ESA

[My-chinaman]

Yey I got the brown envelope and very reluctant to open it but good news i could cry maybe i will (a little) ...I have at last been moved into the support group ...So happy now i don't need any jobseekers appointments 😊

[Robbie138]

Great news really happy for you xx

[Hidden]

Very pleased for you - have your little cry it must be such a relief for you .

Jacqueline x

[jb007]

Great News , Relax now lol I just got my PIP Award cant believe it

[Fiz16 in reply to jb007]

Hiya..ive applied for pip not just for fibro but other health issues as well ..was it difficult ??? Ive been told the assesment is intense and they grill u ..😕😕😕cnt cope with that kinda stres on top of everythin else ...any advice wud b gr8tly appreciated!

[My-chinaman in reply to Fiz16]

Depends where you live my assessor was really nice all i had to tell him was about my daily problems and how fibromyalgia affects my health i went to talk about my other problems but he said he didn't need to know as i got the points i needed also go in with an aid walking stick or crutch as that will show you can't walk without also say you can't walk far because you get out of breath ok good luck with it ...I myself ain't getting pip as it's not fair at the moment on disabled people so waiting to see what the government do xx

[jb007 in reply to Fiz16]

I didnt have a lot of extra paper work ect my assessor was not very nice or helpful at all , He didnt want me to get anything i had a copy of his report. So i did a letter of my own and my Doctor did one also and all his decisions were over turned , Yes it is stressfull and i had to wait for my answer a long time , i sent my form back in December last year the 22nd so it took a long time also but i wasnt going to give in as i knew i was in the right and he was wrong i would of taken it to an apeal if i had too.

[Fiz16 in reply to jb007]

Good on u ..ive bm off sick from wrk since jan hv bn told ive nt enuf contributions for esa and cant claim income related as me n my partner hv too much money coming in??? ...as i only work 16 hrs i didnt qualify for ssp ..these benefits are so confusing 😕..ive just left it 2b honest i cnt b dealing with the stress...sent my pip form off and hoping its favourable even though its a long wait ...im hoping to go bk 2wrk soon as well but thats a long shot at the moment ...take care .

[My-chinaman in reply to Fiz16]

I'm the other way i wont touch pip as too much anxiety to even think of it

[Fiz16 in reply to My-chinaman]

I would not hv bothered but ive gt underlying other health issues and fibro...my medical history is all ova the place since 2013 so my benefit advisor said it was defo worth applying for ..ive gt chronic fatigue to contend with as well ..my rheaumatologist thought i was anaemic but bloods came bk normal...u jus hv to stay positive and think urself blessed to wake up each day even though its aches n pains...

Keep smiling 😊

[Jofullofiron in reply to Fiz16]

I worked 15hrs a week and didn't get anything but was told if work 16hrs or more your NI is paid and you should get SSP etc etc. I found out that I didn't have any ni for two years and my employer didn't see fit to tell me that 15hrs wouldn't get my NI contributions. Give the NI hotline a call and they will tell you if you are up to date.

[Fiz16 in reply to Jofullofiron]

hiya..2get esa contribution based u hv to be earning at least £112 per wk as well as n.i contributions but i didnt meet either critetia...i did get the jobcentre to look into my n.i record and defo not enuf contributions n ive been on 16hrs per week for ova 7 yrs ...

cheers for getting bk to me x

[My-chinaman in reply to jb007]

Good on you ...Just wish i knew everything 2 years ago 🙁

[Fieldbum78 in reply to jb007]

Hi did you have loads of paperwork to send in, as evidence to your claim. Like rhumetologist ect. Im just asking because ive only seen my doctor who diagnosed me.

Thank you

[My-chinaman in reply to Fieldbum78]

I took all the paperwork relevant to my illnesses but i didn't have to show him any other than my mental health one i took loads with me but the mental health one and evidence of fibromyalgia was enough for me is this your first one ??

[Fieldbum78 in reply to My-chinaman]

I havent claimed. I only got diagnosed 3mths ago. But ive had to give up work. I didnt think i would have any chance of claiming without seeing other specialists.😊

[My-chinaman in reply to Fieldbum78]

When i had my first one it was all rushed he didn't seem to care about anything ..I didn't have this forum to know what else i could of done for 2 years i was on the work one going to the JC every week really ill but managed to do maths and English course leaving every now and again as just couldn't sit for hours ...This time it was different you need to go looking ill with a walking stick or aid and say your tired all the time otherwise they will put it in the wrag side and it's not easy and they have changed hands now these ones are more thorough and understanding x

[ukmsmi4]

Wow, I can feel the relief from here. Great news, so glad that weight has been lifted off your shoulders.

Gentle hugs, Margaret.xxx 🤗🤗🤗

[My-chinaman in reply to ukmsmi4]

Thankyou yes ...no more stress from jobcentre visits at last

[Kitten-kat23]

Congratulations. I hope this helps you relax and feel more rested.

