ESA - Medical Questionnire - advice really needed

Savvy2Be

removed...........................................................................

dmg24

If you are unsure of how to complete the form you should ask for help from your CPN, or CAB, DIAL etc.

casterweb

To the OP

Your post is well thought out and reads well, so with a bit of time you should be able to work you way through the form. You have the skills to do it. Looking at these forms for the first time can be very overwhelming and makes you want to give up before you start.

Whenever I've completed theses sort of forms I always do it over the course of a few days. I spent a week completing the last one. Do 2/3 questions at a time then leave alone, maybe go back the next day. But give very full answers - the 'space' boxes are small so write the answers on an A4 sheet and attach it to the form. This form is an integral part of your claim so it pays to spend a lot of time and thought on it. Bit by bit, you'll get there.

Photocopy supporting evidence (relevent letters, reports etc) and attach them to the claim form as well . After a few days, you'll look back at what you've done with the form and be (pleasantly) surprised.

hobbledehoy.

casterweb wrote: »

To the OP

Your post is well thought out and reads well, so with a bit of time you should be able to work you way through the form. You have the skills to do it. Looking at these forms for the first time can be very overwhelming and makes you want to give up before you start.

Whenever I've completed theses sort of forms I always do it over the course of a few days. I spent a week completing the last one. Do 2/3 questions at a time then leave alone, maybe go back the next day. But give very full answers - the 'space' boxes are small so write the answers on an A4 sheet and attach it to the form. This form is an integral part of your claim so it pays to spend a lot of time and thought on it. Bit by bit, you'll get there.

Photocopy supporting evidence (relevent letters, reports etc) and attach them to the claim form as well . After a few days, you'll look back at what you've done with the form and be (pleasantly) surprised.

Hello,

I have just returned my second ESA50. I failed my first medical, but got it at appeal in early Nov'10. In December '10 I had to arrange a new medical which is for early next month.

I didn't find it difficult to fill the boxes where it asked you to. It was all done with 90 mins!

If you think that form is bad, then you don't even want to look at the DLA application! That had me foxed. So much so, it has been filed away for a future date - well into the future!

I read on a couple of postings last year about sending information back with the ESA50. I checked this with ATOS/DWP last year and yes you must comply with what the enclosure letter says - you MUST NOT return anything with the ESA50.

If you have evidence, it should be sent to the DWP or taken to the appeal hearing.

casterweb

hobbledehoy. wrote: »

Hello,

I have just returned my second ESA50. I failed my first medical, but got it at appeal in early Nov'10. In December '10 I had to arrange a new medical which is for early next month.

I didn't find it difficult to fill the boxes where it asked you to. It was all done with 90 mins!

I could fill the form in 5 mins if I wanted, but I want to give myself every possible chance, so I took my time. I was awarded first time around, so I regarded it as time well spent. You went to appeal which has probably cost you a lot more man hours in the long run. It's not a race, so a couple of hours a day for a few days is no big deal. Anyway, glad you won on appeal.

hobbledehoy. wrote: »

I read on a couple of postings last year about sending information back with the ESA50. I checked this with ATOS/DWP last year and yes you must comply with what the enclosure letter says - you MUST NOT return anything with the ESA50.

If you have evidence, it should be sent to the DWP or taken to the appeal hearing.

You are correct, the enclosure letter does say that but......I wanted to make sure they had all the information before I turned up for the interview, so I attached copies to the form AND also took copies to the interview (just in case). At the interview the doctor commented that he had read my file and all the evidence I had sent in. I never had to show him any evidence because he knew already. So although it says not to send information in, in my case it worked.

hobbledehoy.

casterweb wrote: »

I could fill the form in 5 mins if I wanted, but I want to give myself every possible chance, so I took my time. I was awarded first time around, so I regarded it as time well spent. You went to appeal which has probably cost you a lot more man hours in the long run. It's not a race, so a couple of hours a day for a few days is no big deal. Anyway, glad you won on appeal.






You are correct, the enclosure letter does say that but......I wanted to make sure they had all the information before I turned up for the interview, so I attached copies to the form AND also took copies to the interview (just in case). At the interview the doctor commented that he had read my file and all the evidence I had sent in. I never had to show him any evidence because he knew already. So although it says not to send information in, in my case it worked.

Hello,

As for point 1, no not really, I have never sent in anything to anybody other than my scripts. I turned up at the appeal hearing and told them the truth. It all lasted about 20 mins.
As for how I complete these forms, I look at it that either they will believe me or they won't at the assessment. Besides which I have no patience for filling these things in.

As for point 2, so you disregarded what you were specificaly told to do (or not to do)!
Maybe in that case you had an unfair advantage over those that abide by what is written down. Do you routinely ignore instructions given to you by the Government or their agents?
I don't blame you for doing it, but it does not seem fair on those that play by the rules.
For me, it doesn't matter what you did, we both got a result.

