More a statement than a question

[lemonzilla]

just had to complete another form from ATOS after being told that I would not be asked to attend another face to face assessment due to the effect the last one had on me.. I now no longer have a support worker (she attended the last one with me, and was able to explain my MH condition to the assessment nurse when I became distressed and unable to communicate. am now terrified that I will be called for another assessment, and the same thing will happen. I am doing better mentally, but I struggle when I feel that I am under pressure to 'perform' and SO tored of trying to explain both my fibro and MH condition to people who don't accept them as real

[TheAuthor]

Hi lemonzilla

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today? I am so sorry to read that you are having these problems.

I was wondering if you had anybody else that you could ask to help you? Do you have a psychotherapist who could go with you? If you do not have anybody, what about ringing Social Services and asking them? I know that you would have to explain everything to them but it would probably be better doing it this way than trying to explain for yourself at an assessment?

I sincerely hope that you can find somebody to help alleviate your problem with you. Please keep in touch and let us all know how you get on.

Ken

[Beth1471]

These people are relentless. I was on ESA then they stopped it because I was in receipt of a company pension. My income dropped by £500 per month. I am surviving on my pension only as I do not qualify for my state pension until January 2015. Not being in receipt of benefits I had mixed feelings about, having to tighten my belt quite a bit and worrying in general about finance issues. Then out of the blue I get a request for me to attend a medical with ATOS. I was furious to think they have now called me in for a further medical even though I was no longer in receipt of benefits. I responded to them and vented my spleen in the process. I had no letter of apology, just my P45 sent back to me in the post. What this Government has done to the Benefit system is criminal. Leaving the people who are genuinely ill to fend for themselves while those milking the system get away with it.

[Jeff1958 in reply to Beth1471]

This government are scum , and they take off their disabled and brag what they are giving in aid , and when some country does the same they shout human rights abuses , kettle calling frying pan .

[TheAuthor in reply to Beth1471]

Hi Beth1471

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today? I am so sorry to read that you are suffering financial problems due to the loss of your ESA.

I was wondering if you have tried to claim Income Support as a replacement benefit? I understand that you are in receipt a private pension but if you fall under the government threshold then you would qualify for Income Support.

I have pasted the telephone number and claim page for Income Support.

Telephone: [phone]

gov.uk/income-support/how-t...

I genuinely want to wish you well with this and I sincerely hope that you can find some resolution and relief to this issue.

Ken x

[Beth1471 in reply to TheAuthor]

Thanks Ken, when I turned 60 in 2012 I had no idea that my company pension would give me the option of a lump sum payment. Then I got a letter giving me the option to have a lump sum on my 60th birthday with a reduced pension monthly thereafter. I decided to take the lump sum as I needed to do lots of work on the house and garden and thought it would help me considerably. When I got the pay out I contacted the DWP immediately sending them a copy of the letter stating what money I would be getting. I have spent a considerable amount of this pay out on my home, having essentials done like windows and doors as my previous ones were old and double glazing blown. I also used it for other things like having some nuisance conifers removed then decking where they were to hide the stumps, not seeing any of it for me to enjoy, no holidays or expensive jewellery. I thought I was being sensible getting these things done before I get too old to deal with them. Then in November 2013 I got a letter saying that as I had a lump sum payment in 2012 I come under the income related side of ESA not contribution side of it so therefore I am no longer entitled to benefit. That finished at the end of November. I have some money left over which will finance me just about until I qualify for my state pension but will have nothing left as a cushion for emergencies. When you live on your own and own your property, you have to have some such money available for an emergency fund. I have no regrets on getting the work done I needed to but just think its so unfair to be penalised when I have worked full time for over 30 years and other people have never worked yet get everything.

[fibro in reply to TheAuthor]

Oops sorry ken, i just posted about income support without reading your post xx

[TheAuthor in reply to fibro]

Hi Foggy

It just proves that great minds think alike!

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today?