[My-chinaman in reply to Kitten-kat23]

Thankyou now hopefully my back pain will ease x.

[milo4]

Good news.

Now you can relax a bit, got mine Two weeks ago so know how you feel.

Trace xxx

[Janet28]

Well done My-chinaman that's brilliant news my friend, I'm so pleased for you xxx

[Babsull]

Brilliant news 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🤗

[TeddyC]

Congratulations, I hope you can now relax a little x

[bluebell99]

What a relief, know how you feel! Open a bottle of fizzy to celebrate, (even if it is only lemonade!)

[Silmarillion]

Good news

[rosewine]

Fantastic news it must be such a relief. Now rest and relax.x

[mr-jingles]

Well done you x

[My-chinaman]

Thankyou to everyone that sent me messages made me swell with happiness thankyou xx

[Hidden]

so pleased for you.a weight off your mind,

[TheAuthor]

Hi my friend

That is absolutely wonderful news and I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck.

All my hopes and dreams for you

Ken

[Jan101]

Great news for you. I am really happy 😊 for you. Take good care of yourself . Jan101 🤗🤗xxx

[Al10]

So pleased for you. I remember trying to cope with JC interviews and looking for jobs I had no chance of ever getting or keeping. It was wrecking my physical and mental health. It was as though they were dangling the normal life I wanted but had lost and that I still missed, only to be told I was only lacking because I wasn't trying hard enough. They tried to be nice in applying the rules but they had to motivate me too. 'Oh yes, absolutely Fibro is real, we know all about it, but you can still work and be independent if you have the right Positive Mental Attitude!'

They had no idea what jobs fibros can do, or retraining ideas, despite coaching many with the condition. No training courses, bar basic skills, and no money for private training.

You can still decide to work if the right job presented itself, this nonsense rhetoric that only the WRAG can go back to work is silly. The WRAG are subject to job seeking rules that exhaust and stress them. In Support you could dream up you ideal money maker and maybe do something one day. (I keep dreaming!) We are not lazy people, just on JSA and WRAG, it is impossible for many of us to cope.

[Wendylene]

Hi My-chinaman,

Hope u are as well as u can be.

Its gr8 news u have got into the support group.

Im having to go to a tribunal as they wanted me in the work related activity group.

I can hardly walk due to my ailments,and as im sure you'll understand the knock on effects pain has on our lives.

Ive always worked,but ive gotten steadily worse,these last 3 years.

I seem to get flare up after flare up.

My back is my worst problem,but i can say im in pain from head to toe everyday.

I got the high rate of PIP and am classed as severely disabled.

Yet here we are getting put through so much more stress.

Oh well,glad u managed to get urs changed.

Ive been told it ll be august time before my tribunal.

Hope you have a good weekend.

Wendy xx

[My-chinaman in reply to Wendylene]

Omg that is so bad i really get angry when i hear people like myself and you that have to be on that wrag its discusting that they have done this to you and have to put you in that group ..I was on wrag for 2 years and kept being told i would never get on the support group ( my work coach ) told me this ...Little did she know anyway good luck on your appeal and refuse to do anything you can't do. i did .After all you know your body .Take care xx

[Miss13]

Fantastic news so pleased for you xx

[clareboitelle]

Hello. Glad to read you got it. It's so stressful. Can I ask. I've just applied for ESA as I've not been working for the past year. They said over phone it can be backdated 3 months as long as I have sick note. ESA then wrote to me saying I'd not paid enough ni contributions so couldn't get anything. A day later another letter arrived saying "we have looked at this again" and said they will backdate it and payments will start but only until April!! Do I have to reapply again then in April? My sick note takes me to June 28!! I'm so confused and it takes hours getting through to them to discuss. Do you think I should apply for Pip too? What actually is Pip? Sorry for long message. 💛👼👼💛

[My-chinaman in reply to clareboitelle]

As far as i know you will get it backdated if you have sick notes for the dates they​ want ...ESA does mess us about they did me to start with ...Good luck with pip i wont do it while the government is messing about with it I'm waiting until they sort their heads out !! Janet can help you with any more questions as I'm not qualified I'm only telling you by my experience sorry x

[Nanny40]

Well done on winning, I lost so now appealing as the doc who assessed me wrote down the opposite to everything I said, I'm now back and fore signing on and having to go to work related meetings 😫 It's a joke, just glad to see it works for some, relax and enjoy now, xx

[My-chinaman in reply to Nanny40]

I'm so sorry you have to go through this ...They ain't got a clue what all this is doing to us ...They should of left it as it was years ago ...Although some won't agree ..Good luck on your appeal ...hugs and don't let them work people bully you into doing things you can't do x

[Fieldbum78]

Im currently receiving income support as im a carer for my son. Would i be better sticking with this than applying for esa? I dont have to go to any groups but its less money.