ESA medical form

gadjah543

Hi there,
I am currently being treated for cancer and finished chemo in Sept and have just had a further op.I started claiming Esa in Oct and have recently been sent a medical questionnaire to fill in.A lot of the things on the form I am still capable of doing but my Dr has told me I am unfit to work .Will my esa be stopped because I can walk a certain distance etc? Thanks for any advice

Indie_Kid

Many people will find that a lot of the questions don't apply to them.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

sh1305 wrote: »

Many people will find that a lot of the questions don't apply to them.

and not enough space to give a detailed answer either!

the best way to fill in the form is not to think yes i can do that but with a struggle and making me feel worse.

its down to the Decision maker whether to put you in a support group of esa or work group of it, get a better understanding of your condition and how it affects your daily life, so all the advice i can give is think back to when you were fine and the things you could do without a stuggle and think to how you are now and the things you stuggle with. if the decision maker cant decide on what group you should be in then he will refure you to a medical exam for a med report.

im not saying to you lie on the form but all im saying is if you struggle with certain things or need help to carry the goal out then you have to bear in mind these question are about what you can do on your own with ease not a stuggle. and approach the form with that angle.

enabledebra

I'm not sure if the treatment you have had falls within this definition but you would be exempt from the test if it does:
receiving, or recovering from, intravenous, intraperitoneal or intrathecal chemotherapy;

There are other exemptions but this is the one that springs to mind.

If you are not exempt you have to satisfy enough of the criteria to 'score' 15 points. The points granted for each category are here: http://www.disabilityalliance.org/f33.htm

gadjah543

enabledebra wrote: »

I'm not sure if the treatment you have had falls within this definition but you would be exempt from the test if it does:
receiving, or recovering from, intravenous, intraperitoneal or intrathecal chemotherapy;

There are other exemptions but this is the one that springs to mind.

Thanks for this and the other replies .My fit note did specify I was recovering from chemo and it was definitely intravenous so hopefully that will exempt me from having to score 15 points. Thanks again

oldestrocker

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

and not enough space to give a detailed answer either!

the best way to fill in the form is not to think yes i can do that but with a struggle and making me feel worse.

its down to the Decision maker whether to put you in a support group of esa or work group of it, get a better understanding of your condition and how it affects your daily life, so all the advice i can give is think back to when you were fine and the things you could do without a stuggle and think to how you are now and the things you stuggle with. if the decision maker cant decide on what group you should be in then he will refure you to a medical exam for a med report.

im not saying to you lie on the form but all im saying is if you struggle with certain things or need help to carry the goal out then you have to bear in mind these question are about what you can do on your own with ease not a stuggle. and approach the form with that angle.

And if you look at it that way, the only thing you will do is depress yourself!!
There is nothing wrong with being honest. If you can do the descriptor tell them you can do it, but sometimes it causes difficulties.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

oldestrocker wrote: »

And if you look at it that way, the only thing you will do is depress yourself!!
There is nothing wrong with being honest. If you can do the descriptor tell them you can do it, but sometimes it causes difficulties.

oh god you cant educate pork.

the forms are there to establish what you can and cant do without help or a struggle. depressing as it sounds to admit to yourself that there maybe things you need support in doing but the questions are not worded do you need support in doing XYZ, so the approach to them is as i described to be helpfull to he OP in understanding the forms questions better.

the DM has no inbetween catagory, it either you can or cant no inbetween like NEED SUPPORT the inbetweens is left for ATOS MEDICAL SERVICES to establish a yes or no!!

and even then the individual can answer wrong in a honest way E.G

doctor: can you climb a flight of stairs?

wrong honest reply: yes i can but struggle with the effect of xyz condition so a person will help or ill use my stair lift!

what do you think the doctor heared in that reply? YES, thats all he's looking for.

right honest answer would be: NO because of xyz condition im in agony and need help with climbing stairs when not at home or use a stair lift when at home.

what do you think the doctor heared in that reply?
he heared NO wich would/should have promted him to either ask more relavant questions or listen to you fully!

its the same with the forms. its not about lying its about being truethfull to yourself (depressing as it may seem) and wording your answers to be fully undertstood.

cit_k

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

and not enough space to give a detailed answer either!

the best way to fill in the form is not to think yes i can do that but with a struggle and making me feel worse.

its down to the Decision maker whether to put you in a support group of esa or work group of it, get a better understanding of your condition and how it affects your daily life, so all the advice i can give is think back to when you were fine and the things you could do without a stuggle and think to how you are now and the things you stuggle with. if the decision maker cant decide on what group you should be in then he will refure you to a medical exam for a med report.

im not saying to you lie on the form but all im saying is if you struggle with certain things or need help to carry the goal out then you have to bear in mind these question are about what you can do on your own with ease not a stuggle. and approach the form with that angle.

ATOS actually get the form first and compile a preboard report, which is meant to examine the evidence and report to the decision maker if you require an assessment or should in one of the ESA groups automatically.
The decision maker will use that to determine what to do.

Ask for a copy of it, see what they said...

celinepatricia

On the ESA form question when it says "can rise from a chair without help" my husband does not want help as he is a lot of pain and prefers to move at his own pace and does not want anybody to move him to quickly. How do we go about contesting that.. it is not a yes or no answer.

gadjah543

Just to let people know that I filled in the form and when I added up the points I did not reach 15 points but got a letter today saying that I had been put in the support group. I think the fit note stating that I was recovering from chemo was important so if anyone is looking at this thread for help make sure you have that specified . Thanks again for the help I got on this thread