Support worker off sick but need evidence for ESA...

earthbound_misfit

Right, I do have more urgent fish to fry right now but had another fruitless call to my own mental health team today.
Basically my CPN (community psychiatric nurse, who is my care-coordinator) has been off sick for over a month. She's nice, and helpful. She would be the person to ask for evidence regarding my ESA claim - is she wasn't off sick.
Now I have been trying to get treatment for 3 years. At one point I saw a therapist/psychologist who decided I was "too upset" to go through therapy at the time. Shortly afterwards I was given a CPN. The first time she met me she was sort of assessing the situation, seeing if I needed immediate help with anything - and I did, I had an Atos appeal on the go. So she trawled through my notes, asked me lots of questions, and wrote a superb supporting letter that got me from 0 points to 45 and support group! (This was 2 yrs ago, had another ESA50 six months later and they didn't call me to assessment.)

Unfortunately, due to cutbacks, after a few months they decided I didn't need a CPN (fair enough, I can manage day-to-day). So I waited, as I thought on the waiting list for treatment as I'd been told this. Almost a year later I find out I'm NOT on the waiting list (after calling up to see how much longer) so had to go back to GP and get re-referred to mental health team. They ignored the first 4 or 5 referrals but eventually my GP got annoyed with them and chased it up (I was very unwell for the first 6 months of last year). I was assessed for therapy, and put back on the waiting list in Nov last year. They said at the time I'd need another CPN whilst going through therapy as it was likely to rake up upsetting things from the past so I'd need support.

Now, I've had 2 initial therapy assessment type things over the summer, and therapy will continue if they think it's the right time for me.
However, they are making it the wrong time by making me destitute! Or at least not helping with evidence etc. As my CPN is off sick, the therapist wrote a basic statement for ESA saying I'm being assessed and might have treatment if they think it's necessary. Even that was like trying to get blood from a stone (Considering I have been trying to get help on and off for 9 years, and always have been fired from work cos of my problems, this is ludicrous - I want to get better and work normally!)
Anyway this letter is useless for Atos, I have tried repeatedly to explain but they just say "we've only met you 3 times" even though my notes show the ongoing contact for 3 years! And my last CPN was actually able to read my notes and come up with something, and she'd met me ONCE.
They also say "ask your GP" but my GP knows nothing about mental health and just says to ask them, all he's done really is refer me.

So in a few weeks I will presumably fail an Atos medical, and have to appeal. Can you still get ESA whilst appealing? I heard they'd changed that but it got overturned again?

Also I'm terrified that the stress of it all will render me "too upset" for therapy AGAIN and back to the bottom of the rather long waiting list.

I want to get better. I want the nightmares and intrusive thoughts and anxiety to stop. It all seems so hopelessly counter-productive, the way they are doing things.

Any advice welcome. And hugs, actually. Sorry for being soft.

DomRavioli

Hi OP,

Do you have a diagnosis? I don't mean to pry, but it does help a heck of a lot with ESA. I have BPD, and I got straight in the support group in a very similar situation to yours 2 years ago.

I would try asking your GP to liaise with your CMHT to get supporting evidence for the medical assessment.

You do get a rate of ESA whilst appealing, I think its the basic rate what you would receive for the first 13 weeks, but not sure on the amounts - might want to check the gov.uk website??

Also can I be nosey and ask where in the world you are? Might be slightly different depending on your location.

Best of luck with it all, try not to stress and get anxious about it (easier said than done I know!) but it can get better. Feel free to PM me if you ever just want a rant!

Niki x

rogerblack

one option may be to request a copy of your records from the practice, and submit these - along with a quick summary of the relevant bits.

earthbound_misfit

@ DomRavioli - yes I had the BPD label randomly stuck on me some years back (9 to be precise) which excluded me from treatment back then. And housing and social care stuff, couldn't even get the referrals for mental-health related voluntary agencies! So some, ahem, 'interesting' life experiences related to housing issues and things that I now have added anxiety/intrusive memories over. However when I was finally properly assessed I didn't fulfil the criteria for BPD, and apparently it's not on my records now. This leaves me in the vague 'depression and anxiety' box (possibly with 'BPD traits' I imagine as it's hard to leave that label behind!) althought the therapist has stated several time it's trauma related (mainly now to do with the stuff that happened back then, frustratingly.) I fit the 'complex PTSD' box precisely but it's not an official diagnosis though professionals here do seem to use it.
My GP writes 'mental health problems' on my sick notes!
Not sure if I'm allowed my notes and tbh I'm terrified of looking at them as when I read the lies told about me in the past it makes me feel terrified and trapped and sick and causes the dissociation and intrusive memories and flashbacks to get really strong. Scared I'm going to get flamed for writing that but the MH system can be very horrible, especially if the initial contact is with someone who really shouldn't be working in MH so all other contact is pre-judged from there.

earthbound_misfit

I'm in the northeast of England. Very savage council cuts.

