Hi - I am recently diagnosed and have increased from 25 mg to 50 mg - I am still feeling rubbish understandably and have been turned down for ESA after the medical, I am going to appeal it ,but just wandered what other peoples experiences are? Even wandered if I could claim PIP. I have looked at the criteria and think I qualify now but unsure how well I can be. I have other autoimmune conditions and am struggling.
ESA medical disclaimed: Hi - I am recently... - Thyroid UK
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Spobby
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Hi I am on 25mg of levothyroxine, have asked for Further tests as my voice is gravelly and I can't sing any more, but I am fighting a losing battle, at 77 years old I'm not worth the expense I guess.
You should ask for your throat to be investigated. 25mcg is a starting dose - unless you are frail with a heart disease.
Too low a dose can make us feel worse.
Have you a print-out of your latest blood test results which should always be at the earliest possible, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards.
Ask GP to also test B12, Vit D, iron, ferritin and folate.
I always have a ferritin test as I have Heamachromatosis, but I never get a print-out of my test results for anything other than that, I also have Monocytosis. I am due for a blood test next week so will ask that those you suggest are also included, do I need to get all of the T3 T4 etc done ?
Hi Maribee a few years ago I had a gravelly voice and it turned out that I had a small cyst on my voice box and had it taken off with no problems. You could always ask for a referral. Jo xx
Thanks for the replies guys...I've asked for a referral....unnecessary I'm told......I was told the same thing 30 years ago after 10 years of dreadful pain...I went to BUPA and was diagnosed within 48 hours with 3 large masses one had penetrated my spinal canal !! After life-saving surgery I am now disabled...but still alive...had I accepted the pain-a killing injection I stead if going to BUPA i would not be here today. I will ask my .heamatologist if he will refer me the next time I see him.
Hi sorry to hear you feel that your age affects the care you get...I can understand that feeling. I never felt well after diagnosis & was told by my GP that I was trying act younger than my biological age (this was about ten years ago) I was 'gobsmacked' that my physical feelings of tiredness etc was treated so judgementally by my doctor,instead of being investigated further medically.It took years & years before the GP practice would agree to increase my dosage from 50 to 75 mcg of levothroxine & many tears trying to explain how ill I still felt on 50 Sadly the practice has now clasdified me as having mental health & behaviour probs - which I am absolutely shocked & appalled at. Its a no win-win situation!
shawsAdministrator
Your dose of levo is too low at 50mcg. It is still a starting dose and after six weeks on 50mcg you should have another blood test. with 25mcg increases each time until the TSH is 1 or lower. (GPs think anywhere in the range is fine - wrong) , The earliest possible test, fasting (you can drink water) and allow a gap of 24 hours between last dose of levo and test and take afterwards.
We used to get doses of NDT (the original thyroid hormone replacement) between 200 and 400mcg. One consultant had stated that nowadays the deference is to blood test results rather than the clinical symptoms of the patient.
I didn't know you could apply for esa with thyroid problems, I know you can obviously just get sick notes from doctor if you are working. Put in a mandatory and see where you go with that, you always have the tribunal too, What are your other conditions if you don't mind me asking, as you maybe better focusing on them for eas, Pip is different altogether and I would look at the descriptors and see if you think you would qualify, if so then apply, Pip focuses on how conditions affect your daily living not diagnoses, so on what you can't do, you have to foucus and base your application on your worst days so if you meet the descriptors you may well have success with that one
I have both PIP and in the Support Group for ESA. Both are very different benefit systems and the assessments are scored differently too so research both otherwise as you’ve experienced many fail this stage even though they maybe entitled to the benefit.
Definitely do a mandatory reconsideration if you are unable to work due to poor health. Also apply for PIP and use the Benefits and Work website it helped me a lot with my assessments for both.
Make sure you have lots of evidence to support your claims. I’ve been very sick with hashimotos so had lots of medical evidence. They need to see you on your worst day and how this affects your ability to work (ESA) and how your illness affects what you can and can’t do ie cooking a meal, dressing, washing, mobility, taking medication, aids to help such as a pill box, toilet seat raiser, walking stick etc for PIP.
Neither are an easy process and I found very stressful but that only helped to show them how much I was struggling on a daily basis
Excellent info MissFG and I very much support this ... a little extra to add @spobby - it is important that you have an advocate (friend/family/formal etc.) during any assessment and it is useful if you can record it. PIP is now changing its policy and recordings, I believe, will be excepted ... the benefits and work charity will have more information on this.
DWP have design the system for you to give up at the first fence!
Yes after mandatory reconsideration (do within 28 days of DWP decision!), take ESA to tribunal and ask your local welfare rights officer to take your case on...and go with your advocate. Do apply for PIP Spobby ! You need all the support you can get!
