Support Group - anyone in for pain?

cagneyfan

I really hope this doesn't sound rude, but I've just looked and the descriptors for ESA. It would seem to me that you will only be placed in the support group if you're an 'imbecile'.

Maybe that's the wrong word to use but please read them.

I'd like to ask if anyone of 'reasonable sound mind' has been placed in this group owing to the fact that pain/health problems would prevent them from being able to carry out a job for any length of time. Or will a person in constant pain still be considered 'fit to do some type of work'? I'm getting more scared of my medical by the day. I should be receiving my letter within the next few weeks.

rogerblack

I can only presume you're referring to the link that was posted earlier that was concentrating on the mental health descriptors.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/m-06-11.pdf is the full list, including many physical ones.

However, the crucial thing to understand is that being in pain in a 'normal days work' is mostly irrelevant.
The only thing that is important is if the activities listed in the descriptors cause you (in most cases) pain or severe discomfort, were you to attempt them several times throughout the working day.

If, for example, you can't walk because of pain, that isn't automatic grounds for ESA, as you can in principle use a wheelchair.

DorsetGirl_2

cagneyfan wrote: »

I really hope this doesn't sound rude, but I've just looked and the descriptors for ESA. It would seem to me that you will only be placed in the support group if you're an 'imbecile'.

Maybe that's the wrong word to use but please read them.

I'd like to ask if anyone of 'reasonable sound mind' has been placed in this group owing to the fact that pain/health problems would prevent them from being able to carry out a job for any length of time. Or will a person in constant pain still be considered 'fit to do some type of work'? I'm getting more scared of my medical by the day. I should be receiving my letter within the next few weeks.

It is very rude - many of us have children who will fall into this category in the future so please think before you post.

[Deleted User]

its alomst as if esa has been designed to "divide and conquer"the sick people of the uk,get them arguing amongst each other and they`ll forget to band together to fight this rotten to the core govt.

rogerblack

It's quite pernicious.
Unfortunately, for obvious reasons, the government is committed to 'points based' systems - perhaps as they're easiest to repeatably assess to some degree, and come out in principle with consistent answers, rather than
more subjective measures.

A points based system will pretty much inevitably have unfairnesses.
For example, someone who's injured themselves playing sport, and can't raise their arms so as to put something into a coat pocket automatically gets put into the support group.
And yet someone with profound learning difficulties who can just about work a washing machine from their wheelchair may not be entitled at all.

What's the alternative though?
If we're not willing to simply have GPs sign people off, the alternative is either a points-based test, an entirely subjective test that will vary on how the assessors feeling that day, or something else.
The only 'something else' that comes to mind is some mandatory scheme that was paid by results for getting people off ESA and into work.
I.E. if they say you're fit for work, they have to back this up with finding suitable employment.

This would pretty much have to mean a reform that dwarfs the upcoming universal credit ones.

Mandymull

cagneyfan wrote: »

I really hope this doesn't sound rude, but I've just looked and the descriptors for ESA. It would seem to me that you will only be placed in the support group if you're an 'imbecile'.

Maybe that's the wrong word to use but please read them.

I'd like to ask if anyone of 'reasonable sound mind' has been placed in this group owing to the fact that pain/health problems would prevent them from being able to carry out a job for any length of time. Or will a person in constant pain still be considered 'fit to do some type of work'? I'm getting more scared of my medical by the day. I should be receiving my letter within the next few weeks.

both my daughters are in the support group for ESA , beong profundly disabled and NO THEY ARE NOT ''imbecile''...would have thought you could have found a better word to use than that

harleq1962

How to Win Friends and Influence People

Chorlie

I'm in the Support Group, I'm disabled (from birth) permintant wheelchair user, went to a 'Normal Secondy School' did my 'O' Levels and when I left I worked for 20yrs in Finance dealing with 100's of Millions of £, $, € etc in single transactions. I also did night school courses for further exams & all the time paying Taxes, Pension, Plus Saving etc.....but due to my disability my condition has got worse over the years and I couldn't continue doing my job, since I was spending as much time off sick as I was working.....


So this makes me an 'Imbecile'?........Thanks

pollycakes

My daughter has moderate learning disabilities and it was a nightmare when her benefits changed over to ESA, the medical assessments aren't geared towards people with intellectual disabilities and the nurse assessing my daughter was getting frustrated when my daughter refused to answer her questions down to anxiety leaving me to answer, She failed to meet the criteria for the support group although she attends a LD day centre 5 days a week and really shouldn't be in the work related group. So being learning disabled doen't automatically entailed you to ESA.

rotoguys

Well you may be right. I was called an imbecile many times at school by the teachers. I was also called a few other choice names as well that can't be put on this site!

My wife has called me an imbecile on many occasions when I have annoyed her.

And I'm in the Support Group of ESA - was put there for 3 years, so I must really be an unqualifed imbecile to get landed with that prognosis!!

cagneyfan

DorsetGirl wrote: »

It is very rude - many of us have children who will fall into this category in the future so please think before you post.

Hi, yes I agree it was a stupid word to use. I'm one of those people who know what they are trying to say but always get it wrong and it comes out the wrong way.

In my defence apart from my comment above, I was in the library and the computer was about to go off due to closing time.

I clicked 'submit' then thought it was probably the wrong word (I've since checked the definitions - which I should have done first) but couldn't get back on the computer in time to change it. I've not been able to get back here until now.

I genuinely didn't mean to offend anyone and apologise to those I have done. The point I was trying to make - admittedly in a cack-handed way, was that it seemed to me that physical disability and pain seemed to be excluded from the support group.

I hope you'll accept my apology