Fought for my rights .

[lisatillett]

I went in job centre today prepared with all the advise I had accumulated over the past week. I thought I had it all in the bag .. go in .. say I have a mandatory reconsideration in action and I'm here to be put in " special conditions" until I hear about the desicion . Oh no.... get told I have to agree to be able to do some kind of work that suits my health condition.Well my son and carer watched the tears roll down my eyes and said " if you lived with my mum you would understand about fibro " I asked to speak to a disability officer she said there wasn't one available but they would say the same and I had to agree to be looking for some kind of employment to suit my condition . Well I started to have a panic attack and said I will have to leave and cancel this claim ..I was in the most excruciating pain and could not complete a sentence . She tried to persuade me that it was best to carry on with the work programme and that I would have to come in on a weekly basis and have work focused interviews . I said " No way am I'm going through this stress every week of coming in here and sitting around in excruciating pain cracking on i'm ready to work .I said thank you for your time ( tears streaming ) and walked out . So tomorrow will be another day of stress and excruciating pain because i will have to put everything in writing to housing/council tax child tax so they know my income . What a strain on my energy ... no-one but my fibro - friends will understand me or feel my pain ... sorry to be glum ... hoping one day to be left alone to cope and manage my pain without these stupid interruptions that cause so much pain and stress and exhaustion . When will they ever take us seriously ? x

[fenbadger]

Sadly never. However it might be worth persisting. I would have thought the operative had no right to predict someone else's comments. It was certainly an unhelpful situation but how will you cope with no money at all? I've recently had a job focussed interview and if you show your difficulty you may get on the right track. They're supposed to support you by financing changes in the work place. If, however you consistently show you cant work, they will ultimately have to believe it. I'd also try talking to doc and explain the panic attack in a stressful situation, and get them to support you with a letter. Might be worth talking to CAB too. It's all hard work, but may well be worth the investment in energy.

Hogs and good luck

[lisatillett in reply to fenbadger]

I know where you are coming from but she started to type something that I could not agree to . If I am appealing against a decision that says I am fit to work how can I agree to something that says I am fit to work . I just could not do it . I get PIP and child tax credits as an income . I will have to cut down on my shopping and make a few other sacrifices somewhere . Sit in the cold cos I can't afford to heat the house ..use less electric and gas... stop the kids pocket money.. .cut off the phone and internet.. rehome our cat .. I don't have a social life so I cant cut down on outings or any pleasures cos I don't have any.... as long as we have a roof and food we will get by . I will appeal all the way if i have to ... to fight for FMS . Sick of it all . Sorry ... bad day all round . Have to start tomorrow with Positive Mental Action . Need to log off and reserve some energy . xxx

[fenbadger in reply to lisatillett]

I hope you get a good night sleep and get some energy reserve. I wasn't suggesting rolling over but proving you cant do it. If they see you're not up to it surely they cant insist. You do have the right to be a human being, but it gets hard to fight when your reserves are low. Like you I cant cut down anymore. XX

[NessH]

It seems unfair that you have to go through that, I had to attend a medical assessment and through that I was put in the special conditions group although I am currently under the old system of employment support allowance and disability living allowance. I would appeal all the way, complain about her attitude to someone higher up, tell them that you had to leave due to the panic attack and extreme pain you were suffering, luckily you had witnesses too, I really hope you get this sorted and wish you all the luck in the world, you didn't deserve to be treated the way you were and you shouldn't have to live without your basic needs of warmth and food. The benefits system for people with disabilities is all wrong and its an absolute disgrace, I for one wish that the government would cut us a break and concentrate on the people who can work but don't want to, I imagine that if you are anything like me you would love to work if only you could

Hugs

Ness xx

[TheAuthor]

Hi lisatillet

I am so very sorry to read of your traumatic experience at the Job Centre, and I sincerely hope that you have the energy to fight for what you are clearly entitled too.

Good luck

Ken

[Hidden]

Liza, I am sorry to hear about your traumatic experience. From what you were saying, I would go back and insist on your claim being processed, and your appeal being dealt with and present as you ahve to in the meantime - well or unwell. In my experience, a panick attack is not the end of the world. You breathe through and get on with it. They don't know your pain, you do. Even if you feel a mess inside, you are still a responsible adult and can act like one. If someone bullies you - first ask for their name. That might already stop them, as they can smell a complaint coming on.

