I am going to a Tribunal on July 19th over my appeal against receiving nothing from the Employment Support Allowance.

[zimbabwemac]

When I had my medical assessment, which included loads of paperwork and a 4 minute examination, the examiner was unable to check me out, because of the pain. Yet, they refuse me help. Any useful information to include at the Tribunal, would be welcome.

[Hidden]

ESA is split into two categories ESA Work Group - this is paid when you have already contributed to National Insurance etc over several years. ESA Support Group is the higher of the categories.

ESA - is similar to Incapacity (previous benefit).

ESA Work - is only paid for 12 months, as this relates to your own contributions paying tax i.e. working.

ESA Support just continues with paperwork in between to confirm you should still receive it i.e. medical condition has not changed.

I am in receipt of ESA Support and also DLA.

I did not attend any medicals, all evidence was provided when the form was completed from my GP and specialist consultants etc.

If your condition has a name? Are you under the care of a specialist? Did you provide them with all this evidence?

[Bananas5]

Hello

You don't say what the outcome of your assessment was? Ate you a new claimany for ESA or were you receiving Incapacity benefit pre assessment?

Were you put into the WRAG, Support group or turned down completely and given JSA.

Pat x

[dogbreeder]

It never stops amazing me just how many people don't know what beneifts are out their and what the critia is for each one and more importantly who is allowed these benifits.

You can download or look up what you are intitaled to and there is a book form available for the incapacitated and disabled what and where to find out what you are intitaled too.

My advise is go to the citizens advise and see one of there specailist and find out what the authorities need to know about you and your condition , thats not to say what diagnoses you have but what you can and can't do, If you are being treated badly then they will advise the right course of action.

Read all the paperwork you can on these new benefits and critia, as there are allot of loop holes they can use, but we have the advantage of first hand experience and knowlegde of our conditions. They just fill in a form. !!!!!

Get letters written by you GP Consultants Carers and people that know you and this is your battle plan. once you have all this I would highly reccommend copying it in to your MP, to the Sec of Health and Ato's if you make a big statement you will be lissioned too.

If you just accept their disicion then you will loss everything so stand up and fit so to speak.

If you have payed National Insurance in the last two years and Tax both for long enough, you are altomatically entitaled to beneifts if you are unable to work keep this scentance in mind every time you think I am losing, be possitive without getting angry. It not easy but worth it in the long run.

[Pained]

I was in Incapacity Benefit for 4yrs which then changed to contribution based ESA. This is only paid for 1yr. I received a letter from benefits dated 7 June, 2013 (which I got on 13 June), telling me my benefit had stopped on the day they wrote the letter. I have had no income for 3 weeks & had to fill in a 49 page benefits form, starting from scratch. Yet my illnesses have not stopped! I had yearly medical assessments. I have fibromyalgia (chronic pain), including long term back pain of 39 years, & a stress, anxiety & panic disorder, whilst having ongoing treatments of one sort or another. It is disgraceful how they are treating the sick & vulnerable. I am 60 this year and it's bad enough I lost out on a pension at 60 by just 6 months. There was no mention of me being changed straight over to the Income Based ESA. When I phoned up, I was told I could appeal & would probably get reduced benefit! I still have a mortgage & endowment policy (which is unlikely to pay off my house when it is due, in 3 years time). What do they think we are going to do! It is apparent that they will just put me on Job Seekers Allowance (£67? or so a week) & make me look for a job, even though I have been proved uncapable. I have a private house as I said (mortgaged), so they will not pay my 'rent' nor council tax, like they do with people in social housing. I have had the added upset of having to help my ex who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer, but the government doesn't care about any hardships as long as they save money by making sick people suffer, & make them even more ill with the worry.

[PIRATE185]

Hi its hard to say but as for myself I was fit till I was 26 and strong as I was a butcher .However my health problems started I was then out of work for some 20 years there after and during this time I was knocked of incapacity time and time again. However other people that i knew and worked on the side and these people are the ones that have stayed on it year after year it makes me mad as they are in the bookies and the pub day after day even all these years later they are still there still cheating the system but people like us are forced to work I do part time and find it heavy going and take my tablets . I think you all know just what I am trying to say.

[Fedupwithmybackpain]

I am also disabled and do not receive either ESA or DLA.

The ESA they said because I had not made enough Nat insurance contributions and wife is working full time.

The GP has been in touch with them with. A letter confirming the back problem and the numbness in right leg.

I have an appeal date for DLA on the 10th of July 2014 also to get the mobility car back.