Please help

catalina66

Please can someone advise ... I just got my IB assessment result and am absolutely shattered, as NOTHING I said about physically or mentally has been taken into account apart from 2 or 3 minor points ... I am due to have both hips replaced, and have constant cystitis and bladder weakness due to severe rape and abuse, which I am trying to recover from through moving house and very soon beginning rape counselling ... the decision makes NO reference to ANY of this ... also no reference to that I cannot lift things, cannot bend or kneel easily at all, cannot stand or walk for long ... all it says is 'sometimes can't get up from a chair without holding onto something', 'can't walk for more than 800 metres without having to stop', and 'can go up stairs sideways or one step at a time' ... I got 6 points for that, thus they say I'm not entitled to IB from the 4th November.

I am terrified about income, what to do ... I realise I must appeal, but then what if the decision is the same? I can't work, and did so many years of unpaid and difficult voluntary carework for years before my own health began to suffer and then the very recent trauma.

IB was due in on Wednesday ... will I have nothing that day? Even if I call the jobcentre immediately, there'll be no income?

Crying as I type this ... please can someone advise. I would really appreciate this. Thanks, Cat

atlantis187

soo sorry to hear this.

I hope the scumbag who did this to u has been locked up for a long time with the keys being thrown away.

catalina66

atlantis187 wrote: »

soo sorry to hear this.

I hope the scumbag who did this to u has been locked up for a long time with the keys being thrown away.

thanks atlantis187, much appreciate your kindness ... love from Cat

AimeesMum_2

I am sorry to hear about this. You will need to appeal. Write a VERY detailed letter as in the first instance your appeal is read by a decision maker at the benefits office. Unfortunately, I have never heard of anyone being successful in having it overturned by a decision maker but do not skimp around the details. Go into every point in detail that you do not agree with. Also, comment on how intrusive it is for you to have to go through this again as your situation is just awful.

My partner appealed and it almost a year before his appeal was heard and he won. They gave him all his back dated money.

As we weren't entitled for my partner to claim anything as I was working I am unsure what you claim while you are waiting but contact the Job Centre as soon as possible and find out.

Wishing you lots of luck.

dmg24

The problem is that the things that you mention would not necessarily lead to an IB award. I would take specialist advice before making your appeal, as your claim is far from clear.

catalina66

AimeesMum wrote: »

I am sorry to hear about this. You will need to appeal. Write a VERY detailed letter as in the first instance your appeal is read by a decision maker at the benefits office. Unfortunately, I have never heard of anyone being successful in having it overturned by a decision maker but do not skimp around the details. Go into every point in detail that you do not agree with. Also, comment on how intrusive it is for you to have to go through this again as your situation is just awful.

My partner appealed and it almost a year before his appeal was heard and he won. They gave him all his back dated money.

As we weren't entitled for my partner to claim anything as I was working I am unsure what you claim while you are waiting but contact the Job Centre as soon as possible and find out.

Wishing you lots of luck.

Dear AimeesMum, thanks so much ... I just called the benefits office, cried and they were nice, and said to appeal straightaway and, as you said, that they read it first ... what you have said is so helpful, as the man that called me back did say that the next stage would be a tribunal, so that you have said your partner eventually won his appeal that way is great ... although I have just been working out my bills ... if I can successfully claim ESA, which the man said may require another medical, and for which I need a sick note/doctor’s letter (my long-term doctor has just retired, so this means a totally new doctor), then income would be £260 a month, yet bills are £326 a month ... and the man said I’d need to apply for a crisis loan, as no money will be issued for Wednesday. I have no idea how to cope ... another medical possibly ... the IB doctor had seemed really nice ... and it is so intrusive, as you say ... and the plan had been to move out of the area where all this stuff happened, in the next 3 months or so. Your advice is great, and thanks for saying about to say how intrusive it all is, as I’d never thought of that; head's mushed. Great to hear your partner won the case and got it all backpaid. Good news for you both, and very encouraging for me to read. Thanks again. Love from Cat

catalina66

dmg24 wrote: »

The problem is that the things that you mention would not necessarily lead to an IB award. I would take specialist advice before making your appeal, as your claim is far from clear.

thanks dmg24 ... I'm confused totally by the IB decision, as the need for hip replacements would be covered in my medical records and they seem not to have seen this ... I hadn't gone to my gp for most of this year about the other physical issue or anything, due to distress/became a bit agrophobic, and my gp was off long-term sick and I only felt comfortable with him and was waiting for him to return ... but have just found out he won't be back, has retired. I'd told the IB doctor all this, thinking that would be understood, yet see now that the IB is more cold than I could ever have imagined ... although I myself understand that maybe less severe emotional reasons often don't hold any bearing with e.g. IB, I'm so confused as this is extreme emotional reason with clear physical problems ... and practically everything I stated in my IB form has not been referred to.

My question is just to ask what specialist advice would be best, as the local CAB has never been that good ... I've always ended up trying to find stuff out myself online.

Many thanks again, Cat

dmg24

I would contact Welfare Rights at your local council (if their funding has not been withdrawn) or DIAL.

AimeesMum_2

I agree with DMG you should contact someone at your local council or your local MP as it's not fair on you to have to discuss such a complicated medical condition with many benefits assessors.

You say your bills are not going to be covered by your new allowance? Do you mind if I ask how this is built up? Perhaps as you are now getting less income you will be able to claim more housing benefit or council tax benefit?

Crisis loans aren't ideal as you need to pay them back and they can be pretty difficult to obtain.

I really feel for you and hope that you can get something sorted quickly.

frank_begbie

[QUOTE=

catalina 66

;discussion/2854744]Please can someone advise ... I just got my IB assessment result and am absolutely shattered, as NOTHING I said about physically or mentally has been taken into account apart from 2 or 3 minor points ... I am due to have both hips replaced, and have constant cystitis and bladder weakness due to severe rape and abuse, which I am trying to recover from through moving house and very soon beginning rape counselling ... the decision makes NO reference to ANY of this ... also no reference to that I cannot lift things, cannot bend or kneel easily at all, cannot stand or walk for long ... all it says is 'sometimes can't get up from a chair without holding onto something', 'can't walk for more than 800 metres without having to stop', and 'can go up stairs sideways or one step at a time' ... I got 6 points for that, thus they say I'm not entitled to IB from the 4

th

November.

I am terrified about income, what to do ... I realise I must appeal, but then what if the decision is the same? I can't work, and did so many years of unpaid and difficult voluntary

care work

for years before my own health began to suffer and then the very recent trauma.

IB was due in on Wednesday ... will I have nothing that day? Even if I call the

jobcentre

immediately,

there'll

be no income?

Crying as I type this ... please can someone advise. I would really appreciate this. Thanks, Cat[/QUOTE]


The shocking thing is, I'm not shocked by your experience, its all too familiar.

For all the use of the medical, they may as well draw numbers out of a hat.

When Steven Hawking went for his medical he got 6 points I believe

catalina66

dmg24 wrote: »

I would contact Welfare Rights at your local council (if their funding has not been withdrawn) or DIAL.

many thanks dmg24 ... really appreciate your advice and will look that up ... many thanks again, Cat