My Nightmare ESA - Does the left know what the right is doing

Chrissiew

fogartyblue. wrote: »

As I have already posted, not being able to find a job or even accepting that there is no employer in the UK that will ever give him a job, are not grounds for claiming ESA!

As for jobs, please do me a favour. I regulary look at two agency websites, and there are 1,000's of jobs going begging.

With salaries ranging from £20,000 to £200,000 a year!

If someone can sit at a laptop for a few hours - then they are able to work - yes me included! But as I am within a few years of my State Pension (65), I think that I am a little to old now.

I agree not being able to find a job is not grounds for claiming ESA, But not being able to find a job, or knowing you are unemployable through disibility IS grounds for claiming ESA, I know you believe that everyone under pension age is, or should be at work, but that is impossible if you are physicaly unable to work.

Those 1000's of jobs with high pay are all well and good if you are able to do them, do you honestly think an employer would put up with someone who is agressive to others, cant pick up a phone because they are afraid to use them, cant speak to other people because they are scared of facing them through mental illness? Do you think an employer would put up with someone having to leave their work station every few mins to change an incontinence pad, or put up with someone who has to keep moving around due to pain? Would they put up with someone who has to have every other day off due to visiting the doctor or are in so much pain they cant get up that day?

You seem to have so much malice and spite against the disabled, yet you claim to be disabled yourself, you are of the impression that everyone who has a disiblity can do things those with out one can, well they cant, some are lucky enough to be able to work, but those who cannot work need help to survive and ESA is their right to claim.

fogartyblue.

Chrissiew wrote: »

I agree not being able to find a job is not grounds for claiming ESA, But not being able to find a job, or knowing you are unemployable through disibility IS grounds for claiming ESA, I know you believe that everyone under pension age is, or should be at work, but that is impossible if you are physicaly unable to work.

Unfortunately you are wrong.

A claimant needs to satisfy all the basic conditions:

• Have a limited capability to work
• be at least 16 years of age
• be under pension age
• be in Great Britain
• not be entitled to income support - so if you would qualify for income support as a lone parent or as a carer, then those would take precedence and you wouldn’t get ESA. That may mean in some circumstances it would be better to keep quiet about carers duties you are performing.
• not be entitled to jobseekers allowance - including even just being a member of a joint claim JSA couple

The prime requisite is that you pass the assessment with at least 12 points relating to the recognised various work related functions.
No where in those functions or the assessment is there a section that states " not being able to find a job, or knowing you are unemployable through disibility IS grounds for claiming ESA"
However I will concede that it doesn't preclude you from claiming, but as sure as eggs are eggs you won't pass the test on your deemed notion!

Those 1000's of jobs with high pay are all well and good if you are able to do them, do you honestly think an employer would put up with someone who is agressive to others, cant pick up a phone because they are afraid to use them, cant speak to other people because they are scared of facing them through mental illness? Do you think an employer would put up with someone having to leave their work station every few mins to change an incontinence pad, or put up with someone who has to keep moving around due to pain? Would they put up with someone who has to have every other day off due to visiting the doctor or are in so much pain they cant get up that day?

Errr yes there are. I went back to work but after only a year or so, I started to have difficulties. I would take weeks off, sometimes months, then go back for 4/5 weeks. I used to work after taking upwards of 80mg of Morphine MST, topped up every 3/4 hours with Oramorph.
I couldn't sit down for more that an hour at a time, but the time that I was able to, I grafted!
I last went to work in March 2009 and decided to retire in December 2009.
My employer was able to work round my abilities.

You seem to have so much malice and spite against the disabled, yet you claim to be disabled yourself, you are of the impression that everyone who has a disiblity can do things those with out one can, well they cant, some are lucky enough to be able to work, but those who cannot work need help to survive and ESA is their right to claim.

Personally I have the opinion that we have lost the ability to get on with things with gritted teeth. Benefits have made us soft. It is all too easy to claim a benefit and sit back.

Why did I retire, maybe it was because my GP & Consultant told me that if I didn't stop putting my body through what I was doing I would have not seen Christmas 2010 & I was within a cat's whisker of losing my right leg at the hip!
Enough was enough I thought to myself - I tried!

mum2one

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Personally I have the opinion that we have lost the ability to get on with things with gritted teeth. Benefits have made us soft. It is all too easy to claim a benefit and sit back.

Why did I retire, maybe it was because my GP & Consultant told me that if I didn't stop putting my body through what I was doing I would have not seen Christmas 2010 & I was within a cat's whisker of losing my right leg at the hip!
Enough was enough I thought to myself - I tried!

I agree that benefits do make some people soft, theres always going to be people that abuse the system it was the same with IB, but if I could work I would, but its all health and safety and liability.

If a disabled person went for a job with a list of I can do, i can't do, I need x,y,z and an able bodied person went, i'm pretty sure the employer would prefer the able bodied person.

x

wellynever

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Personally I have the opinion that we have lost the ability to get on with things with gritted teeth. Benefits have made us soft. It is all too easy to claim a benefit and sit back.

Why did I retire, maybe it was because my GP & Consultant told me that if I didn't stop putting my body through what I was doing I would have not seen Christmas 2010 & I was within a cat's whisker of losing my right leg at the hip!
Enough was enough I thought to myself - I tried!

Horse riding accident by any chance.

Chrissiew

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Personally I have the opinion that we have lost the ability to get on with things with gritted teeth. Benefits have made us soft. It is all too easy to claim a benefit and sit back.

