ESA ,condition worsening, any advice please

geoff1057

Sept last year i filled in forms sent to me by DWP, and was told that i was put into work related ESA from october 2011. since then my condition has worsened and i have been told that i need more spinal surgery.Iam struggling to walk even 20mtrs, i need help to get up from sitting and to get dressed and washed in the mornings.I have just had more CTs and MRIs etc and my next appointment with my consultant is in August, where we will discuss my surgery and rehibilitation plans. i had to wait nearly two years for my last surgery ,and no doubt this ,with rehabilitation could take as long. By this time i could have lost my ESA due to 365 day time limit , even though my medical condition has seriously deteriorated. Can i ask DWP to look at my case again ,as there is no chance of me returning to work before this time, providing surgery goes ok . thanks

HB58

Yes, you need to contact the DWP and ask them to send you the paperwork for a 'supersession' of the original decision. I have heard that some of the call centre operators have never heard of this, so you might have to ask to speak to someone more senior if you don't get any help from the first person you speak to.

The onus will be on you to prove your claim that your condition has worstened enough to meet the support group criteria, so it might be worth familiarising yourself with these.

rogerblack

I would advise against using any technical terms with the DWP if you can avoid it.
The front-line staff are often poorly trained.

In this case, there is no need.
'My condition has worsened, could you please send me a form to complete to let you know in detail how it has'.

Ellejmorgan

i have a spinal condition also, have had 2 ops and am waiting for a 3rd..
I'm in the WRAG, it's not what people think it is..you are not being told to work, you are being acknowledged that you have medical needs and would need help to address this before you could work..it is a good thing they can even do your interviews over the phone if things are bad..

geoff1057

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

i have a spinal condition also, have had 2 ops and am waiting for a 3rd..
I'm in the WRAG, it's not what people think it is..you are not being told to work, you are being acknowledged that you have medical needs and would need help to address this before you could work..it is a good thing they can even do your interviews over the phone if things are bad..

Even though iam really struggling healthwise, its exactly ,as you say ,iam being acknowledged that i have medical needs,and would need help to address this before i could work....... (something iam desperate to get back to)....... but even so we will be stopping your benefit .

rogerblack

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

I'm in the WRAG, it's not what people think it is..you are not being told to work, you are being acknowledged that you have medical needs and would need help to address this before you could work..it is a good thing they can even do your interviews over the phone if things are bad..

Yes, they can do interviews over the phone.
If the person dealing with your claim is appropriately trained, having a good day, and doing their job to the best of their ability, safeguards are in place.

Similarly - with the passage of the new Welfare Reform Act - people can be expected to do work placements with no limit of time.

Are there safeguards against this - yes.
Are they dependant on people doing their jobs as they should, and believing it is in fact unreasonable to expect you to do work - faced with the constant mantra that 'work is good for the disabled'.

(Work is good for some of those in the work-related group, or indeed the support group)

It's vitally important to understand that the common postage stamp descriptions of the group mean nothing.

"The work related group is for those who, with help might be able to consider work in the near future"

"The support group is for those with more severe or longer term illnesses that it's not reasonable to expect to work".

My favourite example of this is someone who's injured their arms playing sport, and now can't twist the shoulder enough to get a hand into an upper shirt pocket, but has no other disability.

They are entitled to the support group.

geoff1057

rogerblack wrote: »

Yes, they can do interviews over the phone.
If the person dealing with your claim is appropriately trained, having a good day, and doing their job to the best of their ability, safeguards are in place.

Similarly - with the passage of the new Welfare Reform Act - people can be expected to do work placements with no limit of time.

Are there safeguards against this - yes.
Are they dependant on people doing their jobs as they should, and believing it is in fact unreasonable to expect you to do work - faced with the constant mantra that 'work is good for the disabled'.



(Work is good for some of those in the work-related group, or indeed the support group)

It's vitally important to understand that the common postage stamp descriptions of the group mean nothing.

"The work related group is for those who, with help might be able to consider work in the near future"

"The support group is for those with more severe or longer term illnesses that it's not reasonable to expect to work".

My favourite example of this is someone who's injured their arms playing sport, and now can't twist the shoulder enough to get a hand into an upper shirt pocket, but has no other disability.

They are entitled to the support group.

Very good post and example :T ,really puts the "more severe" theory into confusion, and maybe those who genuinly need help,are left struggling.
As was said by the rule makers ," the genuine people will not lose out" shows the statement to be completely untrue.

Ellejmorgan

rogerblack wrote: »

Yes, they can do interviews over the phone.
If the person dealing with your claim is appropriately trained, having a good day, and doing their job to the best of their ability, safeguards are in place.

Similarly - with the passage of the new Welfare Reform Act - people can be expected to do work placements with no limit of time.

Are there safeguards against this - yes.
Are they dependant on people doing their jobs as they should, and believing it is in fact unreasonable to expect you to do work - faced with the constant mantra that 'work is good for the disabled'.

(Work is good for some of those in the work-related group, or indeed the support group)

It's vitally important to understand that the common postage stamp descriptions of the group mean nothing.

"The work related group is for those who, with help might be able to consider work in the near future"

"The support group is for those with more severe or longer term illnesses that it's not reasonable to expect to work".

My favourite example of this is someone who's injured their arms playing sport, and now can't twist the shoulder enough to get a hand into an upper shirt pocket, but has no other disability.

They are entitled to the support group.

ROGERBLACK any ideas on how that scenario would work if it was someones dominant arm that they couldn't move or use, thus being with the other arm is quite useless as not able to write with it etc..

Cpt.Scarlet

Ellejmorgan wrote: »

ROGERBLACK any ideas on how that scenario would work if it was someones dominant arm that they couldn't move or use, thus being with the other arm is quite useless as not able to write with it etc..

The tests require both arms to be effected, not just one.