ESA advice needed

qwertyuiop12345

cozza wrote: »

I hope it all workss out for you strawberry cupcake
my tribunal is on the 7/7 so il keep you posted
cozza

Good luck with your tribunal!

Don't let things that strangers say on messageboards upset you, you know the truth of your situation and you have nothing to prove to anyone you meet online.

qwertyuiop12345

GriffithsGirl wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm new on the site.

A friend of mine told me that I am eligible for ESA (the new Incapacity benefit) so today I rang the freephone number and gave them the basic details. (I am Bipolar and currently claim DLA and also have a Freedom Pass).

Thing is, I've been reading lots of horror stories online today about the ESA application process, intimidating medicals and most people getting turned down. It has really upset me and I feel very daunted by the process now. :eek::embarasse

Has anybody here completed this application, and can they tell me about their experiences, and what I can expect to face? I almost feel like giving up already.

Hi GriffithsGirl, I haven't applied for ESA and I don't have a mental health condition, so I am not sure whether my experience is any use to you, but I was similarly very concerned before I applied for IB (which has been replaced by ESA). The IB medical was quite stressful, but it lasted less than an hour and the process was definitely worthwhile for me. It wasn't a nice experience, but I won't have to do it again for a couple of years.

Get some good advice from someone like Mind or the CAB and don't be too scared to apply. Good Luck.

Breast_Cancer_Survivor

GriffithsGirl wrote: »

Hi everyone, I'm new on the site.

A friend of mine told me that I am eligible for ESA (the new Incapacity benefit) so today I rang the freephone number and gave them the basic details. (I am Bipolar and currently claim DLA and also have a Freedom Pass).

Thing is, I've been reading lots of horror stories online today about the ESA application process, intimidating medicals and most people getting turned down. It has really upset me and I feel very daunted by the process now. :eek::embarasse

Has anybody here completed this application, and can they tell me about their experiences, and what I can expect to face? I almost feel like giving up already.

Hi GriffithsGirl pleased to meet you. :hello:

Ive suffered from depression & anxiety for the last 10 years, I was also diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (a form of higher functioning Autism) in Jan 2006 & ive been on Incapacity benefit ever since.

I was told I should be eligible for DLA as Austism is considered a disability, I applied in March 2006 but was turned down, I asked for a reconsideration but was turned down again, I then appealed & lost.

When I got the results of the appeal it stated the reason I wasn't entitled to DLA was that I could write really good letters therefore I couldn't be as badly effected as id claimed. The fact that I couldn't leave my house to post the letters id written didn't seem to matter to them one bit, they even implied id lied saying my evidence wasn't consistent.

I was furious & applied to the Commisioner to appeal against the decision & was granted it on the basis that they should of called myself & my Occupational Therapist to discuss the inconsistencies before dismissing my claim.

I finally won my appeal in 2008, 2 years after 1st applying, all I can say is never give up, if you know they are wrong fight to prove it, obtain as much information as possible about your condition & bombard them with it.

Good luck with your application & don't let the B******s grind you down.