Best wishes to you 
Yes I agree too. I took my daughter with me to both at aged 16/17 but she supported what I said and is my carer.
Also for your MR get a copy of the assessment report ASAP and use this to dispute any inaccuracies by the Assessor and where possible give evidence to back you up.
I was successful for both but I researched, was prepared and based everything on my worst day. It is possible so don’t be put off. When we’re so sick it affects our daily lives tremendously and we can’t work it’s essential we get these benefits so we can focus on our health and getting better
In case you don’t know, if you submit an MR, your job centre should allow you to claim JSA while waiting for the result. When you submit your appeal, you can either stay on JSA (this may depend on how sympathetic your work coach has been to your limitations) or ask for your ESA to be reinstated pending appeal.
The MR stage is usually comparatively quick, and unlikely to succeed if you feel the assessment didn’t do your condition justice, as what happens is that another decision-maker reviews the same paperwork. The appeal stage is likely to take ages, depending on the backlog at your local tribunal.
It's not always even a different decision maker either
Hi there i have been claiming contribution based ESA since the beggining of April but i too have been told i have a medical assessment coming up, i know i will probably loose out, i think ive given up before im there!!😊
PM me I’ll help also check out benefitsandwork.co.uk/ it’ll help prepare you too
Thankyou so much, bit tied up with something else at moment but i will message you later.😊😊
It’s ok I’m at the hairdressers. Home visits are very difficult to get unless you can get your GP to support and request if for you and justify why you can’t leave the house. But I’ll fill you in on getting to / from your assessment etc later x
It's your right to have a home assessment under The Equality Act but yes you do need GP support for one
Just because it’s our right doesn’t make it easy. The whole process to access these benefits is difficult and stressful that’s why so many fail at assessment and have to appeal.
I am all too aware of that as I see evidence of it every day in a FB group where I and others offer advice. But it's important for people to know it's their right and also to express this to the assessors who will try it on every which way to fail people. Plus at the Work & Pensions Select Committee in December (for PIP at any rate, although I know Atos don't do ESA assessments any more), Atos said they don't require medical evidence or evidence from a GP for a home visit eg if individual says they are struggling. Atos say it's on their website and in their letters though I don't think they make it obvious. Anyway, I had a home visit for my PIP because I knew what to do but many people don't and I hear about people every day who are really stressed and anxious because they think they have no choice but to drag themselves in to an assessment centre miles away even people with agoraphobia 
I’m not disagreeing with you
Hi spobby
It's just awful they did the same thing to my son and he suffers very severe anxiety and panic attacks that feel like they're going to kill him. He lost all his money in 12 hours to go on jsa.I have dealt with pip for so many people in my family and as its all under the two, it's the same outcome for 80%of claimants, HOWEVER,I would advise you to get cab or someone professionalto help you fill in a pip form and you'll no doubt be fighting for that too,that's how it is for us disabled these days,I wish you good luck and there are many online benefits help advisors that help enormously. also if you know that with pip you're only supposed to require, or need help 50%of the time, that helps us to combar the impression we have to be helped all day, everyday, like they try to impose on us.
Of course you can claim ESA due to your thyroid problems. ESA is a benefit for people who are effected by illness to a degree where they find working extremely difficult or impossible. It’s about how the illness effects you not what the illness is.
Go to your local citizens advice bureau and ask them to help you fill in the forms. They will also accompany you to any appeals/ tribunals. Also definitely use benefits and work forum. You can register for about 15 pounds a year and it will be the best money you ever spent. If you decide not to register you can still use most of the site. Also take a look at the following re regulation 29 & 35.
evoc.org.uk/blog/challengin...
Whatever you do don’t give up!
Spobby print off the thyroid checklist and tick all the symptoms that apply to you. Include it with your appeal. It’s good supporting evidence and shows clearly symptoms are valid and caused by thyroid disease.
To win, U need to have a good constsnt contact with your gp and other specialists, I email my GP once a week with any issues I have..I have HIV and Hashimoto's (treated with T3 not throzine) and undaingnosied adrenal disfucntion, but my dla payments pay for my hydrocortisone which I've been on for 2yrs now... However T3 did not resolve my issues HC did and my GP backs me up on this...but it's the constant contact that is needed..
I am a member of Benefits&Work and also an admin in Facebook group where all the manuals are uploaded. Their manuals are very thorough. But yes, do an MR and apply for PIP. At MR they often just rubberstamp the original decision but appeal is where most people get a decision overturned. They are banking on people not taking it as far as appeal so I would always advise to appeal, however stressful. Your money will be backdated if you win. Best wishes
Thank you for your comments, very helpful. Yes it is stressful to apply , especially when your struggling already as you all know.
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