Pension apeal refused!!

[shazzad]

Got the dreaded letter today, feeling so deflated! Again.....ill health pension refused, believing their first decision to be correct, so ten pages of various evidence backing up a three page letter, a waste of time...although they agree that i am adversly affected by all my conditions, i do not meet the criteria as my symptoms may not continue??? Is there a cure? Do we get better? Should i make a new appeal? Thank u for your support on this helpful site, Shazzad xx

[Jeannie]

Yes I would say always worth appealing you've nothing to lose pointing out that u are getting worse not better and it could b years before it goes into remission IF ever. I am in similar situation want pension but daren't apply cos refusal means dismissal

Good luck it's a terrible predicament

[Hidden]

Hi Shazzad, I am sorry to read about your ill health pension being refused. I am just about to embark on the same route as I am not fit enough to return to work. My Occ Health doc has warned me that I would be unlikely to get it with a diagnosis of Fibro and advised me to use CPS and CFS and to list all symptoms separately. I would love to know if this is what you did. It seems so wrong that we are not well enough to work but not ill enough to get our pension. Jane x

[shazzad in reply to Hidden]

I have a list of conditions including cfs.....but to no avail xx

[Sthandra]

There's the

Magic words MAY NOT RETURN they say nothing about the fact that your problems do NOT go away completely, sorry love can you appeal? Good luck gentle hugs. Sithy

[Hidden]

Shazzad what line of work were you in so we can try to help you by looking up info for your specific work? So many companies have their own procedures. Hope to hear from you soon. We are only too happy to help, we just need a little more info. Many thanks.

[shazzad]

Hi, thank u, i was a Hairdressing lecturer for twelve years, on my dismissal form under the capabilities procedure they wrote that they do not see a return to work in the forseeable future! That they had investigated re deployment, an internal admin position, without success. In my first application for ill health i was turned downed as i had not had an mri scan, not been to a pain management clinic or a cfs clinic, i have now been referred. They also implied that there was a CHANCE of recovery in the next 11 years! When i appealed i challeneged each point included evidence that i had paid for my own pain management for five months weekly visits to the osteopaths, sent copy of appointment card, sent in blue badge, dla award copies, newspaper articles from other doctors in relation to fibro, work policy procedures, capabilities dismissal comments, two doctors letters, and my letter challenging them, which i also made reference to my young age comment and chance of recovery from the occ health doctor, it appears that i have now raised a dispute under stage 1 of the occ pension schemes internal dispute regulation (IDRP) not sure quite what that means as yet. The conclusion is that they basically agree with the first decision they made, and that dla benefit has different criteria from the ill health pension criteria. Sooooo not to get toooo down at this stage i intend to appeal again i have six months, i shall researched their criteria and see what new evidence i can gather for them. I believe i was told there is no cure for fibro am i right? Ooh almost forgot they also wrote in the rationale that i was adversely affected in both my daily tasks and fitness for work! So im quite mythed by it all...once again thank u for the support. Shazzad xx

[deelightful]

Yes, for sure appeal. a good reference for you is: nhs.uk/conditions/fibromyal...

Don't you just hate this, when you sick this is the last thing you need. The web site works benefitsandwork.co.uk, they may be able to give advise.

Wishing you success in your appeal.