What should I know about claiming ESA for mental health reasons?

dmg24

healy wrote: »

In that case there must be something higher than very severe clinical depression because those at the worst end of depression can barely do anything let alone post long, detailed posts.

I don't think anyone can say that would apply to everyone, mental health is rarely a one size fits all area.

EltonJohnFan

Fleurdulys,

Thank you very much for such a good response to my question, your support is greatly apreciated. I'd like to think I won't be on Employment and Support Allowance forever as I definitely want to return to work as soon as I can. I'm feeling all right just now, and I'm hoping this lasts. I've prior experience of working with Disability Employment Advisors in the Jobcentre who knows just how determined I am to find work again and I also work with another lady off my own back as I'm so desperate to find work but, unfortunately, I've had to put this on hold for the time being and it's just good to know that they undestand and don't judge me or think I'm a "layabout" because I'm not. Your message really helped me, I wish you everything good in this world, take care and god bless

healy

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Healy,

When I'm suicidal I can't write things down on paper, can't think, can't make sense of the world and just want to escape in whatever way I can. It's very hard to comprehend for someone that doesn't understand but the one thing that keeps me going is my computer because I can somehow type what I'm feeling and this seems to have a calming influence on me, stops me doing anything silly and allows me to keep a record of my feelings at that particular point in time which I can then look back on when things have calmed down again. Depression, and very severe depression in particular is a personal thing and affects everybody in different ways. I've worked for years with mental health proffesionals and they all tell me I can go through very severe bouts of depression and I'm so grateful to have their support now that I'm well again, sometimes when you have a relapse you probably don't appreciate them quite so much. I've started fires, went weeks without going out or getting washed and days without eating because you loss all will and energy to live and quite simply want to die. There's countless other things I've done but it's probably best I don't mention them as they bring back too many bad memories.

I think it's wrong that organisations such as ATOS are allowed to judge people without really knowing them or their history and I'm just "lucky" in that I'm badly enough disabled in other ways that I don't think I'd have any problems in passing their examinations but that's not what I want, no, I want to be normal and have happiness, a job, money that I've earned, a home without relying on nurses and family to look after me. I know you don't know me and I don't know you but listen and understand, even the most depressed person has feelings, thoughts, hopes and fears and will do whatever possible to make these known. Some lash out, others retreat within themselves. I seem to be able to type and that works for me, maybe I'm strange, who knows, but it's helped me a great deal and I'll continue to type for as long as I possibly can when I feel that I need to do so.

Thanks for understanding.

Yes I expected the everyone is different response but I cannot say I am convinced that people with very severe clinical depression would be able to write long detailed posts, but that is just my opinion and I am not looking for an argument.

EltonJohnFan

healy wrote: »

Yes I expected the everyone is different response but I cannot say I am convinced that people with very severe clinical depression would be able to write long detailed posts, but that is just my opinion and I am not looking for an argument.

Healy,

I completely understand and respect your viewpoint. Please don't think I was looking for an argument, not at all! I genuinely believe that mental health problems affect everyone in different ways and my own experiences are quite rightly extremely personal to me and I'm often reluctant to talk about them but typing helps. I'm looking to come off Employment and Support Allowance as soon as my GP will allow me and so I hope it's not a benefit that I'm left to languish on for any length of time.

Best wishes and enjoy the evening

healy

EltonJohnFan wrote: »

Healy,

I completely understand and respect your viewpoint. Please don't think I was looking for an argument, not at all! I genuinely believe that mental health problems affect everyone in different ways and my own experiences are quite rightly extremely personal to me and I'm often reluctant to talk about them but typing helps. I'm looking to come off Employment and Support Allowance as soon as my GP will allow me and so I hope it's not a benefit that I'm left to languish on for any length of time.

Best wishes and enjoy the evening

Sorry I should have made it clear I did not mean an argument with you specifically but in general as these types of subjects can turn into arguments and get out of control.

healy

dmg24 wrote: »

I don't think anyone can say that would apply to everyone, mental health is rarely a one size fits all area.

Yes I take your point but I have not been able to convince myself on that point yet!

Muttleythefrog

I'm currently getting ESA (Support Group) for mental health problems and can offer some advice.

Firstly though I would agree with much of what has been said except perhaps the idea that someone with very severe depression would be unable to comprise the sort of post that began this thread. Mental health is so variant person to person and diagnosis fairly meaningless in scientific terms. In fact I can't even get a diagnosis despite a near 2 year battle with medical professionals. But depression will render someone likely incapable of performing regular tasks to typical levels of efficiency, at very least.

The initial ESA form doesn't ask too much about medical problems - expect the main form (ESA50) to come later which is to properly assess the effects of health problems on abilities to perform tasks.

I strongly advise that (unlike me) you seek help in filling this in from the CAB or Welfare rights. It is almost always the case that you'll get a medical after completing that ESA50 (which took me several weeks to fill in due to mental health). The medical carried out by an ATOS health care professional along with your completed ESA50 will enable that health care professional to make a recommendation of your limitations in relation to work (based on the qualifying criteria for the benefit) to the DWP decision maker. This ends what is termed the 13 week assessment phase (mine actually took well over a year!) and until this phase actually ends you'll almost certainly need to supply sick notes.

I advise to seriously consider placing into the arena at your medical assessment any supporting medical evidence you can in relation to the criteria that supports your case. I presented the health care professional with a risk assessment carried out by a CPN – she took a copy.

They do not advertise the fact that you can present supporting medical evidence – in fact ATOS may deter you from doing so with their communications. The decision maker at the DWP will get a computer generated medical report which is filled in by the health care professional on a PC application during your medical. (I've little doubt by this stage you'll have read about the criteria for assessing your health problems that affect your abilities to do things - i.e. how you're assessed for this benefit).

