help with esa support group

robpw2

op i appreciate the difficulties you face and trust me i know what the dwp are like im currently fighting them . But can i ask you a question ?

do you want to work?


I feel with the right support and information you could do something , it doesnt have to be full time but perhaps being in the work group means that they can help you get partime work or put you in touch with volunteering work you could do and at the same time build your confidence .

Its very easy to say i can't because i suffer ..... but sometimes you need others to show you what you can

Muttleythefrog

kofi100 wrote: »

i am on dla top rate for both mobility and care, just filled in my esa50 form and posted today how long will it take before i hear anything from them ?? feel sick with worry already !!:mad:

There seems to be general admin delays of serious note at moment at DWP relating to ESA. However you've just posted your ESA50 and ATOS HC will be soon processing that along with any other evidence. They should fairly quickly decide if a face to face medical is necessary or if contacting someone like your GP may be sufficient or if they already have enough information. If they decide face to face medical it could take a few weeks to arrange... otherwise it might take less time with other possibilities. Once they send their advice (ESA85 face to face medical report or ESA85A if no face to face medical) to DWP expect serious delay of months.

My advice is email customer services at ATOS HC giving your name, addres, NI No, local ATOS HC medical assessment centre (e.g. Newcastle) and state you're anxious and want to know what is happening. Ask if they received your ESA50 form. I found that they efficiently are able to give from their records simple information that is quite revealing. For example in my case they said they had received my ESA50 and were contacting my GP and would give them 2 weeks to reply. They 2 weeks later they said they'd closed their file - i.e. advice sent to DWP with GP report (ESA113). This enabled me to pin point the time at which ATOS HC sent their advice to DWP and I requested it (ESA85A)... if you have a face to face medical advice is probably sent (ESA85) within a day or two. I'd advise requesting from DWP the ESA85 or ESA85A at the relevant time and you might get months of advance warning at to what to expect regarding DWP decision. I advise being quite proactive in all this because even when DWP take decision there is no guarantee at all that they'll inform you of the decision (with any clarity).

skintmacflint

survivor_13 wrote: »

Might as well be clear to paint a picture of why i cant work.

i Have autonomic neuropathy, a complication from insulin dependant diabetes affecting my stomach and heart. Continence issues result from this constantly. Also rapid drops in blood pressure giving blackouts, loss of hearing and vision, breathlessness.
Also hyperadrenalism and neuralgic pains from the autonomic neuropathy.
All of these together are hard enough, making any kind of daily routine impossible. And as many know, the key to having any kind of diabetic control is routine.
Because of this blood sugars and insulin dosage varies wildly.
Throw into the mix the vast amount of side effects from the medication used to treat the multiple issues and its quite a melting pot.

At present and for the last 8 months i've been in constant contact with doctors trying to change and modify doses of meds, types of meds and much more just so i can have some sort of resemblance of a normal life instead of having to calculate each and every movement made every hour of every waking day to to make it to the next.

I'm sorry if it has made me bitter but rightfully so.

Survivor, can sympathise as I'm familiar with all of this and more. It's difficult , especially when you are so young. I'm much older and not dependant on benefits thankfully.

It's possible if you read up on all of this, to find ways to help yourself. GP's and consultants usually won't achieve too much for you, especially with insulin doses, as every individual is different and so is every day. Mine weren't much help at all.

Alpha Lipoic Acid (supplement) 600mg may help preserve and repair some nerve function in the peripheral neuropathy.

If you're having low blood pressure after eating look up Postprandial Hypotension and Dump syndrome and try some advice for that. Changing to small portions but umpteen of them will help if you're conking out 40 to 60 mins after eating. As will caffeine, and compression socks etc.

Ask to be checked for chronic anemaia, very common and even slight anemia will make things worse, altho GP's say it shouldn't. It does.

If you monitor what foods are running through or causing digestion delays (eg eating anything with fat will delay digestion for hours) then you can sort of work from there. Check your BS constantly and adjust from there. Not sure if your gastroparesis is constant or intermittent?

It will be possible for you to manage something in the future once you've got to grips with this, and let some of your anger go at the frustration of living with this. It might not be what you originally planned, but sometimes in life, 1 door closes and another opens.

For the support group criteria, unconsciousness doesn't always count as a support group descriptor even when scored at 15 points. Continance problems which score 15 should count. Appealing a Tribunal decision doesn't seem to be easy from what I've read.

I've read some people who've won at Tribunal seem to receive another ESA form to fill in very quickly after the decision and get called in for another assessment. That might be the time to push for Support Group if you feel you need it, to have time to learn how to cope with all of this.

Regardless I wish you well for the future