CAB and ESA Appeal

iwblue

Hi, I have a friend who has been receiving Incapacity Benefit and failed the WCA sometime ago. He's been waiting for his Appeal to be heard and the CAB have been helping.

However he's just received a letter from CAB saying that due to budget cuts they cannot represent him at the Appeal. He does not understand the system or criteria for WCA and does not have the kind of communication skills required to represent himself at this kind of meeting.

Does anyone know if there is another organisation that could help him at all?

Many thanks for any advice in advance.

Horseunderwater

What was the nature of his/her incapacity? Very hard to advise without some basic knowledge of that.
ESA - is all about the descriptors and how you think they apply to you as the individual who is claiming the benefit.
Link: http://pseudo-living.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/esa-descriptors-and-points.html
Have a read through these and see which ones if any apply to them and go from there as a starting point.

elaine12022

I do not know about possible representatives - need one ourselves for next month!

But there are some excellent resources on line that can help - benefits and work have full guides, which you have to pay to see but are very helpful. http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/

Are CAB writing a submission for the appeal for you? Do you have an appeal date? I have someone helping me at a a distance -
https://www.wellfair.org.uk Run by a small team of volunteers so may take a few days to get a response.

Found this too from gov.uk

Community Legal Advice
Online advice
Telephone: 0845 345 4 345
Minicom: 0845 609 6677
Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm
Saturday, 9am to 12:30pm

https://www.gov.uk/legal-aid/how-to-claim

KxMx

Is there a DAB (Disability Advice Bureau) locally? They may be able to help.

mazza111

Or even try your local social work department, despite the cuts some still have welfare rights officers who may be able to help

iwblue

Thanks to everyone above, I've been researching and talking to people who you recommended. One thing I've discovered after talking to these people, the amount of help available has significantly diminished, and is only going to get worse after April. If you haven't got any money, then you're just going to get poorer and they'll be no help or advice available. Don't see how knocking people on the edges of society is going to make things better. It'll just cost more in the long term.