IB to ESA: Scared to Death

FleeceJohnson

I was wondering if anyone could help me. Today, my mum received a letter stating she will need to be transferred from IB to ESA but may need to fill questionnaire or attend a medical before this happens. Receiving this letter has left mum feeling very distressed, anxious and in a depressive mood, her previous experience with IB assessment/appeals process was horrific and left her even more depressed and anxious about her condition.
In 2006, My mum went in for Hysterectomy but unfortunately the operation went wrong as they perforated her bowel. She was fitted with colostomy bag (which was later reversed) was in ICU for 2 week s and a ward for another 2 months. Ever since then she has been plagued with severe abdominal pains and discomfort, she has been rushed in and out of hospital numerous times with complications resulting from her injury. She is still in very poor health.

In 2009, She received the incapacity benefit re-assessment form and admittedly did a !!!! poor job of completing it properly. She was consequently called for an assessment with an ATOS doctor. We were very naive about process and the manipulating manner of some of these doctors. She went by herself and the doctor wasn’t very understanding and kept twisting her words. My mum and all the other health care professionals in contact with her knows how much she has gone through and how much pain she is in, so we were surprised when she failed her medical. Thankfully we appealed and she won her case but this experience left her in fear of being re-assessed again.

So , we were just wondering now that she has received this letter, what happens next ? The letter stated that they will call her before sending the questionnaire but what can we expect from this call?
She is beside herself with worry and fear, what can I say or do to reassure her? Especially in regards the ESA assessment process.
Its just really upsets me that my mum was fine but because of the medical mistake we now have to deal with this. I just wish we could go back in time and my mum would be healthy and pain free and we wouldn’t have to go through all of this.

Cpt.Scarlet

The phone call is simply to re-explain the process and ask if the claimant has any questions, it is not required that she take the call and will not hinder her claim if she does not.

The vast majority of IB claimants will be required to complete an ESA50 questionaire, which will be the next thing she is sent, she will have six weeks to do this. Try and get help from the CAB or Welfare Rights, but at the very least research the ESA tests as the questions on the ESA50 do not give a true reflection of the actual criteria.

Once the ESA50 is returned, they will decide whether a medical is required or not, again, the vast majority claimants will have to attend one.

Depending on how up to date the info on you mother is, they should contact her GP, so it would be worth her seeing them and making sure that they are fully up to date with her condition.

After that it is wait and see. It should take about 12-13 week for a decision

NASA_2

Just make sure that all appropriate information is provided before the decision is made. There will be plenty of time to provide this so make sure it is relevant.

Most people are being transitioned over to ESA so there is a good chance your mum will continue being able to claim.

FleeceJohnson

Thank you so much for your response. It's just heartbreaking to see my mum freaking out like this, it's just unnecessary stress. Would the CAB be able to help fill out her ESA50 form? Or do they just deal with appeals?

cit_k

One improvement of ESA over IB is under IB when you appealed you had to accept either going onto jobseekers allowance, or claiming reduced rate income support.

At least with ESA you can appeal and continue to receive the ESA assessment rate, and the wait for an appeal can be up to a year.

Plus, if the wait is so long, she should, if the condition is still the same or worse, be able to reclaim esa if she does not win.
You would have to check that though.