Failed ESA medical.

dmg24

G51shopaholic wrote: »

This "medical" is a joke - but it is anything but funny.

The "points system it generates is as old as the hills. It makes no excemption for severe illness.

My illness - secondary breast cancer in the lungs - severe breathing problems, coughing fits with every movement.

I was off sick for 28 weeks - then came ESA. I had some stupid little person on the phone to me asking medical questions when she had obviously NO medical secretarial training what-so-ever! And i told her as much.

She had no clue about stages of Cancer, nor what secondary cancer ment. She could spell either!

I wrote an irate letter to my local MP and guess what - he phoned me a few days later and said he written to the Head of the ESA department and would be in touch.

Two weeks later I got a letter of apology from my ESA office and was advised they'd "re-examined" my original claim form (because I was original incorrectly advised to apply for incapasity benefit because information given on the Direct gov website said if your illness started before Oct 08 you could still get Incapasity benefit and the local benefit office checked with their superiors and were told the same thing) I was granted Support status and haven't heard anything more from them for over 2 years now!

Seems that unless you arrive in a wee white van, with a gold plated straight jacket your deemed fit.

My advise is write to your local MP - and you can DEMAND to be placed in a Support group while your medical is being assessed.

AND GET THE MONEY BACK-DATED. This is something that they don't tell you but it can be requested and they can't refused - read the ESA Act. It is worth knowing what they don't want you to know!

You do talk some nonsense ...

daska

dmg24 wrote: »

I trust you can substantiate this figure with factual evidence? No, I didn't think you could!

If you glance at the figures on quickly they don't appear to be that far off

Executive summary
This is the official statistics publication of Work Capability Assessment (WCA) figures
relating to Employment and Support Allowance Claims (ESA). It contains figures on
ESA claims to August 2009 and WCAs to February 2010.
The headline figures are:
For all new ESA Claims from 27th October 2008 to 31st August 2009, the result of the
initial WCA is as follows:
o Support Group - 5%
o Work Related Activity Group -13%
o Fit for Work - 39%
o Claim closed before assessment complete - 37%
o Assessment still in progress - 5%

If 'passing' the medical implies being placed in the support or work related activity groups then that's only 18% of applicants or, by implication 8.2/10 fail to be found unfit for work.

Now, I never did statistics at school but surely, if you deduct the 42% who never get as far as the medical, the 'success' rate leaps to 18/58 or just under 1/3.

That's the silver lining. The cloud is those who, like myself, have cancelled claims because we simply can't cope with the level stress the system imposes.

happyinflorida

DMG24 - why are you always rude and unhelpful?

go on a course on learning to be nice to others

As for you saying that the other message contained no info re "here"

Yes it does - are you deliberately berating others on here for being helpful when you cannot/won't?

Go away and stay away from these boards

happyinflorida

Right, rant over, now here's some help from me!

This organisation are very helpful re appeals, applying for ESA and DLA etc.

this is the direct link -

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

I've found them a godsend at a time when I was really getting very stressed and scared at the prospect of having a medical with ESA - I passed!

This site gives loads of info on everything about the medicals - it's very reassuring.

You can get loads of info for free but I paid to join and found it was worth every penny, it's not expensive.

I do hope this helps you and good luck!

healy

happyinflorida wrote: »

DMG24 - why are you always rude and unhelpful?

go on a course on learning to be nice to others

As for you saying that the other message contained no info re "here"

Yes it does - are you deliberately berating others on here for being helpful when you cannot/won't?

Go away and stay away from these boards

If you read some of dmgs post you will see that she is not rude and unhelpful and has given good advice to a great many people.

I do not think you are in any position to tell her to go away and stay away.

dmg24

happyinflorida wrote: »

Right, rant over, now here's some help from me!

This organisation are very helpful re appeals, applying for ESA and DLA etc.

this is the direct link -

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

I've found them a godsend at a time when I was really getting very stressed and scared at the prospect of having a medical with ESA - I passed!

This site gives loads of info on everything about the medicals - it's very reassuring.

