esa transfer

Muttleythefrog

sunnyone wrote: »

So having a stranger who knows jack about you and your health and who cannot speak on your behalf/intervene in any way is enough to stop your worries about the (none) medical?

It's possible... I took a hammer... although it was taken off me before I went into the medical. It's worth noting many find a companion useful for these 'medicals' because of the widely reported problems associated with their accuracy. It's the old 'more eyes watching' idea.

rossireps

so in plain terms get medical evidence that i suffer anxiety/depression from gp?
does anyone know if the rates are the same and if the worst happens do they. shove you on jsa cut your money and expect you to manage?

lovinituk

I was 'diagnosed' with anxiety by my GP and have been on prescribed medication for a while now. Does that mean I suffer from mental health issues and could claim benefits? I'm asking as a serious question. I would never consider doing so and I run my own successful business despite my 'condition'. I'm guessing the answer will be 'varying degrees of'.

Muttleythefrog

rossireps wrote: »

so in plain terms get medical evidence that i suffer anxiety/depression from gp?
does anyone know if the rates are the same and if the worst happens do they. shove you on jsa cut your money and expect you to manage?

Evidence of anxiety/depression is probably of low value to you. The descriptors are all that count. Evidence should be targetted at the descriptors which are much more specific than general descriptions of illnesses etc.

There could be transitional protection in terms of the monies but that'll depend of course on what the outcome of your assessment is. Others will be better to advise on actual specifics of this.

Muttleythefrog

lovinituk wrote: »

I was 'diagnosed' with anxiety by my GP and have been on prescribed medication for a while now. Does that mean I suffer from mental health issues and could claim benefits? I'm asking as a serious question. I would never consider doing so and I run my own successful business despite my 'condition'. I'm guessing the answer will be 'varying degrees of'.

If doctor was prepared to sign you as unfit for work continually for around 3 months then you could claim ESA (this 'assessment phase' doesn't exist for claims transferring in like regarding the thread here). ESA then has a work capability assessment after around 3 months. Your entitlement would then be determined by whether you passed the WCA... refer the criteria for that... it's the disabling effects of illness etc that counts rather than the actual condition itself. In theory you can qualify for ESA with no diagnosed condition... it is only in exceptional circumstances that specific diagnosis becomes relevant like for terminal illness.

lovinituk

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

If doctor was prepared to sign you as unfit for work continually for around 3 months then you could claim ESA (this 'assessment phase' doesn't exist for claims transferring in like regarding the thread here). ESA then has a work capability assessment after around 3 months. Your entitlement would then be determined by whether you passed the WCA... refer the criteria for that... it's the disabling effects of illness etc that counts rather than the actual condition itself. In theory you can qualify for ESA with no diagnosed condition... it is only in exceptional circumstances that specific diagnosis becomes relevant like for terminal illness.

Although I clearly have no issues with working and would rather do that than be on benefits any day of the week, what would stop me going to the GP and claiming I can't work? How do they actually determine if I'm telling the truth or not?

Muttleythefrog

lovinituk wrote: »

Although I clearly have no issues with working and would rather do that than be on benefits any day of the week, what would stop me going to the GP and claiming I can't work? How do they actually determine if I'm telling the truth or not?

It's for them to determine that... for them to give opinion and justify it and determine whether you're reporting accurate facts or not. In theory there's nothing to stop anyone going to a GP and telling a load of rubbish.. no doubt people do that daily... some seriously ill and some not ill at all... the defence to this misinformation is nothing more or less than medical professional skill and judgement. Bottom line is you're content working.. you see no reason to not work.. so surely convincing a GP that you're too ill to work is not something you have in mind. If that were to change then be aware it is not likely to be an easy route... self employment to me.. even with an ogre boss like me.. was in many respects easier than dealing with sickness and disability benefit claims and the associated medical professional involvements.

lovinituk

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

.. so surely convincing a GP that you're too ill to work is not something you have in mind.

Of course not. I was wondering how easy it was for anyone to bend the truth if they were not content to work and you confirmed what I thought.

Invalidation

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

=-all that material will be used to decide if a face to face medical is necessary and you cannot be found fit for work without at least being offered the medical.

Without meaning to sound pedantic but the ATOS interview could hardly be called a 'Medical' can it.
Especially when it is done by someone who may have no experience of the medical condition that an interviewee has.
Interview, yes
Medical.no

Muttleythefrog

lovinituk wrote: »

Of course not. I was wondering how easy it was for anyone to bend the truth if they were not content to work and you confirmed what I thought.

I'd say fairly easy at face value (something like depression can be diagnosed via self reported symptoms for example in the space of 2 minutes). But you'd require sustained efforts probably. For example it'd be hard to convince an ATOS HCP that you had disabling depression if your own doctor wasn't referring you for NHS services or at least prescribing drugs or that such options had been exhausted. Remember you only get ESA for 3 months with doctor sicknotes.. qualification for ESA thereafter requires passing the WCA which the DWP assess using ATOS HC. DLA (disability benefit rather than unable to work sickness benefit) harder to probably claim because they actually have expectations in terms of treatments and referrals to indicate severity of condition.

My view is the weak link regarding ESA is the ATOS HCP. THese people seem to be of typically low skill and under high pressure using software that is dubious to say the least. Error and misinformation is common at this point.