Psychotic illness and ESA

Dead_Maus

Hello everyone!

Just looking for any advice/hints or tips regarding the esa medical. My son has his esa medical later this week and is very worried. He has been diagnosed with psychotic depression roughly 3 yrs ago. To manage his mental health problems he takes a mixture of anti-psychotic and anti-deppressant meds. In particular, the anti-psychotic meds make him very tired, he will sleep for 4-5 hrs each day. When he is not sleeping he is very appathetic and in another world of his own. He cannot reduce the dose as the current regime more or less stops the hallucinations/delusions. Although the hallucinations never seem to go completely. Just wondering if anybody has any experience of these medicals who suffer from a psychotic illnesses. Many thanx....Dead_Maus.....

Anubis_2

I am surprised no one has answered yet. I am unfortunately not able to offer any advice regarding an ESA medical as I don't claim it at the moment, however there are sites out there that you may have to subscribe to that have guides such as https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk

rogerblack

I don't, however I have some thoughts as to things you possibly have to raise.

'he will sleep 4-5 hours a day' Emphasise that this does not mean he can do a specific time-shift.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/228/schedule/1/made?view=plain - these are the descriptors. He has to get 15 points total, (scoring once at most for each question) to get into the work-related activity group. Or match one of the descriptors in part B - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2011/228/schedule/2/made?view=plain to get into the support group.

Make a diary, with how his condition affects him day-day.

Look at all the descriptors. From your post, I'd specifically look at:
2 - standing and sitting - for tiredness
8 - navigating and safety
12 - awareness of hazards
13 - personal action
as well as 14-17 - coping with other people, getting about, ...

For the support group - would 'has daily episodes of disinhibited or aggressive behaviour that would be unreasonable in the workplace' be accurate?

In addition to the above descriptors, there is a catch-all regulation that you can be eligable for ESA if it would significantly harm your or any other persons health.

As to the actual medical - there is little that can be said, as it will vary quite a lot.
The only fixed part is someone in a room asking you questions, but it might be 5, or it might be 40 minutes, and they might be friendly or aggressive or ...

Dead_Maus

Hi there,

Many thanx for your replys and help. I am sure this information will be priceless for my son.

kind regards..... dead_maus.

felicidad

Hi

I recently had a medical for mental health problems and they asked me questions like:

Any hospital stays? If so were you sectioned?

Can you cook a meal for yourself?

Do you have any side affects from the medication you are taking?

Can you use a mobile phone?

Do you have any hobbies and so on.

Basically the questions are based around what you can do than what you can't which i think is a big flaw especially if your condition fluctuates daily.

rogerblack

felicidad wrote: »

Basically the questions are based around what you can do than what you can't which i think is a big flaw especially if your condition fluctuates daily.

The (ESA) tests are what you can do in the context of work - there is caselaw and regulations defining that this is the case.

If you cannot on a usual day do an action repeatably, reliably and safely over the course of a working day, you can't perform this action.

In some cases, this is 'good enough' that there may be little query of this, due to the evidence.

If the amount of times you can't do stuff is more limited, then this argument may be weaker.

Dead_Maus

Hi rogerblack and felicidad, thanx for your help....this has been invaluable for my son and me also. I will post back when my son returns from his medical...fingers crossed!

kind regards..... dead_maus.

System

Is he suicidal? Or would being found fit to work pose a threat to either his or someone elses safety? Sorry if that's a bit blunt but that would meet the criteria for the support group if he was.

Wishing him luck, and hope he gets the result he needs

christabell

I am so sorry to hear of the situation....both of you suffer. Does your son have a CPN that visits? If so, ask her to advise, perhaps he needs a medication review by his pharmacist?

If you can join MIND or some other self help support group that could be so helpful.

I wish you the very best of Good Luck.

Dead_Maus

Hi and good morning to all!

My son has had his medical now, not really sure how it went for him. I guess its just waiting for the letter to fall through the letter-box. He was asked about suicidal thoughts present and past, washing, cooking etc....he's been pretty quiet so only getting small bits of the medical at a time. But i must say thank you to all the members who have taken time and energy to read my thread and post help and support for me and my son. I will keep you all upto date on anymore news!

kind regards..... dead_maus..

doggle_2

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

Is he suicidal? Or would being found fit to work pose a threat to either his or someone elses safety? Sorry if that's a bit blunt but that would meet the criteria for the support group if he was.

Wishing him luck, and hope he gets the result he needs

I've just noticed this answer.

So if someone is suicidal or is likely to pose a threat to themselves or others you should be put in the support group of ESA?

Well, I am recorded as a 'high risk' of suicide according to my psychiatrist that's why they have to be careful who treats me and how.

They are putting me on a 1 to 1 for EMDR now whatever that is. Cant be any worse that spending a couple of weeks locked up in a special unit and not allowed out (well I sneaked out with another patient one day and was arrested in Sainsburys and taken back in).
And I have a history both with the hospital and the police that I can get agitated and angry easy because of the mental health. I have hit two people in shops.

I always fail my ESA medical, going to start a new claim next week when I sign off the JSA.
To stop me getting angry and frustrated I need to keep calm and go into myself.