Benefits and Work Subscription

sogs

Hi,

I have been looking on the benefits and work website, I was looking for help in completing my ESA form for mental health, looking for help with wordings etc.

Is this website worth subscribing to? has anybody else used the website to help with completing form.

Would welcome feedback before I make a decision to subscribe or not.

regards

TOBRUK

Hi sogs,

I understand that many have beern helped by this website however I never have subscribed to it. I have filled the form myself and appealed myself. If you need some help I would go to CAB as they will help you free of charge. You could if you wished subscribe to that website as you are not limited to any one place of help.

I certainly would take all the advice you can, although sometimes you can get bogged down with information!

When you eventually get to filling out the form, do get all the evidence you can from health professionals such as your GP, consultants etc and make copies of everything that you send. Make sure these people know that you are applying to ESA as quite often they will send for more information especially from your GP regarding your illness.

Make sure also that you send the form back within the time given.

Good luck.

HB58

It is a matter of personal preference really. Some people prefer to try and find the information, free of charge, for themselves - much of it is out there on sites like this. Other prefer to pay a little for the convenience of having the guides, and the use of the forum, in one place.

Some people feel that it is dishonourable to charge for information like this, others accept that the sort of legal knowledge that the people who write the guides have is cheap at the price.

I certainly feel that my subscription was well worth the money.

Prinzessilein

I felt no need to pay for the information offered on the Benefits and Work website.

I am lucky enough to have a branch of DIAL fairly close to me - and they filled out the forms for me free of charge.

I still needed a WCA - which I was able to have at home. I was a pathetic quivering mass of nerves - but got terrific support - free of charge - here on MSE.

And I had immense and invaluable free support from my mother/carer who was with me during the sorry excuse for a WCA.

greenfarm

I subscribed to the Benefits and Work site. I found it useful as I found that while forums are useful, facts are not always up to date or can be misunderstood. Their guides are kept well updated and are straight to the point.

zzzLazyDaisy

I did not subscribe to the B&W site for ESA, as I was already up to speed with the issues and was able to find my way round the various free sources of information.

However when I first had to claim DLA, years ago, it was my first encounter with the benefits system and I was totally clueless. On that occasion I felt that the B&W subscription was money well spent as it made the process much smoother, and I got DLA first time without needing to appeal.

I am about to start helping someone to claim PIP. I know B&W has already published a guide for this so I may well recommend that they join, as my knowledge of PIP is still sketchy and I don't want to take responsibility for advising them on something I don't feel I know enough about.

Horses for courses.