Has anyone else had to do this when changing over to universal credit?

[Itsallinthehips]

What can I except is it like the PIP assessment and questions?

[grace111]

thank god im a pensioner. this is riddicouse. i feel for people having to fill in those forms,

[Itsallinthehips in reply to grace111]

It’s crazy my doctor has told them I can’t work I’ve been signed off yet the person who actually decides it took a two week course to get their job and has no idea about anything it’s so annoying

[grace111 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

yes its always a fight to get what your entitiled to. dont give up.

[hypercat54 in reply to grace111]

I fortunately am retired now too and don't have to jump through these hoops. I also feel for anyone who has to go through all this ****. Good luck. x

[SquirrelsHolt]

I do feel for you and anybody who is having to go through this whole proceedure,just to make ends meet etc. The anxiety and stress that I felt,I can remember like it was yesterday (actually about 7 years ago now and up to Tribunal stage).I would maybe be thinking along the lines of,it's going to be like PIP assessment and that way you have some idea of what to expect. Good luck!

[Itsallinthehips in reply to SquirrelsHolt]

Thank you. It’s so frustrating that they won’t take your doctors or specialists word for it when they are the trained medical professionals. And to make it worse even though I can’t sit for longer than 30 mins I’ve got to travel over an hour away for the assessment

[hypercat54 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

Have you tried for a home visit? x

[Itsallinthehips in reply to hypercat54]

They won’t do it they said to me if I can go to hospital appointment in London (even though I’m in an ambulance) I can go to their assessments

[kenster1 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

take the form to citizens advice get them to help you fill it in.i think all of this is just standard although I don't know much about pip.explain to them about the ambulance and if you have to get a taxi you want reimbursed.

[Itsallinthehips in reply to kenster1]

Can’t get transport there and I will get a lift not a taxi.

I have no problem filling the form in that’s not my issue, I’m completely mentally capable and also I’m trying to limit having to go out unnecessarily as the pain is to bad but thank you

[Eddsil in reply to Itsallinthehips]

As far as I know, the in-person assessment is only for people who fudge filling in the form so I recommend CAB help or someone else relevant...

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Eddsil]

No it’s not you fill the form in and they need to see you in person to match up what you’ve said on the form as to what they can actually see you do etc. I have to do the form and the assessment as my situation is I’m bedbound and won’t be going to work in the next few years. If I was signed off with depression or something like that then no I wouldn’t have to go to the assessment

[Eddsil in reply to Itsallinthehips]

I'm not going to pretend that I understand the assessments in any way as I am frankly doubtful anyone does, but surely if you're bed bound you won't be forced to go, depression or not?!

What I read after the assessment was that if they have enough info about you and your doctors etc. on the form that people don't have to go. Whether that was for pip assessments specifically I can't remember now but I'm fairly confident it was. YMMV obviously...

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Eddsil]

I’ve been told I have to go, bedbound or not or i won’t get UC they said if I can travel to London for appointments I can go to them even though it’s completely different lol

[Spacecat1 in reply to Eddsil]

Dont forget for universal credit you will need a sick note. I forgot and had to go back. Pip came out to me because of oxygen they were fairly good

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Spacecat1]

Yeah I’ve already done all that I’m receiving it already just waiting for my work assessment

[hypercat54 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

Well tell them you will need a taxi there and they can pay for it. They can authorise this. x

[Itsallinthehips in reply to hypercat54]

No I’m getting someone to take me

[Spacecat1 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

Ad ad I know you can request a home visit. I did with pip.

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Spacecat1]

Yes you can but they’ve told me no

[Spacecat1 in reply to Itsallinthehips]

Are you on oxygen

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Spacecat1]

No nothing like that

[Spacecat1 in reply to Spacecat1]

Me to

[Badbessie]

I have just done an ESA assessment. I have received a copy of the report and it's states I meet the requirements for the support group. I changed from incapacity benefit to ESA 8 years ago and this was my first reassessment. The assessment is very much like PIP the important thing to remember is that you should be able to carry out any task repeatedly, safely and without pain. I refused to do most of the physical tasks on those grounds. It was a bit of a nonsense as after an hour they had only covered two conditions. I asked about why I was not being asked about my other problems and she stated they already had the evidence needed. In reality I think it was a waste of time as I have three chronic conditions all of which are progressive.

[Eddsil in reply to Badbessie]

I spent most of my assessment talking about cars and explaining what one of my several conditions was as the assessor, a mental health nurse, hadn't heard of it before. After learning some interesting info about his brother I was asked to bend over and that was it. Over in about 30 mins. I scored about 2 points and didn't transfer to pip so lost about 300£ per month. I barely wrote more than my name on the form as the questions are vague at best but the assessment didn't fill in the gaps as far as I can tell. It was quite bizarre...

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Eddsil]

PIP and UC are separate though. What so I could end up loosing money?

[Eddsil in reply to Itsallinthehips]

I went to a PIP assessment (not esa that time though i had been on that for several years having had one assessment) shortly after switching to UC. I was sent a letter that I think said they were phasing out DLA (ESA) and i assumed it was because i was in a UC area. As far as I can tell the criteria weren't massively different from the previous DLA criteria.

[hedera in reply to Eddsil]

That's terrible, I ended up talking about other stuff too,due to being nervous and obviously didn't get it over properly about my problems i previously had 13 points and then only got 8 when I got the brown envelope !! I'm going to ask for a mandatory reassessment if i can manage to write or ask my friend to.could you do this .?

[Eddsil in reply to hedera]

I may do as I've been an inpatient three times in about 9 months. I'm currently in hospital on hydrocortisone twice a day for crohns and waiting for further orders next week which may involve an operation.

I was limping around nursing my abdomen last weekend and I was booked in for observation by my specialist nurse...

[hypercat54 in reply to Badbessie]

I completely agree with you. If you answer yes to all the questions you get no points. But part of the criteria is if you can do things safely, in a timely manner, and without pain. So if you can go to the shops say yes, but add afterwards it takes you a long time and an hour or so to recover. This is the way to get those pesky points. x

[Itsallinthehips in reply to hypercat54]

I don’t leave my house except to go hospital and then I’m ina wheelchair. I’m bedbound so I’m not sure what they think I can’t do exactly lol

[Itsallinthehips in reply to Badbessie]

Omg this doesn’t give me great hope. Yeah I’m going from income support to esa as they told me not to bother changing it over until I had to go onto UC

[jax53]

I too was changed from Disability Living Allowance which incidentally I had for life, I was told it was coming to an end, and I thought, that is not right, It is the Government, and if you type in the search bar, % things the Government don't want you to know about Disability, It makes wonderful reading, Anyway, I had to attend an assessment complete with Zimmer Frame, bearing in mind I have a long list of Chronic illnesses, Pustular Psoriasis on Hands and Feet, PSA Arthritis to go with it, Osteoarthritis just to make matters worse, and Scoliosis of the spine, Have Arthritis in my Hands, feet, knees, hips, fingers toes, Plus being a Diabetic, and have Diastolic Heart Failure, I was so scared, but the lady I saw was very nice I ended up in tears because I had heard so many Awful tales, But this lady was really nice, she told me I should have a home visit, but she also told me she would make sure I never had to go through that again, I was grateful but tearful, I had visions of them saying no you are not entitled, It was an ordeal nobody should have to endure, whether they are well or chronically sick.