UK question - Dept of Work & Pensions 'assessment'

To Just A Girl:

I've sorry for hijacking your thread. I've only just noticed that yellowted isn't the thread starter.

Not a problem! I've been interested to read how others are going on with this ESA stuff - 'hijack' away

my giro is peanuts,less than £100 a week.
I know people get alot more than that. eat xxxx david cameron

I understand that it is Regsitered General Nurses that are undertaking these assessments and while their knowledge of physical health problems may be good - IMO they have limited knowledge of mental health conditions. It is therefore so unfair that they are deemed qualifed to make judgements of people with mental health problems.

For those who are deemed fit for work but may have concerns - it may be helpful to contact Access To Work, they can provide support and funding to enable people with a health problem into work - for example support workers to give you assistance when you first get a job, drivers, equipment - they can be found at http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Disabled...mes/DG_4000347

I just got a letter today (Jan 12th) saying I'm not entitled to ESA anymore since 30th December 2011. Thanks for giving me notice?! I'm assuming they've already stopped payment, so I'm not sure what I'm supposed to live on now, I guess I'm going to have to make a bunch of phonecalls tomorrow and find out. It does say something about appealing but if they aren't going to pay my benefits in the meantime I can't afford to do that. I guess I'll have to go on jobseekers, but I really, really, don't need that kind of stress right now. I still don't feel ready to work but I feel like I'm not going to have a choice - that's if I can even get a job. A job that I don't want. To afford to live a life I don't want.

Whatever.

Am I wrong in hoping everyone in the British government who supported this 'crackdown' and these 'assessments' all personally suffer nervous breakdowns, panic attacks, anxiety, and suicidal depression -- just so then maybe they will understand just what I have been through this last couple of years?!

I don't know how I can deal with all this stuff right now - making phonecalls, making enquiries, filling in forms, worrying about my lack of a bank balance and if or when I'll get any money - wondering if I'll be able to afford to eat or pay for therapy - yes, that's right, the therapy I PAY for in my attempt to get BETTER. I COULDN'T EVEN GET ****ING THERAPY ON THE NHS!!!! Nevermind me. Never mind if all this causes me anxiety and for my mood to spiral down again. Never mind if I want to kill myself. As long as I'm not BOTHERING anyone.

I just want to get better. But I've been TRYING. I'm doing everything I can. This isn't helping. This makes me want to give up.

((((hugs)))) just some girl, you are not wrong in your hopings for this government they are on a different planetfronm us and a little taster of what we deal with would certainly make them think differently.
maybe asking for help at your local citizens advice beuro would be a first step, they can make the phone calls and fill out the forms on your behalf and a call from them is more likely to get the results you seek than a call from yourself as they know what to ask and what to say and do not get emotionally overwhelmed.
good luck x

I am not convinced they even are RGNs doing the assessments, mine could barely speak English, asked nothing about my mental state, had to get a secretary to wheel me out of his office and still deemed me fit to work!

I am not the thread starter, just someone who knows quite a bit about this as i have already been through the process and I volunteer in a great place which deals with advice on this and many other disability related topics.

I'm sorry you got turned down just_some_girl It is ridiculous that they put seriously ill & suicidal people through this kind of stress! I think that you continue to get 'assessment phase' money during the appeal, so I would definitely get your appeal in asap.

I've had 2 assessments (1 for DLA a few years ago and one for ESA recently) and neither of them knew anything about mental illness. In fact the last one was down-right rude and treated me as if I didn't exist! I had to fill out the form again about 6m after I originally applied and am currently waiting to hear if I have to go for another assessment. I hate it! I'm really worried about what will happen long term, as I've heard that ESA entitlement will change to a max of a year, and then you have to go on jobseekers for a max of 6m and then you are screwed if you can't work/find a job

Can you get a social worker who can help you fill out the forms? Even just filling out the forms causes my stress levels to sky-rocket (I hate just seeing it all on paper; it makes me feel so ashamed), and then the waiting to hear, and the anxiety about the assessment...it's horrible! Plus the Govt and media making out that anyone claiming disability is lazy, lying scum crippling the economy. I definitely second going to CAB or a legal aid benefit place. Even though it was really hard for me to go, they sorted out my appeal for DLA so easily, which helped in the long term with stress.

Good luck!

*Willow*

Sorry that happend just_some_girl

I'm still waiting for a letter back.