Why did I retire, maybe it was because my GP & Consultant told me that if I didn't stop putting my body through what I was doing I would have not seen Christmas 2010 & I was within a cat's whisker of losing my right leg at the hip!
Enough was enough I thought to myself - I tried!

I would disagree that its all to easy to claim a benefit, claiming DLA or ESA is very difficult now, and they certainly dont give it to anybody who applies, to apply for a disabled benefit not only do you have to prove you are disabled they have to prove it for themselves as well, hence the medicals they give you.

There must be thousands who believe they should be in the support group, of course but I would rather not go through months of worry wondering what the outcome will be, I would rather go to their WFI's and let them see for themselves that they have got it wrong.

Sometimes gritting your teeth and getting on with it just cant be done, no matter how brave you are, if you have a severe disability you cannot work, end of:(.

You were lucky in getting an understanding employer, but with the job market the way it is nowadays why would an employer go to the trouble of working round one disabled employee, maybe having to spend money on getting the work place disabled friendly when there are so many able bodied people out there looking for work.

fogartyblue.

wellynever wrote: »

Horse riding accident by any chance.

No, why do you ask? It was as a result of a diet of pie & chips/burgers/kebabs/curries and plenty of alcohol that is until I met my wife!!

All of my arteries are blocked to some extent or another!

fogartyblue.

Chrissiew wrote: »

I would disagree that its all to easy to claim a benefit, claiming DLA or ESA is very difficult now, and they certainly dont give it to anybody who applies, to apply for a disabled benefit not only do you have to prove you are disabled they have to prove it for themselves as well, hence the medicals they give you.

Yes there are a few more obstacles to get round than there was a few years ago. And so there should be!
However, many have found a way round them all.
I think more should be made of these independant medical assessments, just like they are doing with PIP.
At least with those, there will be some means to check on what a claimant says he or she can't do.

There must be thousands who believe they should be in the support group, of course but I would rather not go through months of worry wondering what the outcome will be, I would rather go to their WFI's and let them see for themselves that they have got it wrong.

What a good idea. Let them tell you that you are capable if after seeing you!

Yes this support group thing, I am hearing in my area that it has become an obsession. All suggesting that they are that ill and incapable as to warrant the support group when the honest answer that none will give is that it has more to do with keeping hold of their benefits at any cost!

My daughter met her ex last night in a club/bar. Nothing wrong with that, but when you consider that the guy has 'heart failure' yet drinks like a fish, covorts on the dance floor twice a week and spends most of his time spaced out on cocaine & heroin, then drives his motability car home, you do have to wonder how he has managed to be in the support group for 3 years and receives HRM/HRC for his DLA!

How? He and his family (none of them work mum, dad, 4 brothers & a sister) are professional at the benefits game. Oh yes I forgot to add - her ex claims to be his mum's carer!!!


Sometimes gritting your teeth and getting on with it just cant be done, no matter how brave you are, if you have a severe disability you cannot work, end of:(.

Yes I accept that. But some give up before they even try!

You were lucky in getting an understanding employer, but with the job market the way it is nowadays why would an employer go to the trouble of working round one disabled employee, maybe having to spend money on getting the work place disabled friendly when there are so many able bodied people out there looking for work.

Yes it was the Civil Service. Need I say any more!

Thanks for that post, I feel that you are one of the few honest ones on this forum.

mum2one

these wrag is based on u can be helped into work and ur condtion is short termed, - if thats the case I've been on crutches 10 yrs, diagnosed with arthritis in my spine at 25yrs old, thou it wasn't till my 2 car accidents and having my daughter that the damage became apparent.
yet the best laugh is i went for an assessment for a back rehabilitation programme at a leading orthapedic hospital, and I got told I'm too disabled to do the course! so if thats from a hospital prospective, how a person sat with a piece of paper can decide otherwise its just a laugh.

I really haven't got the fight in me to ask for a reassement into the support group, theres so many benefit fraudsters yet its the innoncent ones that get dragged throu the ringer.

fogartyblue.

mum2one wrote: »

I really haven't got the fight in me to ask for a reassement into the support
group, theres so many benefit fraudsters yet its the
innoncent ones that get dragged throu the ringer.

A great quote and so so true!!

If everybody was honest about there illness/disability etc, none of this 'you are suspected of benefit fraud until you prove yourself innocent' would or could be said.

But the nature of people in Britain today is to grab what you can when you can

anguk

mum2one wrote: »

I really haven't got the fight in me to ask for a reassement into the support group, theres so many benefit fraudsters yet its the innoncent ones that get dragged throu the ringer.

So true. And the thing that really annoys me is that everyone ends up tarred with the same brush, not just by the public but by the DWP and ATOS also. :mad:

We haven't heard anything about my OH being transferred over to ESA yet but if he ends up in the wrong group I'll fight for him if I have to. He's an amputee, he's got one leg and one hand, kidney failure needing dialysis in hospital 3 days a week and numerous other health problems.

My OH isn't going to get better, he's going to get worse, none of his conditions are time limited (with the exception maybe of kidney failure, he could possibly get a transplant but he's been suspended on the list for the last 2 years because he's not well enough for the operation even if he was lucky enough to be matched).

It's bad enough battling daily with your health without having to battle with the very people who are supposed to be there to help you. I'm really not looking forward to his transfer but I'm a fighter and I'll fight for him if they don't put him in the correct group. And it's not about the money, it's about doing the right thing.