more queries about esa form

dazza-mac

Hi,

I know I've asked for advice previously but I'm in a mad rush and want to ask these questions in the hope I'll get some answers asap.

1. My dad's been in hospital for the past week and I've had the form for the same length of time! I'm panicking now. Could I ask to be given a bit more time. I know I have 4 weeks but I've not had a chance to look at the form properly, and as my dad's going to be in for a while it's really worrying me and difficult as I try and get to the hospital every day. I've tried looking at the form but I just get bogged down and panic!

2. Do I fill in the form as though I'm experiencing my worst day, or my best?

I don't think I'm going to be able to get much added evidence so I really need to ensure that I fill in the form as thouroughly as possible

mynameistallulah

You give details of all your symptoms, so you cover good and bad days.

You can ask for more time but don't be surprised if they say no - maybe give it another week or two and see how things are, it seems a bit soon at the moment?

Cpt.Scarlet

You can ask for more time, but unless you have an extension to the deadline in writing you should assume that it has to be returned by the original date.

You should fill it in based on how you are the majority of the time and then go on to explain how you are when you are worse (if this is the case).

rogerblack

In addition - do not feel you need to limit yourself to the boxes.
If appropriate, simply expand on your answer in a covering letter.
I found this easier to manage - simply writing 'see attached' in most boxes, and typing a fuller answer.

Horseunderwater

dazza-mac wrote: »

Hi,

I know I've asked for advice previously but I'm in a mad rush and want to ask these questions in the hope I'll get some answers asap.

1. My dad's been in hospital for the past week and I've had the form for the same length of time! I'm panicking now. Could I ask to be given a bit more time. I know I have 4 weeks but I've not had a chance to look at the form properly, and as my dad's going to be in for a while it's really worrying me and difficult as I try and get to the hospital every day. I've tried looking at the form but I just get bogged down and panic!

2. Do I fill in the form as though I'm experiencing my worst day, or my best?

I don't think I'm going to be able to get much added evidence so I really need to ensure that I fill in the form as thouroughly as possible

Hello Dazza
1. Don't panic. Easy to say I know. Take a deep breath and list all your problems on a piece of paper or even on the PC in notepad or wordpad/word.
2. Take each one and list all the things that go with that problem.
3. Google ESA Descriptors - then read up on them and see which ones match your problem areas. Then mark each one out of 10 - with 10 being really bad and 1 being hardly a problem.
Once you have done that, get it into some kind of order so that it relates to the form questions and as another poster suggested write in see attached paper page number 1-3 etc. Keep a copy of it all, just in case they do lose the thing. You also need to tell them how difficult each task is. With me I cannot walk more than 6-8 meters without needing to rest for a while (with stick) and I find getting up from chairs hard and going upstairs awkward due to swollen ankles + I have urinary toilet problems (medications). So the theory is that I should qualify on those 2 counts alone for the 15 points. Medical next Tuesday. If you can involve GP/or any consultants you see too.

nightsong

The advice I've just been given at a ESA tribunal is - always get a letter from your GP and send it in. The form carries much more weight with professional evidence atached.

dazza-mac

Honestly, I cannot believe how callous these people at the jobcentre plus are.

I tried over 2 days to get through on the phone. The result? All my phone credit taking up listening to Vivaldi's Four Seasons and a robotic voice telling me that my call is important (not important enough for them to answer).

I went to a local jobcentre and asked for help. After waiting an eternity some lady quite matter of factly told me that I probably won't get an extention date as I had plenty of time to fill it in and that they had people who could help fill it in for me. yeah right, they're really going to list every little detail. The reasons why I didn't feel that I would be able to fill it in in time was totally disregarded so in the end I just took the form back and said "It doesn't matter" - or words to that effect.

The following day, before going to the hospital to see my dad I stopped off at another jobcentre and asked to see someone. I eventually got on the phone that they said I could use and ended up speaking to the most unhelpful woman I've ever met who kept up with that "enforced politeness" - you just know that she thought I was scum. I tried explaining that I've had too much on my mind and that I've had the form for over a week and not been able to look at it as I've been so busy and that the next couple of weeks will no doubt fly and I'll be in a right mess. My dad is going to be in hospital longer than we thought and his house is a mess - and that I was unwell myself, which was the reason I was given the form to fill in in the first place. I was practically having a nervous breakdown in the building but got nowhere.

I ended up just putting the phone down after asking just how bad does a situation have to be before any help is given! I swear they'd have to send out a search party to find someone who works for that department with a heart!

What made me feel even worse was that I was absolutely knackered. If you can't drive and have to rely on taxi's (expensive) and buses (agony) it can make a seemingly easy quick task take so much longer. But none of this even mattered

dazza-mac

By the way, would severe coccyx pain mean I would be placed in the support group.

From my understanding the only question relating to problems of sitting and moving only refer to the person requiring assisstance to help move.

I cannot understand how that can be the case. I constantly feel like I'm sat on a knife. Make so many errors typing etc, due to an inability to concentrate on anything due to coccyx pain. I would have thought that alone would qualify for the support group, but unless I've misunderstood the descripters - it would seem that pain accounts for nothing. And this is just one of my many problems.

dazza-mac

Hi again,

I seriously think I'm in the middle of a breakdown. I can't think straight. the more I try looking up info on this site instead of asking yet another question that's probably been answered a million times - I'm just getting more agitated.

Can anyone direct me to the points chart relating to the support group. I feel like ripping up the form and just give up - it's obviously what the government want us to do

rogerblack

dazza-mac wrote: »

By the way, would severe coccyx pain mean I would be placed in the support group.

Not of itself.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/m-06-11.pdf - page 13 and on.

It would not seemingly even qualify you for the work-related group if you can stand for 30 minutes at a workstation, and do not have problems walking.

HB58

dazza-mac wrote: »

Hi again,


Can anyone direct me to the points chart relating to the support group.

Access to the Support Group does not depend upon points, people can store very high points and still not get into the Support Group if they do not meet the, very specific, criteria.