Also I'm providing significant care for a friend, he has his DLA appeal tomorrow and I will claim carer's allowance if he's successful (look out for hell freezing over). I definitely cannot work whilst providing this level of care; I had plans for self-employment but have had to shelve them. (Although if manageable I'd try again but cannot devote the time whilst I'm caring to make it more than a hobby business.)
It's terrifying. For both of us.

earthbound_misfit

ps. in case anyone wants to attack me, I have worked in the past but it was much easier to pick up work then when I'd been repeatedly fired. Although the hired/fired merry go round was a bit of a downward spiral. I thought this was the final push to getting better, didn't realise it'd be THREE YEARS waiting to even start treatment. :eek:

DomRavioli

Hi again OP,

I'm in the midst of a re-diagnosis after 2 MH nurses said I didn't have it. I was diagnosed by a locum in 30 minutes...weird! Treatment is great if you stick with it (it can be horrible at times, but it has to be!) and can give you a new lease on life.

Like Rogerblack said, you might want to request a copy of the notes, which can take time, and they will charge you "reasonable costs" (usually up to £50.00) for paper and stuff.

Don't get disheartened, it can and will get tough, and MH services leave a lot to be desired (I'm in Manchester, and they are no better here) but please persevere with it if you are at all able to.

Here's hoping you get that appointment soon, and hope we have been helpful to you. Have I missed anything? I'm terrible for doing that.

Niki

earthbound_misfit

Yeh the notes may be an idea. I'm just terrified of setting off all the trapped, suicidal feelings, so much horrible stuff in my head relates to back then when I was very young trying to get help. You think the services are there until you need them.

I made a complaint at the time, thinking it was front-page horror story stuff (it would have been if I'd got the same mistreatment and verbal abuse for a physical illness) but they included some of my notes in the reply which basically said they didn't believe me. Eg. there was one incident where a psych nurse came to my house and baiscally just laid into me, calling me childish and silly for asking for help and telling me to pull myself together, so eventually I asked her to leave. This was written in my notes as "I attended Misfit's house and she asked me to leave".
I was also trapped in an abusive relationship at the time which was encouraged by them (ie. to talk to him not them) and he was able to play the angel act and buddy up with them to make me doubt my own mind (turned out he had slept with 3 other women whilst seeing me, as well as the abuse). God why am I writing this. Already it's starting to get to me, this is why I'm scared of seeing the notes. And all the time in police cells cos the police were worried but they wouldn't admit me to hospital. Sorry not the place, feeling a bit surreal atm. Nice to know others out there understand the system a bit.

Just keep hoping my CPN will come back soon, it's awful that they are being so stupidly counter-productive about this. If they stop my therapy I'm going to have to bite the bullet and appeal to better-off relations to pay for private therapy, I'm sick to death of wasting my life while I wait for non-existent services. I can't believe it's come to this.

~Chameleon~

I feel your pain. I've been denied therapy and access to CMHT for over 3 years now due to cutbacks, despite several hospitalisations within the last 6 mths

The only thing I can suggest is to keep a diary, as I mentioned on your other thread. It's the only thing I've ever found to be particularly helpful with DWP. No idea about ATOS though, they're a law unto themselves from what I can see.

earthbound_misfit

Thanks. I'm sorry to hear of your situation. It's so ridiculous - they go on about cutting sickness benefits, but considering about half are claimed primarily on mental health reasons you'd think they'd have thought of actually treating people so they don't need benefits anymore! I have no doubt that I have cost the government far more through various departments than a couple of years of timely psychotherapy when I first needed help.

epitome

Just make sure you return the ESA50 recorded delivery within the deadline.... otherwise your claim could be closed.

You can photocopy it before sending it (to show your support worker) and you can forward any further evidence at a later date direct to ATOS and also a carbon copy sent to DWP ESA BC.