ESA - Sorry if this is a long one :-(

[Kasha]

Hope you can help? I got a phone call Tuesday to say I had not been awarded ESA because i needed to get 15 points and got NONE!!!!! The "lovely" woman then told me to apply for jobseekers! I told her i wanted to appeal and she said the forms and letter will be sent out to me. I went to Job centre, they asked "am i fit for work" and I said "No! but some pen pushing jobsworth at ATOS knows better than my GP and consultants". The lady in the job centre really was lovely and gave me a GL24 form to appeal, she told me to fill it in, get a sick note from my GP and send it off asap.... Now my question is... the box to say why im appealing is tiny, Is it important to add pages too the form at this stage? should I send a FULL appeal letter at this stage or is it enough to just put a few lines in the box and send a full lengthy letter with medical evidence later?? sorry for the length of this post, any advice would be really appreciated x

[Amanda]

Send as much additional information as you can each time you send anything to them,even if you repeat yourself.Then they cant say they weren't told!

[babyboo2]

Good comment Amanda, I would also advise that you photo copy everything and send it by registred post. When I appealed ( and won, for the support group ) I wrote 2 x A4 pages plus the appeal form. Good luck x

[hamble99b]

the CAB man filled mine out and wrote something like:-

I wish to appeal this decision because I do not feel you have understood the nature of my conditions and the impact on my daily life" [or difficulties of my daily life].

"I intend to send further information to support my appeal."

that was all we wrote & sent.

then I got the benefits& work guides [email admin for them [e-mail] ].

keep in touch,

sandra.

[hamble99b in reply to hamble99b]

oops! should have said after I got the guides -

then I put more info together, made copies a sent them recorded delivery.

[Kasha]

Thanks so much for your help I have the guides Sandra, I'm in the process of putting a letter together and gathering my evidence. I will let you all know how it goes.

The lady in the jobcentre said to me she is disgusted and is sick to death of ATOS doing this, she also said how on earth do they expect us to find all these people jobs! This government is a joke!!.....but no one I know is laughing

[fenbadger in reply to Kasha]

ATOS isn't doing very well is it? Most appeals are upheld (last year's info). My experience of it didn't fill me with confidence. It might help if you can type your additional info, then you get a copy on your computer/ laptop if you have one that you can keep. (You may be able to do this at your local library)Then ensure the file title is on the bottom line (C/files/health/ESA/letter1). It looks professional, i.e. like you know what you are doing, and may even baffle the officials with science to your advantage.