You can request a copy of this medical report from the DWP. The DWP decision maker (not likely medically qualified) will almost certainly follow the judgements of the health care professional (who you should assume will be aiming to give you as little as possible in relation to criteria qualifying scoring for the benefit).

If you score enough points overall to qualify yourself as having 'limited capability for work' you will be placed into the Work Related Activity Group and get more money (and have to turn up to a few appointments with an adviser at the jobcentre to look at how a return to work may be engineered bearing in mind your health problems) - if you fail you will be expected to apply for JSA (or appeal of course like many!).

However, if you are found to have met the criteria for the Support Group (limited capability for Work related activity) then you remain on the benefit and get more money, regardless of your scoring. Very few people are found to meet the criteria for the Support Group – I was surprised that despite meeting the criteria in my view, I only qualified because the health care professional determined I met special criteria in relation to being a risk to people if not found to have limited capability.

I strongly advise you prepare well for the medical especially if trying to convey your mental health problems. The health care professionals are trained to look for specific behaviours/appearances typically suggestive of certain conditions. For example eye contact, rapport, demeanour, facial expressions, speech, nerves – these may be indicative of how depressed someone may be. The software they use prompts them to look for these sorts of things as they go through the assessment – but don’t assume it begins when they sit at the PC; they’ll be examining you as soon as they call you from the waiting room (especially if it gives them a chance to assess something like walking problems).

I hope the process runs smoothly for you. Read up on people’s experiences, study the qualifying criteria, when the ESA50 comes get someone to help you complete it, take supporting evidence and good preparation to the ATOS medical. If something goes wrong, remember there’s a good chance you’ll be able to appeal with the help of CAB or similar.

sunnyone

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

I'm currently getting ESA (Support Group) for mental health problems and can offer some advice. Firstly though I would agree with much of what has been said except perhaps the idea that someone with very severe depression would be unable to comprise the sort of post that began this thread. Mental health is so variant person to person and diagnosis fairly meaningless in scientific terms. In fact I can't even get a diagnosis despite a near 2 year battle with medical professionals. But depression will render someone likely incapable of performing regular tasks to typical levels of efficiency, at very least. The initial ESA form doesn't ask too much about medical problems - expect the main form (ESA50) to come later which is to properly assess the effects of health problems on abilities to perform tasks. I strongly advise that (unlike me) you seek help in filling this in from the CAB or Welfare rights. It is almost always the case that you'll get a medical after completing that ESA50 (which took me several weeks to fill in due to mental health). The medical carried out by an ATOS health care professional along with your completed ESA50 will enable that health care professional to make a recommendation of your limitations in relation to work (based on the qualifying criteria for the benefit) to the DWP decision maker. This ends what is termed the 13 week assessment phase (mine actually took well over a year!) and until this phase actually ends you'll almost certainly need to supply sick notes. I advise to seriously consider placing into the arena at your medical assessment any supporting medical evidence you can in relation to the criteria that supports your case. I presented the health care professional with a risk assessment carried out by a CPN – she took a copy. They do not advertise the fact that you can present supporting medical evidence – in fact ATOS may deter you from doing so with their communications. The decision maker at the DWP will get a computer generated medical report which is filled in by the health care professional on a PC application during your medical. (I've little doubt by this stage you'll have read about the criteria for assessing your health problems that affect your abilities to do things - i.e. how you're assessed for this benefit). You can request a copy of this medical report from the DWP. The DWP decision maker (not likely medically qualified) will almost certainly follow the judgements of the health care professional (who you should assume will be aiming to give you as little as possible in relation to criteria qualifying scoring for the benefit). If you score enough points overall to qualify yourself as having 'limited capability for work' you will be placed into the Work Related Activity Group and get more money (and have to turn up to a few appointments with an adviser at the jobcentre to look at how a return to work may be engineered bearing in mind your health problems) - if you fail you will be expected to apply for JSA (or appeal of course like many!). However, if you are found to have met the criteria for the Support Group (limited capability for Work related activity) then you remain on the benefit and get more money, regardless of your scoring. Very few people are found to meet the criteria for the Support Group – I was surprised that despite meeting the criteria in my view, I only qualified because the health care professional determined I met special criteria in relation to being a risk to people if not found to have limited capability. I strongly advise you prepare well for the medical especially if trying to convey your mental health problems. The health care professionals are trained to look for specific behaviours/appearances typically suggestive of certain conditions. For example eye contact, rapport, demeanour, facial expressions, speech, nerves – these may be indicative of how depressed someone may be. The software they use prompts them to look for these sorts of things as they go through the assessment – but don’t assume it begins when they sit at the PC; they’ll be examining you as soon as they call you from the waiting room (especially if it gives them a chance to assess something like walking problems). I hope the process runs smoothly for you. Read up on people’s experiences, study the qualifying criteria, when the ESA50 comes get someone to help you complete it, take supporting evidence and good preparation to the ATOS medical. If something goes wrong, remember there’s a good chance you’ll be able to appeal with the help of CAB or similar.

Has anyone read this?

I cant because its missing paragraphs which means that most people wont attempt to read it just seeing a huge wall of text.

healy

sunnyone wrote: »

Has anyone read this?

I cant because its missing paragraphs which means that most people wont attempt to read it just seeing a huge wall of text.

Yes I agree I did not read much of it as it is just one large chunk of writing and I would imagine it would put a lot of people off.

Supernatural

sunnyone wrote: »

Has anyone read this?

I cant because its missing paragraphs which means that most people wont attempt to read it just seeing a huge wall of text.

Sorry, but I gave up half way :shocked: