ESA

Hello - I have been chronically sick for over seven years and have seen specialists to try to find hope - I have fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, migraines, depression and anxiety, bone-thinning, IBS, and back damage due to an industrial accident over 10 years ago. I'm nearly 55 years old and have had 0 points awarded after a recent ATOS assessment and my benefits have been stopped. Help someone - I am suicidal. I used to work until I had a nervous breakdown and now I have no benefits, am single, on my own and live in rented accommodation! What should I do?

9 Replies

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  • Please contact the citizens advice beurow, sorry cant spell it.

    They will help you to appeal and hopfully sort out some money for you I wish you the best hugs sue

    there are people on this site who will possibly be able to give you even more help but for now try the CAB

  • Hello Lotusblossom1,

    So sorry you're experiencing such issues with your benefit claim, I can provide you with some information that may help please email me info@fibroaction.org

    As Mayrose mentions you can speak to your local Citizen Advice Bureau (CAB) for help and I wondered if you may like to find out if you have an Advcacy services near you usually associated with MIND. Here's some information;

    healthunlocked.com/fibroact...

    You mention this situation is making you feel distressed so I think if you have this outside support this will help you to deal with the claim more easily, as is sounds like you need to appeal this decision. If you are depressed you should consider speaking with your GP about the best treatment plan.

    If you need to get things off your chest we are here & will try to help you the best we can. If you feel extremely distressed at anytime please phone the samaritans, make an emergency appointment with your GP, ring 111 (if our of hours) for advice or if needing immediate help from Healthcare Professionals go to your local A&E. Out of genuine concern here is the Samaritans number below, it is a very good service who will listen & they are available 24/7;

    08457 909090

    samaritans.org/

    I look forward to you email as many have found the information we provide of help

    Best Wishes

    Emma :)

    FibroAction Administrator

  • Hello Lotusblossom

    I am so sorry to read of your distressing situation, I thought I would say Hi and if you need some one to chat to

    we are "usually" here 24/7. It helps to know you are not alone when times are so hard. Have you spoken to CAB were they able to help? Do let us know how you get on .

    Best wishes

    Gins

  • Oh dear lotusblossom, I am so sorry to hear you sounding so desperate, your pain jumps of the page to me. Mdaisy, gins and sue have all give you very good advice and I would join Mdaisy in asking you to contact your GP urgently to get a referral to the Crisis mental health team, also to contact the Samaritans if you are feeling suicidal.

    On the money front, yes you can appeal for ESA

    and I think they do pay you if you are in huge process of appeal, but I may be wrong. There are also charities that you can ask for help, I would urge you to look at turn2us.org.uk where they can point you to where you may be eligible for help.

    Do let us know how you get on, you have made a good call coming here for advice and support and we are here and do care, so keep in touch.

    Sending lots of positive healing vibes your way :-)

    Foggy x

  • Hi lotusblossom1

    I sincerely hope that you are feeling as well as you possibly can be today? I am so sorry to read of the suffering and horrendous time that you have been having and I genuinely hope that you can find some resolution and relief to these issues.

    I genuinely want to wish you all the best of luck and please contact Mdaisy (site admin) and get some support and help with your claim. If you ever need a friend then please do not hesitate to contact either myself or somebody on the forum. We are always here to help.

    All my hopes and dreams for you

    Ken x

  • Dear Lotusblossom1,

    So sorry to hear of this worrying time. Like you, I also suffer from all the ailments you describe (and a few more) but none of these made any difference to my ATOS assessment. However, after discussing an appeal with both the C.A.B. office and my GP, both recommended that on the appeal I supply evidence of depression and 'mental' difficulties. I actually won my appeal (!!!), with points awarded on the fact that I find it impossible to travel to unknown places without help and that the depression caused withdrawal and the inability to make decisions. I was advised to 'beef up' the symptoms and describe what they were like on the worst days (if you think you have more 'good' days than 'bad' they will reject your appeal) so, regrettably, it is better for your cause if you lay the negative information on with a trowel. I hope this makes sense to you as I'm having a foggy day and not feeling particularly articulate. :-p Good luck with your appeal and believe that you will have a positive outcome because it does sometimes happen. :-) xx

  • Where are you from? I'm from the US, so I would like to offer help if I can.

  • So sorry to hear about your problems with ATOS and your ESA claim. Please stay strong and do as the others have suggested and speak to CAB. I too got 0 points at an ATOS medical. I appealed and got put into the support group. My benefits were cut, but after the Tribunal I received back payments totalling £1900!!

    So please, please do fight this decision, and take good care of yourself

  • My position is very like your post, I won my appeal, the decision was I should not be contacted until at least 1917 but now have a letter saying I have to attend a medical in two weeks time, I can't cope through this process again, have you come across this problem before. Please god I need help

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