I do hope you get it sorted.

[Hidden]

Hi you may find this useful.

How to claim exceptional circumstances kittysjones.wordpress.com/2...

I think that asking the CAB for their help with this would be best.

[lisatillett in reply to Hidden]

Thankyou ..this if great help to me . Thank God I joined this site or I don't know how I would have handled all this . I really do feel amongst fibro friends and hope I can be as helpful to someone else in need of support.

[Lruk]

Hi Lisa, I would suggest that you make another appointment to see them but insist on seeing the disabilities officer. I agree with what has already been said about contacting CAB and going to appointments to prove that you are in a lot of pain and under a lot of stress. My daughter has some medical issues and over time her job centre advisor managed to find her work she was able to do but that took time and adjustments had to be made. It is possible to stay within the system and get what you need and can do, but it takes time and an awful lot of energy. Good luck, Linda.

[lisatillett]

Thanks everyone for your replies, support and advise . I am too exhausted today to think straight. I will rest today and tackle this tomorrow .Thanks again x

[dovetail]

Hi Lisa,

I'm so sorry to hear what happened at the job centre, it's a disgrace! Please don't give up on this, it makes my blood boil when these types of people 'decide' what you can & cannot have! I hope you feel better after a good night's sleep because I have some advice but it will be better if you do it today. You & your son should both write down what happened, this way, you will be able to cross-reference, so nothing should be missed. Then ring the job centre & ask to speak to the manager, if they say the manager isn't available, say it's urgent & ask for the manager to ring you back today.

When you speak to the manager, explain the facts of what happened & try to keep cool whilst speaking to him/her. Insist that you see a disability adviser (I think it's outrageous that she predicted what the disability adviser would say! I also agree with you that you shouldn't agree to the work programme, as you said, you are not fit for ANY work because you are fighting for your right to not work, as it were. I know there's much more to your reconsideration than that but I think it could affect the outcome of your claim if you agree to look for work).

I know from experience how difficult it is when you are very upset, in pain & exhausted but it is important to keep a cool head when dealing with these types of people, Lisa. You have to say what you want assertively, as opposed to aggressively (not that you sound aggressive at all!) If the JC manager doesn't ring you back, you should ring back the next day & the day after that etc. Once they know that you are persistent, I don't think you'll have to wait long before you get an appointment with the disability adviser.

You've come this far with your claim, don't get knocked back now, it would be a terrible shame! I wish you all the very best with this & I hope you have much brighter news for us soon.

Love & gentle hugs,

Tracey.

[lisatillett in reply to dovetail]

Thankyou so much Tracey. I've just seen your message as I've been resting all day due to the stress of yesterday. I have done exactly as you advised and I am waiting on a return call from the JC Manager. I'll let you know how I get on . Thanks again x

[Ellejm]

This is so so wrong, I know people not as impacted or distressed who are in the support group....the tories have a hell of a lot to answer for..

The only thing you can do is treat it like your condition has deteriorated...not try so hard, be at the gps everyday, make sure you are put on max medication, then get a referral to the pain clinic, hydrotherapy and counselling (cos as we all know this is in our heads and therapy will cure us!)

Get a letter to state condition deteriorated and formally ask to be placed in support group...deterioration is the key...

They have no clue of this wicked illness and its affects, even my rhumy thought it was easy to cope with, I'll be fine, just do some gardening and away I go!

So many gps are even of this opinion that it's a BS illness, the only people who do know are our families, the kids that fight for us on a daily basis, the ones that have to pick us off the floor cos our bodies have stopped, the ones that listen to us state that we feel like failures...

Try and get round it, they want us to stop claiming, and to starve to death....so long as the employment rate goes up eh! 😉

We have to play them at their own game..

[lisatillett in reply to Ellejm]

Thanks for your help Some really good advise .

[Hidden]

Sorry to hear it went so bad, I dont think they realise the effort it takes and the stress it causes just going to one appointment, they are supposed to

make reasonable adjustments for you but I find they dont. Hopefully your

mandatory reconsideration wont take long and you get back on the money

you deserve,

[lisatillett in reply to Hidden]

I agree Cindy . Yeah it's a waiting game with the reconsideration. I rang them yesterday morning prior to the JC appt to chase up if my letter had been received. A really nice lady on the other end of the phone told me it hadn't arrived or been seen as yet but if I liked I could read out the copy of the letter to her and she would type it all out there and then so it was logged and the process could start before they even look at my letter. I have found some staff are lovely with you and give you good advise then there are others who think you are just out to get all you can xx

[Hidden in reply to lisatillett]

I found the staff on the phone very helpful too, they were really quick with my reconsideration that I didnt even have time to post

new evidence it only took 6 days, so hopefully your will be quick too

and with a better result than mine.

