Urgent Advice Needed - JSA to incapacity benefits for severe depression?

amyvictoria1992

thankyou for the support and advice everyone please can the admin delete this thread

Uncertain

Incapacity benefit no longer exists for new claims.

If you are not well enough to work you should be claiming ESA not JSA. Your doctor will need to issue a sick note (fit note as they are now called).

Initially you will get the assessment rate which is, I think, the same as JSA. After about 13 weeks you will be sent a detailed medical form to complete and then you will have have to attend a so called medical.

If you pass this (by no means certain - lots of info online) you will be placed either in the work focused group (where you will get help and support towards getting a job in the future) or, if you are considered too unwell the Support Group. In either group you would get more money than JSA.

I suggest you talk to your local Citizens Advice or one of the charities that provide help with depression / mental health such as Mind or the Richmond Fellowship.

amyvictoria1992

Thankyou for that, i'm on the website now.
At the ESA assesement do they take blood/urine samples?

Uncertain

amyvictoria1992 wrote: »

Thankyou for that, i'm on the website now.
At the ESA assesement do they take blood/urine samples?

No, purely questions and, if appropriate, some physical tests - bending, lifting etc.

Oldernotwiser

amyvictoria1992 wrote: »

Thankyou for that, i'm on the website now.
At the ESA assesement do they take blood/urine samples?

No, but why would that be a problem?

amyvictoria1992

It wouldn't be a problem it's just that i have a phobia of needles and i would obviosly get anxiety about whether or not i needed a blood test. and the urine sample would be embarrising so id get anxiety about that too.

dmg24

You are only nineteen, do you really want to resign yourself to a life on disability benefits? Why not ask for a referral to a Pathways agency, who help claimants with barriers to overcome their issues and get back into work?

littlerat

I suffer with similar issues, but different causes.

If you're not well enouh to work, being on JSA makes no sense. That said - I'd still try the work placement. I know it's nervewracking, but there's a chance after the first couple of days you may start being ok, in which case it'll be good for you and probably help your mental health.

If it's a no go though, ESA is probably the best way forwards - it doesn't mean you'll be resigned to a life on benefits either, it may just give you time to overcome your problems without worrying about having to work.


Regarding actual claiming of ESA - you'll need doctors notes to get the money, you fill in an application form and later and medical type form. For 13 weeks you'll get the basic rate which is.. £64..something a week or such and after 13 weeks (I think that's the target, often takes longer though, I think mine was about 15) you'll have a medical. The medical they ask you questions and you answer (no needles or anything), you can take a parent/friend with you if needed, from there you'll either be accepted onto the benefit or not. If so, great, you'll either be work focused group where you have interviews to help you, or support group where you don't (but can still see someone to help if needed).

If not you have the choice of appealing or going back to JSA.

A lot of people are failing the medical currently and winning the benefit later on.


Outside of the benefits side, if you do go the ESA route I'd recommend see a doctor for your own sake - depression won't magic itself away if it's severe, most people need a combination of antidepressents etc and councilling. Some 1 or the other. You don't want to be stuck on benefits for the next 20 years though.

dark_lady

Why on earth are you giving your mum ALL of your JSA. You should just be contributing a proportion of it not all of it. Sounds to me like your mum has her own agenda for wanting you to do the placement!

Oldernotwiser

dark_lady wrote: »

Why on earth are you giving your mum ALL of your JSA. You should just be contributing a proportion of it not all of it. Sounds to me like your mum has her own agenda for wanting you to do the placement!

She should certainly give the vast majority of her JSA to her mother. There wouldn't be much change from £51 after paying for her food and her share of the bills.

Parents who allow their unemployed children to keep most of their JSA as pocket money are doing them no favours - many people need an incentive to work.

dark_lady

Thats what i said. A proportion not ALL of it. The OP says in her first post that shes giving her mother ALL of it. If this is the case how can she attend interviews.Whats she supposed to do, give the bus driver a piece of paper with IOU written on it instead of bus fare so she can get to an interview! She also says that her mother told her to "get benefits or get out" Sorry but this speaks volumes to me. Surely most parents would be saying "you need to get a job or go to college" not "get benefits or you are out" Too many people think of their children as cash cows.