ESA medical not completed

daska

I had a new member of staff arrive and I have a 2 year old?! What would you like me to do - say, no you're not allowed to get upset because mummy has a medical, or oh no, I better not recruit another carer to replace the one that left because I might have a medical the week after they arrive?

I am not one for sitting on my backside, I never have been, I am naturally an energetic, organised, efficient and highly intelligent, busy woman (and humble with it LOL). I have to force myself to do as little as possible so that I can concentrate my energy where it is most needed and that need is DS2. His dad's virtually bed bound from chemo so there is very little contact. His brother moved 200 miles away, his step-sister lives with her dad and has just started high school and is a typical teen (i.e. we don't see much of her).

We're now in a flat instead of a house and this, with the care package has made a huge difference, but all it means is that instead of crashing every day it's now less frequent.

daska

krisskross wrote: »

Why would you do this knowing that the medical was coming up?

Would be like me staying up all the night before so I was wrecked. You presumably know how much physical exertion is appropriate for your condition.

Thinking about it, your question is very skewed, almost as if you are suggesting that I should have deliberately underdone things in order to survive the medical - which would have strained my resources at the best of times, a 40 minute barrage of questions would leave me struggling to think and move even on a very good day. Surely the condition I attend the medical in should be representative of real life?

krisskross

daska wrote: »

I had a new member of staff arrive and I have a 2 year old?! What would you like me to do - say, no you're not allowed to get upset because mummy has a medical, or oh no, I better not recruit another carer to replace the one that left because I might have a medical the week after they arrive?
QUOTE]

Sorry didn't realise that you hadn't been given enough warning of the medical to rearrange your days. If your income depends on the result of the medical examination then this must be your priority and everything else put on the backburner for a couple of days.

dmg24

daska, you should be aware that your ability to care for/ spend time with your child has absolutely no bearing on your ESA entitlement, nor on your ability to work.

krisskross

daska wrote: »

Thinking about it, your question is very skewed, almost as if you are suggesting that I should have deliberately underdone things in order to survive the medical - which would have strained my resources at the best of times, a 40 minute barrage of questions would leave me struggling to think and move even on a very good day. Surely the condition I attend the medical in should be representative of real life?

The exact opposite actually. I got the impression from your OP that you had known you were overdoing it, perhaps thinking that a state of exhaustion would give a favourable impression of your difficulties to the examiner

daska

dmg24 wrote: »

daska, you should be aware that your ability to care for/ spend time with your child has absolutely no bearing on your ESA entitlement, nor on your ability to work.

is that official DWP policy? maybe in your view DS2 would be better off if I handed him over to SS so I could go back to work?

but factually, yes it does, because the only way my being a parent can't impact my ability to work is if I cease to be a parent. I'd rather lose all my benefits than give up DS2, I've already lost a husband and 2 children to this vile illness.

daska

krisskross wrote: »

The exact opposite actually. I got the impression from your OP that you had known you were overdoing it, perhaps thinking that a state of exhaustion would give a favourable impression of your difficulties to the examiner

Of course my 2 year old child is angelic, sleeps through the night, never catches a cold and thinks carefully before every action just in case it hurts... :rotfl:

krisskross

daska wrote: »

Of course my 2 year old child is angelic, sleeps through the night, never catches a cold and thinks carefully before every action just in case it hurts... :rotfl:

As you have a young child why not just claim IS as a lone parent instead of putting yourself through all this medical stuff?

dmg24

krisskross wrote: »

As you have a young child why not just claim IS as a lone parent instead of putting yourself through all this medical stuff?

I am wondering this also.

daska, the fact is that you are assessed in the same way as any other claimant, irrespective of whether they have children or not. ESA is based on your health condition and your ability to work, not your family circumstances.

daska

krisskross wrote: »

As you have a young child why not just claim IS as a lone parent instead of putting yourself through all this medical stuff?

That's exactly what I tried to do. I wasn't allowed to.