No getting esa after all!

[bluejeans16]

I wrote a post on here a while ago saying I had been given an esa payment when I had been put on jsa. I have now found out why! I went to the jobcentre today and I was told it was back dated from 2012 when I did start to claim income support. Turns out it they had underpaid me. I was asked at the jobcentre why I only claimed income support for a few weeks. I said it was because I had been told that I was only able to get it if I gave up working for myself and stopped doing my voluntary work. I was told by the job centre that was wrong. Why do some people who should know what they are talking know absolutely nothing.

[rosewine]

Yes I agree with you about the so called experts. I think in their defence this ESA was rushed in and if it was anything like when Pension Credit came in they all had inadequate training I know then that the people on the call line had never had any benefit background at all and were advising from a script on a screen so if anyone asked them anything that was not in the script they were totally at a loss.

Glad you have at least got it sorted. x

[bluejeans16 in reply to rosewine]

hi rosewine. I was talking about the income support that had been around for years.

[rosewine in reply to bluejeans16]

Sorry misunderstood you. They had no excuse for getting Income Support wrong as has been going for so many years. I dread to think what a mess they are going to make of this supposed Universal Credit if they decide to wheel it in all over the country I hope they give it more thought than PIP and ESA.x

[pinkgin64]

It's a crazy system. I had always worked and since I became unwell approx five years ago had no experience with our benefits system bar paying into it. I have found it the most degrading system with regards to claiming support when having no other choice. Having to go for medicals with people who know little about the conditions and being told I'm fit for work when the medical laid me out for three days. I appealed and won after the best part of a year was taken for them to reverse their decision. However, when they put me back on ESA there were so many hoops to jump through and I was struggling to keep up with my home life let alone anything else. Eventually it came out that they had reversed their decision but had put me in the wrong group and had been underpaying me. It was put right but again took some time before it was actioned. It wasn't until I was on a pain management programme that I discovered that I was eligible to claim PIP. I find it amazing that information isn't readily available to people. It was thanks to NeuroSupport at The Walton Centre in Liverpool that I was put fully in the picture and told my rights.

I think that there are too many people who experience problems such we have and with stress being the biggest trigger it certainly doesn't help the Fibro patient.

I quite enjoyed my little sound off! Better out than in

[Hidden in reply to pinkgin64]

Always better out.

[pinkgin64 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Mayrose

[bluejeans16 in reply to pinkgin64]

I have been told how strict the new system is and I don't think I will qualify for esa. i thought you got a sick note from the dr and took it to dss (same as income support) I have been told about the medical assesments you have to do to get esa. As I have ME not fibro I am not ill all the time.

[Victoriakelly21 in reply to bluejeans16]

I sent my sick notes off and received esa. I've been told I'll have to attend an assessment but so far I haven't had to, 2 month into my sickness leave

[bluejeans16 in reply to Victoriakelly21]

Hi I am going to claim jsa for now and see how I get on. I may be able to get a paid job at the charity shop where I do my voluntary work soon. It is only 1 or 2 day a week but at least they know about my illnesses at the shop and i have been doing the job unpaid for ages. So at least I know what i am doing.

[TheAuthor]

Hi bluejeans16

I am so very sorry to read that you are not getting ESA after all. It may well be worth you trying to claim PIP? I have pasted you a link below to the GOV.UK how to claim PIP pages:

How To Claim PIP

gov.uk/pip/how-to-claim

I want to wish you all the bets of luck

Ken x

[bluejeans16 in reply to TheAuthor]

Thanks Ken! I will check it out