ESA & Working Tax Credits, please help?

parsons

bighairyferret wrote: »

For those that ARE actually scaremongering on here, if you are terminally ill then you wont have to attend a medical at all for ESA. However, terminally ill refers to those that (in the opinion of your own GP/specialist) have less than 6mths to live. If this is the case then ask your GP/Specialist/Nurse practioner for a DS1500.

If you have more than 6mths to live then you are not classed as terminally ill. This rule was set-up when DLA was first started with Incapacity Benefit, and now ESA, taking up this rule as there needs to be a cut-off at some stage. Otherwise you could class every human being as terminally ill!

People are required to attend medicals periodically. It is either every 3mths, 6mths, 1yr, 2yr or 3yr. This is dependant on the medical practioners assessment from ATOS/Tribunal (however, the medical was eventually decided). 3mths is the minimum, but it is not always the norm. Also the medical is based upon how you are on the day of the medical, not the day before or the day after. So if you are having a good day be prepared to be found fit for work. Not the best way off assessing but this is what your MP's came up with when sorting the procedures out. This may now be changing due a review by some Lord or Peer, but may not come into force anytime soon.

Furthermore the reason the ESA50 (the pink medical questionnaire) that is sent out before you attend the medical is not used as some sort of new claim. It is, however, sent out in order to re-assess if anything has changed in the medical condition since the previous assessment (which may have been 3mths before or 3yrs before). In a way it is like the previous assessment hasn't happened, but it is all collated and used to re-assess a person once they attend a medical.

Excellent post. I could not have put it any better.

Thanks

parsons

Molly41 wrote: »

Please clarify how you know this information as "fact"? I had a medical two years ago. I filled in a further medical form a year ago, I expect to be reassessed again in January 2012. Am I not the norm then? How can you state that fact with such certainty? Do you have inside information?

I have a of contact with the elderly (60+) through some voluntary work I do, contact with a wide range of mentally & physically disabled people through a good friend who is a farm manager of a residential home and working farm, have contact as chairman of a committee representing young working parents.

Because of those wide ranging connections I hear, on a near daily basis, comments and complaints about various DWP benefits including ESA.
Over the past 6 months or so, the re-assessment period of every 3 months is becoming the norm. Prior to that 12 months seemed to be the accepted standard. So yes, right or wrong, the period is reducing from my experience.

PrincessDonna2009

Thanks for the advice

That has put my mind at ease

parsons

bighairyferret wrote: »

They then score each question based upon your answers. This then goes to a Decision Maker at your local ESA office for them to see if they can add further points to what you have scored . Like I stated if you fail based upon the points (you need a minimum of 15) then you can appeal against that decision.

I was under the impression that whilst the Decision Maker looks at all of the evidence available, including the assessment, and does have the power to increase the points awarded, it is highly unlikely that this will happen.

The general situation is is that they will in the vast majority of cases simply 'rubber stamp' what ATOS have reported.
The reason is generally held that the DWP are more inclined to believe what the ATOS report says than any other evidence provided. The ATOS report carries more weight than any other report that is or can be submitted

Molly41

parsons wrote: »

I have a of contact with the elderly (60+) through some voluntary work I do, contact with a wide range of mentally & physically disabled people through a good friend who is a farm manager of a residential home and working farm, have contact as chairman of a committee representing young working parents.

Because of those wide ranging connections I hear, on a near daily basis, comments and complaints about various DWP benefits including ESA.
Over the past 6 months or so, the re-assessment period of every 3 months is becoming the norm. Prior to that 12 months seemed to be the accepted standard. So yes, right or wrong, the period is reducing from my experience.

You cannot comment that it is "fact" on anecdotal evidence and hence frighten people claiming ESA. I have been in the system claiming ESA since March 2009. I did have to appeal the original decision from Work Related to Support and got that on Reconsideration. It has always been dealt with efficiently and with compassion - even the medical. I came on this forum at that time and got the fright of my life with all the comments, similar in tone, to those posted on this thread. It was and this is scaremongering and it's simply not right.

parsons

Molly41 wrote: »

You cannot comment that it is "fact" on anecdotal evidence and hence frighten people claiming ESA. I have been in the system claiming ESA since March 2009. I did have to appeal the original decision from Work Related to Support and got that on Reconsideration. It has always been dealt with efficiently and with compassion - even the medical. I came on this forum at that time and got the fright of my life with all the comments, similar in tone, to those posted on this thread. It was and this is scaremongering and it's simply not right.

I am sorry if you feel that way.
I can only quote from whom I know and what I am told.

I have no need to frighten people claiming ESA. I personally have no involvement with that or any other Welfare Benefit.
What I can say is that with a little research on the web, you will find the current levels of those that back out before the assessment, those that fail, those that are put in the Work Group and those that are put in the Support Group.

Those figures are facts!

I also can only recount what has happened to those that I know of that have had these assessments both for ESA and DLA.
On the whole, the general concensus of opinion is that the assessment was not conducted in a manner that gave the claimant confidence in the system and security in knowing that a thorough assessment had been correctly carried out.

It seems you may have experienced something different. That is fine. There has to be good and bad in everything.

If you think that scaremongering is the relating of experiences, the good and the bad, then I am sorry but you are looking at everything with rose tinted glasses.

2009timeforchange

I work for the ESA benefit and I can assure everyone that it is only in rare circumstances that a customer would be asked to attend a medical every 3 months. The average is normally 6 or 12 months.

healy

2009timeforchange wrote: »

I work for the ESA benefit and I can assure everyone that it is only in rare circumstances that a customer would be asked to attend a medical every 3 months. The average is normally 6 or 12 months.

Thank you for providing the correct information, clearly people can ignore the incorrect information now.

sunnyone

2009timeforchange wrote: »

I work for the ESA benefit and I can assure everyone that it is only in rare circumstances that a customer would be asked to attend a medical every 3 months. The average is normally 6 or 12 months.

My husband is very ill and he gets forms every six months, maybe atos knows of a cure other than a transplant for kidney failure(which is only one of his illnesses)?

parsons

healy wrote: »

Thank you for providing the correct information, clearly people can ignore the incorrect information now.

It is not incorrect information at all.

What I have quoted are real life examples of people that I know and have come across over the past 18 months.

If they say that they are re-examined every 3 months - I have no reason to disbelieve them.