Thank you all for the support and hugs. I did go to the Citizens Advice Bureau today for some help and advice, although one of the women was a little patronising and joky at first and I ended up having a bit of a strop ("Yes I can carry a cardboard box! Yes I can sit still for an hour!... I scored 0 points on their little form! I need 15! How is appealing going to help? I'm never going to fit their criteria, but that does NOT mean I'm okay - I still want to kill myself!" etc) and then a cry I'm sooo emotional right now! Anyway, in the end they were really helpful and filled in all the forms for me. They said it will probably take a few weeks for them to get back to me with another response, and if it's 'no' then it will go to a tribunal and the CAB will have someone represent me. It's all a bit scary. It is NOT good for my state of mind, all this worry and the way the whole thing makes me feel like worthless scrounging scum. The CAB did say I probably will get payments in the meantime (maybe a timeframe of around 6 months) but that they'll be lower than they were (because £65 isn't a small enough amount to survive on?) but, I guess it's better than nothing. What makes me mad is that they'll only consider information from my doctor and my therapist if there's a tribunal, and not before, yet they are the two people best qualified to judge my mental state. And at the end of the day - why is a doctor's note NOT good enough?! Why do they have to put us all through this?!

FYI, Yellowted: the guy who did my medical assessment barely spoke English either - as if it's not hard enough trying to explain depression and anxiety (I'm still trying to UNDERSTAND it!) to someone to whom English IS a first language. Language is just another barrier. And no, the questions were not at all geared towards mental illness, depression or anxiety at all, the questions were more about physical and mental disability. So, I had trouble giving relevant answers that would reflect how my mental health issues affect my everyday life. The 'criteria' just do not apply to me - or I'm betting anyone with depression or anxiety - no matter how suicidal, agorophobic, whatever. It's like they're saying it's not real illness. How can they get away with this?

Hi all,

Just a quick comment on the post, if you get any forms concerning ESA ask someone from a volunteer agency to help you filling it out. These people fill out the forms every day and know how to word what you are trying to bring across. I had a similar situation and the moment the volunteer agency got involved it was far easier to communicate.

By the way I had to go through an appeal as well and won by even being upgraded on the scale. It wasn't easy, but dont give up. The medical check ups these people do is a joke and there have been countless complaints and appeals... Half of which apparently were won.

I don't need to have an assessment interview, my dad called, because I hadn't heard anything and they told him.

Excellent, I'm so glad for you.

just heard that i have been moved onto the support part of ESA after appealing their decision that i was fit for work. so if any of you are not happy with the decision they give you, APPEAL! you do not lose any money as there is a guarantee of income during the change over process.

I heard back, and it's a 'No' still, but now I guess I have to wait for the tribunal. On the assessment they filled out they make me sound like I'm doing just super Things like 'well kempt and neatly dressed' -- well yeah, I might be depressed but it doesn't mean I can't spray some dry shampoo in my hair and put another layer of make-up on if I'm going out of the house, does it?

Anyone going to these assessments: maybe you shouldn't shower for a week or two? Wear clothes with your breakfast spilled down them? Maybe mess yourself as well, just for good measure? Because if you are clean and know how to use a washing machine (and a wash room), they won't believe you can be suicidal. Also, you might want to SHOW them if you self harm - because they don't ask to see it, and if you only TELL them about it, they will write down that you have 'thoughts' of self harm but no 'plans'... Oh, and make sure you rock back and forth, are sweating profusely (I actually was but they didn't 'notice') and exaggerate any tremors because they don't notice those either. While you're at it, make sure they have to PROMPT you to speak - because hesitating isn't enough. Apparently looking at the floor and occasionally glancing up is ADEQUATE eye contact, so don't look at them at ALL. Oh, and maybe lose your temper and cry (like I did at the CAB afterwards because of this mess) - because otherwise they'll say you're 'well behaved, co-operative, and interested'.... I don't know, maybe you need to take a shopping trolley full of cats in there with you or something.

Just an update to say that they accepted my appeal at tribunal - I had the help of the Citizens Advice Bureau. I think the key is getting advice and support from such a source in the first place. I've been told I may be asked to attend another assessment by the DWP, but this time I will go straight to the CAB with it instead of trying to fill it in myself - the questions on these forms are written in such a way to make you think you don't meet the criteria even if you do.

So, if anyone finds themself in this position, I urge you to appeal and take it all the way, and to attend the tribunal - as scary as that may be - and as much as no one should ever have to go through all this, especially when they're already dealing with mental or physical illness or disability.

I guess I should be happy now that I 'won', but going through all of this has dredged up a lot of negative stuff for me, so right now I just feel drained. (And well, I DO have depression.. )