[lisatillett in reply to Hidden]

Oh let's hope so ..did they contact you by phone or letter to let know you had been successful and where you put in support group ? x

[Hidden in reply to lisatillett]

They said they tried ringing but they didnt, so I received a letter, and for how quick it arrived they had already made

their decision before I spoke to them, I was not successful

and im waiting for a court date to appeal .

[fibrokaren]

Several years ago I was in exactly your situation. 3 days before Christmas I suddenly found that ALL of my benefits had been stopped and that I had to go for work related interviews at the job centre.

I arrive with my sticks and looking like "death warmed up" and explained the situation to my advisor who immediately said that there must have been a mistake and filled in pages and pages of forms for me to try and sort out the situation.But while it was being sorted I had to go to the job centre once a fortnight to sign on and show how many jobs I had applied for I didn't apply for a single job as there where no suitable jobs for someone with my disabilities and limitations all but one of the advisor's I saw where more then helpful, apart from one who presented me with a printed list of jobs she thought I should apply for including a job at the local leisure centre as a FITNESS INSTRUCTOR. I was so shocked I shuffled straight out of the door with out stopping.

In the end I had no money for 12 weeks and nearly lost my house but I DID get it al back dated including my housing benefit.

So don't give up it may take some time but in the end you will get what you are entitled to.

So good luck

[lisatillett in reply to fibrokaren]

Reading this has made me feel better and a bit more positive . Thankyou so much . x

[rosewine]

I wish I could ssay I was astounded by your bad treatment but nothing surprises me now. The others have given you excellent advice. Let us know how you get on. If you get no return phone calls I would personally get in touch with your MP. Ours was excellent when I was having problems with my OH's ESA claim as he contacted the Manager of our local Employment Office and also wrote to him, copying me in on all the correspondence. In the end he could do nothing more as within the letter of the law they were correct even though they admitted that my husband should not have been caught up in the system as he was not the type of person they were targetting (he had worked all his life and had worked for 38 years for the same company before becoming ill). In the end we won his case at tribunal which unfortunately took 2 years! We were fortunate that we had savings to draw on not that we had ever expected to have to use them for this purpose.

Keep on demanding to see a Disability Advisor and write down exactly how your illness affects your everyday life before you see them so if you get upset again you can just hand over the piece of paper to them. I must say when I had to see an advisor he was very sympathetic and it was he who said at that time he felt I was unfit for work and would write that down as a fact and send it forward. I am worried that if you don;t stay within the system you are just going to end up with not enough money to live on and why should you be in that situation when you are genuinely ill.

Keep your chin up and keep in touch and let us know how you get on with everything.x

[lisatillett in reply to rosewine]

Thank you so much . I got the return phone all and have been given an appointment with disability officer ( the next available appt being in 2 weeks time) . In the meantime I must see citizens advice . I have been sent a letter from housing/ct benefit stating that they are aware my esa has stopped so they are suspending my rent and c/t benefit until I fill out the form to prove my income . I have written a letter today requesting that I be placed back on esa in the exceptional circumstances category. I will be posting that off to the same place my reconsideration letter went to along with completed forms from my GP supporting me . We really don't need this do we .. on top of coping with our disability ? My brain is hurting .It takes so much longer to put letters together and causes us more pain having to even think about going out the door . I just wanna curl up in a ball and sleep sleep sleep . Fibro-hugs xx

[rosewine]

Wonderful news I know 2 weeks seems a long time but it is amazing how it will fly by. With your GP's support and I know from my own experience with DLA that makes a lot of difference hopefully this will do the trick. No I absolutely agree with could do without this. I know when I was helping my husband fight his corner I was so ill myself and often wish I could just curl up in a corner and wished the world to go away but in the end I thought that I would nefver be able to live with myself if I thought I had not tried everything I knew to help him. Use the next couple of weeks to try and relax and recover your strength and as we have said before keep us in the loop so we know how you are getting on. Fingers crossed for you.x

[lisatillett in reply to rosewine]

xxx