ESA declared Fit for work. Died 4 weeks later.

Hello all,

I am posting here as for a bit of advice after my fathers sudden death, it is a bit of a story so please bear with me. I have tried to include everything, but there is a lot, so if anyone needs anymore information, please comment and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

My father was diagnosed with Diabetes a number of years ago. At first, he didn't control it very well and was rushed into hospital 5 years ago very sick. Since then, he was self injecting Insulin to keep it under control.

Due to the Diabetes, the nerves in his fingers were damaged, giving him some problems with his dexterity. This caused him to have to give up work about 5-6 years ago.

His eyesight was also deteriorating. It got to the point that he had to surrender his driving license to the DVLA and was prescribed Laser Eye Treatment by his Doctor. He had the Laser Surgery around 4 years ago, however, this gave him very little improvement. For the past year or so, he has had to fold his bank notes a certain way so he knows which are £5, £10, £20 because he just can't see.

He also had poor circulation in his legs (not sure if this was due to the diabetes). Around 8 years ago, he was working for a car manufacturer and one of the cars dropped on his foot and damaged it. This never healed properly, and around 4 years ago he was diagnosed with Shark-O-Foot. This is where all the muscles in his foot contract, crushing all the bones pretty much to dust. He was prescribed special shoes to help with this.

He was living alone (with family close by) in Northampton in reciept of ESA and Higher Rate Mobility on DLA.

In March last year, he moved down to Cornwall and he was still on the same benefits.

ESA wrote to him soon after moving, telling him that he had to have a Work Capability Assesment to make sure he was still entitled to his benefits.

He was sent out the Questionaire, which he filled out and sent back and ESA arranged for the Assesment to be carried out at his home as he lives too far away from any of their offices.

He carried on as normal.

15 Months later (Yes, that is correct. 15 Months) his appointment date is drawing near. He called ESA and asked them to send out a new questionaire as his conditions continued to deteriorate and they need to be kept up to date.

ESA told him that they would not send him out another questionaire as 'thats not what they normally do' (Even after 15 months!)

The assessor came to his house and assessed him, and a couple of weeks later, he had a phone call from them saying that he was fit for work and they would not be paying him anymore.

(from this point, I was not really aware of what was going on with him benefit wise. I knew he was going through the appeal process, but that was about it)

My father started the appeal process and had the form the assessor filled out sent to him and done what they asked him too.
I know his doctor wrote to ESA with his form to explain how sick he was.

He told me that the assessment form hadn't been entered into the computer properly. I remember him telling me that the woman who assessed him asked how long it takes him to walk to the local shop.
The woman wrote on the assessment form 'Walk to shop takes 10 minutes, but takes him 45 minutes
However, on the computer the person wrote just 'takes 10 minutes'

4 weeks after he was called by ESA to tell him that he was fit for work (and a couple of days before his Rent was due, which because of ESA stopping his benefit, he was short for) he suffered a huge heart attack, and died a few days later in hospital.

Looking through his paperwork, I came across all the ESA paperwork regarding his assessment, the decision and how far along he had got in the appeal process.
In the assessment form, his condition isn't described as bad as it was (whether this is down to my father trying to make out like everything is not as bad as it seems, or the assessor I cannot be sure.)

A week and a half or so ago, I received a letter from ESA telling me that my father was going through the appeal process and asking if I wanted the process to continue.

I wrote back to the explaining what was wrong with him, and telling them how ridiculous that it was that he was declared fit for work, as there is no way on Gods earth that he was. I asked for the appeal process to continue.

This morning, I got a letter through from ESA stating that they are standing by the original decision, even after taking the 'points I raised', and his paperwork has now been sent off to an independent tribunal who will look at the decision again.

So to sum it all up....

My father was claiming ESA for his chest pain (which was on the forms as indigestion/acid reflux, but I am sure he was on tablets for Angina) his difficulty walking and his poor eyesight.

I really feel that ESA have failed my father.
(I do believe that they are partly responsible for his death with the stress they caused him)

I don't know who I am supposed to complain to, to make my voice heard.

I need to do something to make my complaint heard. To try and get this system changed to help others.

Watching Channel 4 news, there is a family who have just gone through the exact same thing and it needs to stop.

Thank you for reading this much! If you can help, I will be very appreciative.
If you need any more information, please ask, and I will get back to you ASAP.

Thanks again.