ESA-it it best to get citizens advice or welfare person to fill in ESA50 form?

bigboybrother

KxMx wrote: »

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I just needed guidance on how I was to translate three main problems, several minor ones- all with no diagnosis- into the questions there were asking. Health problems do not always fit neatly into tick boxes. .

Why would you want to 'translate' your health conditions (all undiagnosed, into the questions asked?

The last time I looked at an ESA50 (February 2013) the vast majority of the form consisted of many areas that you are expected to write freehand in. What boxes? It's a simple thing of ticking a box - do you have.... if so please explain in your own words....

What is so wrong with telling it as it is?

You don't need to translate anything, I didn't, I didn't give a fig what the descriptors were. If by telling the comprehensive truth, then and only then will the DWP/ATOS be able to determine if you fit any of the descriptors.

You seem to be going backwards - What group of ESA do I want to be in, what is the descriptor, what level of points do I want from that descriptor then 'fitting' your 'story' to those parameters. What a lot of hard work in my opinion.

bigboybrother

wouldbeqaulitymoneysaver wrote: »

As an exercise just to get you familiar with the form you could in fact download it and put down a few answers and save it after every section.
But my money is on welfare rights advisors with their legal knowledge etc plus support to help you through what is a progressively difficult form making benefits harder and harder to claim.
another thing ALWAYS PHOTOCOPY YOUR FORMS ALWAYS KEEP ALL DOCUMENTS. My sister keeps all of mine so we are more prepared when the dreaded reevaluation thing comes around again.

Why? do you expect your health and the inability to do any type of work not to change over time?

I have yet to meet anybody where their health doesn't change from one year to the next. It could get better or it could deteriorate.

However if your health condition will not and doesn't change from year to year, then yes having a copy of what you wrote 2/3 years ago will be handy to refer to.

But in the main things do change, sometimes in a subtle way.
It is therefore wise to re-evaluate your difficulties at the time you fill out an ESA50 and record the problems that exist at the date of completion, and simply not copy what you wrote 2/3 years ago. The DWP/ATOS aren't stupid, they will easily spot what you are doing and you will lose credibility.

benefitbaby

bigboybrother wrote: »

You don't need to translate anything, I didn't, I didn't give a fig what the descriptors were. If by telling the comprehensive truth, then and only then will the DWP/ATOS be able to determine if you fit any of the descriptors.

But the problem is that DWP and Atos routinely get it wrong hence the massive increase in appeals and additional lengthy work for welfare rights advisers.

This is why so many welfs try to explain the criteria, assist with elliciting the pertinent information at the form filling stage and gathering supporting medical evidence to send with the form. By being pro-active at the start it is far less likely that a tribunal (with all its added stress, work for welfs, impact to GPs or other medical professionals and cost to the public purse via the judiciary) will be needed.

KxMx

bigboybrother wrote: »

Why would you want to 'translate' your health conditions (all undiagnosed, into the questions asked?

The last time I looked at an ESA50 (February 2013) the vast majority of the form consisted of many areas that you are expected to write freehand in. What boxes? It's a simple thing of ticking a box - do you have.... if so please explain in your own words....

What is so wrong with telling it as it is?

You don't need to translate anything, I didn't, I didn't give a fig what the descriptors were. If by telling the comprehensive truth, then and only then will the DWP/ATOS be able to determine if you fit any of the descriptors.

You seem to be going backwards - What group of ESA do I want to be in, what is the descriptor, what level of points do I want from that descriptor then 'fitting' your 'story' to those parameters. What a lot of hard work in my opinion.

Are you accusing me of lying or exaggerating my problems? If anything I underplay them and an advisor helped me to be more truthful and open than I would have been left to my own devices!

mazza111

I've done all the forms for me and my dd, some successfully, some not so successfully. Next time it comes round I'll need to invest in a new printer, cos my hands are getting so bad I can barely hold a pen to fill in my name and address these days

If you have a disability that means you really can't fill in the forms yourself, then by all means get some help with it. But what I will advise is to do it on a day when you've got a clear head. Tried to do a DLA one when I had a brain fog and it wasn't a pretty picture.