ESA appointment

[Matt2584]

Hi folks,

In January I had an appointment for my ESA benefits.

After waiting for an hour and a half I was then told that I wasn't going to be seen by a doctor.

I was then told that another appointment will be organised and they'll let me know of it soon.

Well, months went by and I had heard nothing so we assumed that I must be awarded my benefits and they had failed to tell me cos I was still being payed ESA.

I told a member of staff at my Headway that my benefits (PIP and ESA) had been sorted... so I thought.

The other week I got the letter about my re-appointment. The appointment was this morning and it Seemed to go by ok.

Now is the waiting game. I have to see what the DWP decide now.

but I just wanted to add a little something, the appointment was at the Fareham assessment building and first thing we noticed once we arrived was that almost all the parking spaces around the building were DWP staff and there were quite a few DWP parking spaces too. Are there really that many people in this one building?

Anyhow, we did park in a disabled space that was actually marked "Only disabled badge holders using the health centre can park here" or something similar.

The health centre was next door to the assessment building.

After the appointment I did a little shopping with my mum and dad and treated them to cake as well as it was both of their birthdays last month and then my dad had a closer look at my disabled badge. The badge had actually expired last month.

Whoops :).

[steve55]

is that why they ask you to apply 6 months before the old one expires matt? memory my friend hahaha!!!

[Matt2584 in reply to steve55]

But that’s the thing, it didn’t expire.

I was getting ESA as normal. Then I went to an appointment in January (where I never got to see anyone). They tell me another appointment will be set up soon. I heard nothing for months and months and then I finally got my re-appointment.

I find the whole DWP thing not only pointless but very strange as well.

I’ve heard before that the “doctors” can assess you via CCTV whilst in the waiting room.

While that sounds absolutely mad, anything can happen in this psycho-run world.

You might be quite right, Steve. I could have been assessed in Jan via CCTV and not heard anything from them until the benefits expired.

But they didn’t tell me this.

I never had a letter or anybody tell me that I have been awarded for 6 months.

They don’t make any sense.

[steve55 in reply to Matt2584]

blue badge matt!!!

[Matt2584 in reply to steve55]

Sorry, I was still on the ESA topic.

Yeah, I heard that you’ve got to apply for a new badge about 3 months before it expires and I was going to but I dunno, time whizzed by and forgot about it.

Like you said “memory :)”.

And I was under the impression that as I get the mobility component in PIP that I would automatically get a new blue badge sent to me.

You don’t.

[steve55 in reply to Matt2584]

hahaha matt i only know because someone i know has one.

[Matt2584 in reply to steve55]

Has what... a brain injury or blue badge? :).

Well normally my memory can be pretty good, especially my long term memory.

I volunteer for my Headway on Friday mornings and memorise everybody’s drink orders.

What was a group consisting of 10 or so people back in 2009 was pretty easy to memorise drink orders but now the group has doubled, even tripled in size making it a bit more challenging to memorise the drink orders :).

What is mostly the struggle is not exactly the drink orders of so many people but it is the number of drinks. I have at times forgotten to make some drinks for people or have missed out some people completely :).

[cat3]

So easily done ……...and a totally innocent oversight. A couple of years ago I got all my car documents together for tax renewal, wrote the cheque and laid them out on the kitchen table ready to take to the post office in good time for the renewal date.

But because my memory's cr*p I tidied them all away a day or so later thinking I'd dealt with it. Weeks later my my neighbour alerted me to the fact my car had been clamped and covered in stickers announcing the car was un-taxed !

So not as lucky as you Matt, and with a big fine to pay. Hope your badge renewal is underway ! …….so glad it wasn't spotted & your day spoiled. xx

[cat3 in reply to cat3]

PS, hope all goes well with your claim..... x

[Matt2584 in reply to cat3]

Thanks cat :).

Well earlier in the year, I was actually aware that my blue badge would expire at the end of July and I had heard through my local Headway that it’s best to apply for the renewal at least 3 months before it expires cos they can takes ages dillying.

Anyhow, we got to a shop, was gonna put my badge up but found it had expired so I said I would sort it when I got home. The government website even says that it usually takes 3 weeks to sort out but can take up to 12 weeks.

Hopefully mine is sorted in 3.

But I was under the assumption that as I am getting PIP now and I am awarded mobility that I would get a new badge sent to me in the post.

Maybe what I heard was wrong then.

I know if you get the mobility component you qualify for a blue badge but it seems they don’t sort it out for you as well. Dammit.

So I suppose it was partly my fault for leaving until late.

[Hidden]

Being seen by a doctor? Non of them are doctors, by their own admission they are not medically qualified to do anything, you only get assessed by medical people if you are assessed by an appeal panel before that they are not medically qualified to do anything. How can an organization lose +73 percent of appeals and be fit for purpose?

[Matt2584 in reply to Hidden]

Doctor or not, doesn’t matter. No need to get anal about it.

But who I saw was a person at the end of the day and I am pretty sure she said she was a doctor. I don’t care if she was or not.

And when I had my PIP assessment I wasn’t assessed by an appeal panel but just a single person who was ex army and ex nurse. He had proof as well... if you can call a badge proof.

[Hidden in reply to Matt2584]

Not getting anal, just pointing out some facts.

[Hidden in reply to Matt2584]

PS, love your artwork

[Matt2584 in reply to Hidden]

Sorry, it just seems to me that you were being anal or pedantic about it.

But anyhow, glad you like my artwork :).

[Hidden in reply to Matt2584]

Pedantic is correct, since brain heamorrage it's something I can't help, came if Facebook because of it