Ken x

[TheAuthor in reply to fibro]

Sorry about giving you the wrong name! That's four times today! I am having a real fibro fog day I think

So sorry

Ken x

[fibro in reply to Beth1471]

It is true that a personal pension effects ESA but i was under the understanding that you are entitled to £85 of the pension per week and ESA is reduced by 50% of the remainder. If you still need credits towards your state pension you will have to endure the same awful rules as anyone else in receipt of ESA. If your ESA is stopped all together, even though you are in receipt of a personal pension, you my still be entitled to what was Income support. I hope you manage to get something sorted. Xx

[Beth1471 in reply to fibro]

Thanks but I am not going back down that road, for the first time I feel like I have been released from the chains that are the benefits system. I have worked out that I can afford to self finance for the ten months to my state pension, I am better off that some people but was just venting my opinions as I am not happy with the way the benefit system still pays out to those to are able to afford to smoke and buy alcohol and make out they are hard done by. I have been into the State Pension website and I have adequate contributions for my old aged pension. You have to have 30 years or more contributions and I have that so I am not too worried about this. Thanks for your support everyone. This is such a lovely place to be.

[fibro in reply to Beth1471]

I really do understand where you are coming from, but by not caimimg what you are entitled to makes it much harder on everyone who wishes to caim as basically the system looks at the numbers claiming and says how well they have done to reduce the figures..... All their 'hard work' is working and aying off.... When really the statistics are not correct, you and i guess others are backing own and not claiming what should bpe righfully theirs!

The only way to change the system is for everyone to continue claiming to show the whole country what the true picture is.

The more who back down the more claims they will turn down!

I can't tell you what you should do, however if you were on income based ESA and not contributory based and you were given a lump sum payment, then depending on the amount, they were right, it is correct that you wouldn't have been entitled to claim.

[mgclassic in reply to Beth1471]

Hi Beth I have a freind who's just got pension credit's its extra money you could be intitled to, I didn't know this exsited don't know owt about it but worth looking into. MG

[Beth1471 in reply to mgclassic]

Hello MG, nice to meet you. I am not quite old enough to get pension credits. They changed the birth dates for when you are eligible to claim State Pension and instead of it being 60 years old like it was, I have to be 62 years 4 months and so many days so I qualify for my pension on 6 January 2015. I have a bottle of champers (cheapy from Aldi) ready and waiting for that date to come. I'm not worried, I just think the system is so unfair.

[mgclassic in reply to Beth1471]

I totally agree with what you are saying, I've to go for a medical a week today getting myself in a right state. They don't give a damn it's all number crunching to them, they are not worried if they wreck peoples lives.The ironic thing is those who scrounge and abuse the system, will beat it how ever complicated or hard the forms and medicals are. At the end of the day they are con artist. The people that are suffering are the genuine people who are really i'll, but are now being persecuted. Something needs to be done, the goverment should be ashamed. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody took it to the european courts , that it was a breach on your human rights MG

[Beth1471 in reply to mgclassic]

I totally agree, had I had enough stamina, I would have tried to get my MP to go to Europe about this. They talk about the prisoners on whole life sentences being treated inhumanely but they took some persons life away from them. We are struggling here to be heard, this government should all be charged with something, especially those poor unfortunates who have lost their lives being found fit for work and then dying shortly after.

[Jeff1958]

Record the interview , because they change what you have said , and good luck .

[solowheelie]

i have recently been told that mind can put people in contact with advocates who can go to any meetings, assessments, courts with you. My son is currently investigating this

[TheAuthor in reply to solowheelie]

Ho solowheelie

I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you can be today? Thank you so much for this, I was wondering if you could please keep me up to date with this, as it would come in very useful for many members on the forum.

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you very much.

Ken

[fenbadger in reply to solowheelie]

I hope my info is still up to date: You used to be able to take a "MacKenzie friend" to court. Anyone could do it no qualifications needed, but experience clearly helps. not sure what you said is confined to MIND and related areas.

[TheAuthor in reply to fenbadger]

Thank you for this my friend. I think it is an area that I will have to look into.

Take care and thank you

Ken

[lemonzilla]

Thank you all for your replies and support.. I'm just trying to keep it together and stay calm

[Beth1471 in reply to lemonzilla]

Yes please try to be calm about it. Easier said than done I know but the more you work yourself up the worse you feel.

[fenbadger in reply to lemonzilla]

Keep calm and carry on. Yes easier said than done but it does pay dividends. If you look calm no matter how you feel inside it helps

[booohooo]

Yea ditto booohooo