Ib50 Form Med 4

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Can someone please explain, as I posted before my friend has received an IB50 form to fill in.It states she doesnt need to send in a med 4 or supply any supporting medical evidence from her doctor.
What is a med 4 and how long will she have to wait to see if she has to have a medical examination.What is the usual wait.Any help would be appreciated as she is pretty stressed out about this.

CarolnMalky

All she has do to is complete the form and return it...if anything further was required from the GP ie the med4, then she would have gone to her GP and asked them to complete one...seeing as they have not asked for one then she shouldn't worry about it. No idea as to how long it will be to get the reply and decision.
If she is unsure how to complete the IB50, get her to call her local CAB or council welfare department.
Hope all goes ok
Carol

hjb123

Hi,

Your friend should get some help in filling in the IB50 - the people at the Citizens Advice Bureau or Welfare Rights Service will be able to help your friend with this. I did my last one on my own and didnt really know what it was and made a total hash up of it which led to my benefits being stopped - not meaning to frighten you or your friend at all!

With regards the MED4 your friend should ask the doctor for it as they will know what it is. Take copies of everything that is sent in to the DWP and send it recorded delivery - otherwise they may claim it has gone 'missing'!

Tell your friend not to worry too much about it - there are plenty of people that can help her!

Broker_2

Exactly the same thing happened with my friend. Sent the IB50 off to them. No Med4 required. It was a review for IB due early March. She received IB50in early April 06. DWP got them on 25 April 06, She got a medical date in August ( you get at least 7 days notice) and is still waiting for a decision letter. She has contacted local DWP and they have not had the decision makers papers back yet so its a waiting game. She lives in London. I personally think the delays are unacceptable and costly especially if you are not entitled. If you are then its a nightmare wait to be validated. From the many conversations she had with local DWP throughout, they say there is months backlog at each stage. She could not believe it. Just check her dates: exactly 5 months today she has been in the process. She expects a letter anyday now. It is effectively 6 months wait if you allow from early March which was when her review was due. She was expecting forms from then onwards, so it has been a long drawn out affair - half a year and counting.

saintjanet

you are only requested to send one med4 by the dwp.if your friend sent one last time they filled in an ib50 they will not need another,this is why they have not been asked for one.

As for waiting times i can only agree with what has been said by broker.the dwp are short of staff and everything seems to take ages at the moment,a friend sent back an ib50 in may and has heard nothing my husband returned his in july and has heard nothing.

hjb123

What is the MED4 form for anyway - I know the doctor writes it but hows it different to a normal sick note etc? Anyone know? When I filled in my IB50 last year I had to send one in. Will I not need to the next time I get my IB50 - which will be any day now?

saintjanet

hjb123 wrote:

What is the MED4 form for anyway - I know the doctor writes it but hows it different to a normal sick note etc? Anyone know? When I filled in my IB50 last year I had to send one in. Will I not need to the next time I get my IB50 - which will be any day now?

The med4 gives your GP more opportunity to enlarge on your illness,for example your original sick note may just say depression ,the doctor could add on the med4 that you have anxiety/agraphobia etc.THEN THERE IS THE IB113!! all this informtion is supposed to help the dwp make a decision but it seems it is all dependant on how your gp views your condition and how much detail they are willing to give on the form.

you should not need another med4 when you get your ib50.
.

hjb123

Ah right thats great thanks. All these different forms just get me so confused - well more confused than I already am. I am lucky in that my GP has been very supportive although I havent been seeing him as often as I am startign to manage my illness a little better - I think! Some GPs though just dont have enough time for all the form filling etc that is required of them and just write the bare minimum on them - mine did at one stage but that got resolved in the end

MRSTITTLEMOUSE

Does everyone that sends in an IB50 get sent for a medical exam.My friend was told back in 1995 she satisfied the test as being unfit to be able to work again and told not to bother sending in any sick notes again.She hasnt since then.This IB50 form has realy unsettled her,she is no better now than she was then,She suffered a spinal injury at work in 1987 and although she can walk she has lots of problems and Im afraid the stress is going to bring her right down.She was awarded dla and industrial injuries for life for the same problem.She is nearly 52 now so who is going to employ a disabled person of that age anyway.Is this a new form that is sent out to everyone at some time or other.I've never even heard of it.Thankyou for all the replies by the way.

SMC_2

MRSTITTLEMOUSE wrote:

Does everyone that sends in an IB50 get sent for a medical exam.My friend was told back in 1995 she satisfied the test as being unfit to be able to work again and told not to bother sending in any sick notes again.She hasnt since then.This IB50 form has realy unsettled her,she is no better now than she was then,She suffered a spinal injury at work in 1987 and although she can walk she has lots of problems and Im afraid the stress is going to bring her right down.She was awarded dla and industrial injuries for life for the same problem.She is nearly 52 now so who is going to employ a disabled person of that age anyway.Is this a new form that is sent out to everyone at some time or other.I've never even heard of it.Thankyou for all the replies by the way.

I was 7/8 years between medicals. So unless your friend is in any of the exempt categories then she is always liable to be sent the IB50 and attend a medical if required. The IB50 form is not new, it has been around for years..

Hope things work out ok for your friend.

WillEyedOney

If you want to make sure you get maximum time before you are called in for the medical then don't send the form in until the last moment, when you do send it in 'forget' to fill in one of the descriptors and then leave it until the last moment to send it in again. This will buy you a few months extra time.