You can get loads of info for free but I paid to join and found it was worth every penny, it's not expensive.

I do hope this helps you and good luck!

Ah yes, BenefitsandWork - pay us to tell you exactly what you can find for free elsewhere on the internet. Good advice there! :T

daska, I agree that some people withdraw from the WCA process because it is stressful, however I don't doubt that many more withdraw because they realise they are actually capable of some work. Ignoring those still in progress, that would make 40% decided to be fit for work, less than half of what was suggested earlier.

SimIsOnTheUp

G51shopaholic wrote: »

This "medical" is a joke - but it is anything but funny.

The "points system it generates is as old as the hills. It makes no excemption for severe illness.

My illness - secondary breast cancer in the lungs - severe breathing problems, coughing fits with every movement.

I was off sick for 28 weeks - then came ESA. I had some stupid little person on the phone to me asking medical questions when she had obviously NO medical secretarial training what-so-ever! And i told her as much.

She had no clue about stages of Cancer, nor what secondary cancer ment. She could spell either!

I wrote an irate letter to my local MP and guess what - he phoned me a few days later and said he written to the Head of the ESA department and would be in touch.

Two weeks later I got a letter of apology from my ESA office and was advised they'd "re-examined" my original claim form (because I was original incorrectly advised to apply for incapasity benefit because information given on the Direct gov website said if your illness started before Oct 08 you could still get Incapasity benefit and the local benefit office checked with their superiors and were told the same thing) I was granted Support status and haven't heard anything more from them for over 2 years now!

Seems that unless you arrive in a wee white van, with a gold plated straight jacket your deemed fit.

My advise is write to your local MP - and you can DEMAND to be placed in a Support group while your medical is being assessed.

AND GET THE MONEY BACK-DATED. This is something that they don't tell you but it can be requested and they can't refused - read the ESA Act. It is worth knowing what they don't want you to know!

Hiya G51shopaholic

Sorry to hear of your prior grief regarding ESA.

Great to hear it's now been sorted out :T

I had my ESA Medical in February of this year, and 'failed'.

Last Friday, I received the 'reconsideration' letter from the DWP, advising me that their decision was 'unchanged', and that the original decision made by the 'medical professional' would stay the same.

I had the 'request for reconsideration / appeal form' ready back in Feb, and sent it off as soon as I heard I'd failed.

Could you, or any of you guys and gals on here, confirm whether or not, I am entitled to request that the DWP put me on the 'work related' rate of ESA?

Many Thanks,

Sim.

SimIsOnTheUp

The DWP told me on Friday, that 'Atos' would be in touch next, to let me know of the next step regarding the appeal process.

What can I do to help win the appeal?

I'm going to ask my Counsellor and GP for some help with this.

Also, as I asked previously, if the DWP would agree to increase my ESA to the 'work related rate', this increase would help immensely.

daska

dmg24 wrote: »

Ah yes, BenefitsandWork - pay us to tell you exactly what you can find for free elsewhere on the internet. Good advice there! :T

daska, I agree that some people withdraw from the WCA process because it is stressful, however I don't doubt that many more withdraw because they realise they are actually capable of some work. Ignoring those still in progress, that would make 40% decided to be fit for work, less than half of what was suggested earlier.

surely the criticism was of how many ATOS found fit for work after conducting the medical (like my doctor who's English was so poor that he couldn't understand the difference between attending a 'workshop' assisted by a carer paid for by SS and working in a shop!)

using the figures provided:

100 people apply

42 haven't had a medical (37 claims closed + 5 waiting for the medical)

Therefore, unless I'm being particularly dim today, 58 people have had a medical by ATOS.

39/58 of those are found fit for work (67%)

13/58 are assigned to the Work Related Activity Group (22%)

5/58 make it into the support group (8%)

melbury

Sorry to sound thick, but what is ATOS? We are in the process of filling in the ESA claim form :eek::eek::eek: and so presumably will get called for a medical soon after it is sent in. From reading this thread, undoubtedly rejection will follow.