What does get to me is this constant testing. It will be almost 12 months to the date that I was last tested and about 13 weeks after I had won my case.

But never mind, I am ready and prepared to fail again and wait another 10 months to have my say. It seems to be a regular annual exercise.
Money goes up with a back payment, then it goes down again, then it will go up again with another backpayment....

Savvy2Be

casterweb wrote: »

To the OP

Your post is well thought out and reads well, so with a bit of time you should be able to work you way through the form. You have the skills to do it. Looking at these forms for the first time can be very overwhelming and makes you want to give up before you start.

Whenever I've completed theses sort of forms I always do it over the course of a few days. I spent a week completing the last one. Do 2/3 questions at a time then leave alone, maybe go back the next day. But give very full answers - the 'space' boxes are small so write the answers on an A4 sheet and attach it to the form. This form is an integral part of your claim so it pays to spend a lot of time and thought on it. Bit by bit, you'll get there.

Photocopy supporting evidence (relevent letters, reports etc) and attach them to the claim form as well . After a few days, you'll look back at what you've done with the form and be (pleasantly) surprised.

Thanks for your post. I am going to take my time with it, have done a couple so far, but find I want to say much more than I have space to, so its okay to attach additonal sheets?

evertonemo73

To the OP,

you really shouldn't stress to much over the form filling, i know it looks a bit daunting but i was in the same position myself about 20 mnths ago. i'm hopeless at filling these things out but the advice i was given was just to take my time and to write my answers to each section down in a notepad first before putting it onto the form. this gave me the opportunity to read it back first to make sure all the info they needed was there. anything extra that i couldn't fit into the box provided i put onto a spare sheet of paper. i hope your experience with this process is better than what mine was. i found the whole process to be very shoddy and all that the DWP were concerned about was getting me off ESA(which i'm not on by choice) and back into work, they seem to forget that the NHS wheels turn at their own pace and no matter how much you try and get them to turn faster they never do. sorry rant over.
as long as you give them full and correct answers as to how you are you will be ok, my advice would be to keep a record of what you write down as your own personal record, you never know whenit may come in handy.
i know its hard but keep your chin up, i've had the worst 20 months of my life healthwise and it's suprising how friends, family and a positive outlook gets you through the day.

cit_k

hobbledehoy. wrote: »

Hello,



I read on a couple of postings last year about sending information back with the ESA50. I checked this with ATOS/DWP last year and yes you must comply with what the enclosure letter says - you MUST NOT return anything with the ESA50.

If you have evidence, it should be sent to the DWP or taken to the appeal hearing.

The dwp bulls%$%ing you...

Ignore what the DWP says and sent it in anyway.

I know for a fact, you can send stuff in, as I have an apology direct from ATOS (complaint referred to them via the DWP) for not reading the additional evidence sent in with the form.

cit_k

Savvy2Be wrote: »

Thanks for your post. I am going to take my time with it, have done a couple so far, but find I want to say much more than I have space to, so its okay to attach additonal sheets?

I would staple them to the form, so they dont get 'lost' and make sure you include your name and NI number on EVERY sheet, and number all the sheets, AND make it clear how many sheets are attached to the form by writing a note in the form itself.

Then phone up to check they have all the sheets and have read them later. Then write to them to get that in writing.

Then expect them to ignore everything you wrote anyway.

Keep copies of everything you send and everything they send you.

They have a habit of losing things....

Request a copy of a preboard report if you are sent for a medical.

After the medical, request a copy of the medical report.

At the medical, request to see a copy of the report before it is sent to the decision maker (they will refuse, but do so anyway)

hobbledehoy.

cit_k wrote: »

The dwp bulls%$%ing you...

Ignore what the DWP says and sent it in anyway.

I know for a fact, you can send stuff in, as I have an apology direct from ATOS (complaint referred to them via the DWP) for not reading the additional evidence sent in with the form.

Hello

You surprise me!

I received a letter from ATOS which enclosed the ESA50 and it clearly states that NOTHING apart from the ESA50 is to be returned with the form.

I did speak with ATOS/DWP about this and they stated that the reason for this is that the ATOS assessor would not be interested in any other information other than the ESA50 and would not use it in carrying out the assessment or preparing the report to the DWP.

If I wanted evidence to be taken into consideration it should be sent direct to the BDC either now or if I failed, at the reconsideration stage.

In my case, it was not evidence as such, but an explanation of how my life and ability to work were severely restricted.
In the end I took it with me to the Tribunal and showed it to them.
I have just returned my second ESA50 (two within a period of 12 months!) and again I haven't sent in anything with it as I don't have any evidence as you would describe it as being, just this letter of explanation which I will again produce at my next appeal hearing.