on IB for several years and was a little concerned. I took my husband with me and insisted that the medical was recorded. During the interview they could see that I was unable to have a physical examination and accepted that. I have just received news finally that I have been put in the support group.

Try not to worry too much. x

in reply to Tannels

thanks

Idaho profile image
Idaho

I filled in the form ,then got a call to say I did,nt need a medical ,they could tell by what I wrote that I was incapable for work. What worries me is that I,m told you only have E SA for a year and then if you have sufficient savings it stops. I,t,s so unfair when my hubby retired he got a private pension and a small lump sum. Which we invested in the hope of gaining extra funds to be able to afford a decent bungalow , our savings end next year after a 5 year period guess the bungalow will be out of the window. And because of the way our staircase is situated I,ve no chance of a stairlift . God knows how I will manage as my disabledment gets worse I struggle with walking let alone the stairs ,they cripple me. Well moaning over for today lol. Take care all .

in reply to Idaho

thanks

Hi

It's standard baloney from the DWP, the process will rumble on whether you decide to answer the phone call or not, it's your choice. The phone call is merely a formality, they will ask you if you understand what is going on, whether you have any questions etc and to expect the ESA form sometime in the next couple of weeks.

The form will arrive, you will have a month to complete it and send it in. After that they might ask you to attend a medical or they might have enough information from the form and your GP, if they ask him or her to make a decision about whether you can get put in the WRAG or support group. Or if they call you in for a medical they can decide you are fit for work and will then put you on Jobseekers allowance.

Try and fill out the form as well as you can, if you need any help ask admin on here for the benefits and work guides which are free. I used them and found them invaluable.

in reply to

thanks very much dear Silverstar could you please tell me how can i access to admin? do they fill the form on the phone?

many thanks darling

Hi

Sorry hun I honestly don't know about admin but I have seen other people mentioning them, perhaps someone else could help you there. I joined the benefits and Work website when I got my ESA form last July and I spent about £15 for membership which lasts a year, It was worth every penny because I went into the support group without needing a medical in January 2013.

I am convinced this would not have happened without the B&W guides that I used. But there is plenty of free internet help out there and the B&W website does have some guides that you can access for free. I also found a site called the full facts which has loads of help and advice on filling out the forms.

Simply put the more information and facts about your illness and how it affects you on a daily basis, if you take your worst day scenario. The more information you include and the more supporting evidence you can provide, from either a doctor or even from someone who knows you well and sees how you struggle on a regular basis will really help.

Good luck and hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will point you in the direction of admin.

jayjayboy profile image
jayjayboy

I didnt receive a telephone call. I received the letter you are talking about, then a few weeks later I received the form to complete, As previously said it has to be sent back within a month. It took me 3 weeks to fill the form in and I also joined the benefit for work site,it cost me £20, But it is very helpful. I didnt get a medical, and was put into the Wrag group, but I am appealing this to be put into the support group. And I am also in the Wrag contributory so my money also stops after 365 days,although the lady at the job centre said not to worry as she would help me fill in the forms 2 months before the 365 days are up as I am on my own with no savings.

in reply to jayjayboy

thanks very much for your useful information take car darling.

cjw064 profile image
cjw064

When you get the ESA50 medical Questionnaire firstly send as much medical evidence in as you can to support your illness. If your called for a medical take the evidence with you and give it to the Dr or Nurse...

Hope that helps ...

Liam Carter

Senior Case Manager

My Benefit Claim

in reply to cjw064

thanks very much for information.

today i received phone call from Job Center someone asked my details and she said she would send me a form . honestly I have my heart in my mouth from beginning to end

cjw064 profile image
cjw064

Try not to worry too much you have plenty of time to get the form back, just take your time, provide as much information as you can continue on a separate piece of paper if need be with the question number.. REMEMBER!!!! Photocopy the ESA50 and any documents and evidence before you send it back to ATOS... if you need any help please do not hesitate to pm me :)

Liam Carter

Senior Case Manager

My Benefit Claim

in reply to cjw064

thanks very much

cjw064 profile image
cjw064

your very welcome

Tusk profile image
Tusk

Hi I received my form but did not get a phone call. Like others I filled it in and then sent it via recorded delivery in an A4 envelope, theirs was just too small to fit all the documents in. I put as much as I could on the form about how my illnesses affect me daily and explained only BAD days. I sent loads of paperwork with it, all my hospital letters etc and I photocopied everything. It is best not to tick 'it varies' boxes as you will get no points for that I am told. I done a rough copy on A4 paper and then filled it in as it took ages and there were a lot of scribbles and additions etc, more work for you but worth it to get it right. I was retired on the grounds of ill health from my job by a highly qualified occupational physician and enclosed his reports and told them that unless they could find someone more qualified than him then I cannot see how they can argue with that and if they do I will appeal. I am not holding my breathe as I have heard and read all the horrific stories but I done my best and you will do too. I think in some cases it is a game of put 1 through for benefit and the next 4 throw out or so it seems so no matter how much evidence etc they have you will not always get the result you should. However, you must fill it in as best as you possibly can with as much evidence as you can to support your claim. I did use the Benefits and Work website quite a lot too. I sent my form back 3 wks ago but haven't heard anything back as yet. I wish you all the luck in the world and hope you are one of those successful claimants.

Tusk

in reply to Tusk

thanks very much for yours useful information

sylviajones profile image
sylviajones

i have just recieved a letter from the job centre and i have now been put on a benefit called employment and support allowance as i have been on esa for 365 days, and am no longer intittled to esa.. i have had a life line put in now and wear a n alarm button around my neck, and this morning i have an interview with job centre about working and getting about. but have told them i need some one with me and they don,t seem to understand why but i have this terrible fear of falling last month i fell in my kitchen and was on the the floor for 2 days. but now i have some way of getting some help.

lia144 profile image
lia144

I had this, when my form came i went to Disability Advice and Information Network, Southampon, for help with the form. The lady said you need fifteen points to qualify, but it really is most important to have help filling in the form, these people know and understand exactly how to break down the questions so you provide al the info they need to have and in the way it needs to be expressed. Doing it this way meant that how i answered raised my score to fifteen several times not just once but several times over! All the best with filling in your form. love always Lia144 xxx

in reply to lia144

thanks darling

michaelb62 profile image
michaelb62

I had a phone call just asking if i had received the letter (waste of money) i have filled the booklet in back in September last year still waiting to hear about when the medical is. Stressing over it! I had one of these medicals a couple of year ago which i was told it was to change me from incapacity to ESA but my bank statements continued to say incapacity but at that medical the letter they sent me said i was incapable of work until 2015 so not sure why the forms were sent but i filled them in and sent them anyway. A friend of mine had her first medical in a very very long time last year and was told on the day that she was incapable of work. The irony is she hadn't visited the dr's in ages until she had the letter then when she had the medical she got out hand braces which she never wears as she does scrapbooking classes her biggest problem is being overweight which is really affecting her health. couldn't believe she was told the same day though that she was not going to lose her benefit and the medical fell just right as she was flying to Australia on the Monday as the medical was on the friday!

The ability to reply to this post has been turned off.

You may also like...

Had my medical for moving to ESA from Incapacity Benefit :-(

Well the lady seemed very nice but who knows what will happen, my husband is loosing his ESA (bad...

INCAPACITY TO ESA I AM CONFUSED

any letters or telephone calls explaining anything. I called the jobcentre plus and was told they...

Esa messed with my head

I get a call regarding WRAG and I told them I was in support group. After a lengthy phone call they...

My ESA Medical Results :(

It is with sad regret that the DWP have called me a knackered old fart and as such have put me in...

Will miss my ESA appeal