Forced To Look For Work On ESA?

cattermole

rogerblack wrote: »

Nobody on ESA is directly assessed that they can not work.
This is not one of the criteria for being granted ESA.

Which is why the whole system as we know is a joke for those that can and never will work.

Support means able to work with support (if you can get it!)

WRAG means what it says.

There is no category for those who will never work due to severe mental impairment and/or extremely severe physical disability.

Which is why the name given to the benefit is discriminatory.

sunnyone

lukieboy96 wrote: »

I do not think you have to apply for work if on ESA WRAG. They are supposed to offer advice. At my last WFI she said she will conatct me in 6 months. If they force you to look for work, then appeal.

Appeal for what?

You can only get into the support group if you fulfil specific conditions and if you felt that you were entitled to be in the support group surely you would appeal as soon as you got the results of the assessment and not put in a late appeal because you are unhappy about the advice you are getting form the advisor?

sniggings wrote: »

put in a written complain to his boss and the DWP, saying his demaads are making you ill with stress (if this is the case) these people shouldn't be allowed to get away with treating people this way.

The Op did not say that the advisor's behaviour was making them ill, they are not very happy but thats not the same as being made ill.

Its wrong to make these suggestions without foundations.

HB58

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Surely, they would score enough points to not be found fit for work?

Roger chose his examples well. The one he used would have scored zero points (can self-propell wheelchair 200m = 0 points; able to remain at workstation for 90 minutes = 0 points and so on).

sniggings

sunnyone wrote: »

Appeal for what?

You can only get into the support group if you fulfil specific conditions and if you felt that you were entitled to be in the support group surely you would appeal as soon as you got the results of the assessment and not put in a late appeal because you are unhappy about the advice you are getting form the advisor?



The Op did not say that the advisor's behaviour was making them ill, they are not very happy but thats not the same as being made ill.

Its wrong to make these suggestions without foundations.

I did say IF...and it's a reasonable suggestion to make, being told you have to look for work when you are unable to/do not have to can make someone stressed especially when they are aready unfit/ill so you don't make daft posts and I'll carry on giving sensible advice.

Two4Tuesday

cattermole wrote: »

Support means able to work with support (if you can get it!)

WRAG means what it says.

There is no category for those who will never work due to severe mental impairment and/or extremely severe physical disability.

Which is why the name given to the benefit is discriminatory.

This is so completely wrong that I laughed out loud at your post.

The support group is for people who are deemed to have limited capability for work related activity - they are not expected to do any work related activity at all.

The WRAG is for people deemed to have limited capability for work, but not limited capability for work related activity.

Swampey2418

Hi All

I'm in one of them support groups, been to see the advisor at the job centre who pointed me in the direction of volunteer work or for me to re train and take a collage course....

Firstly the its OK volunteering for work but they certainly expect a lot out of you for nothing, don't like you setting the parameters... then the next suggestion of college... hummmmm looks good advice at the time but when you've contacted the college and find that very little money set aside to pay for a course or your only entitled to undertake certain courses then your options are pretty limited

Think the DWP needs a rethink in how they need to help ppl and these job centres need to grow a pair and do what they where designed to

System

I was in the support group, and thankfully left alone, I think if I'd been continually "harassed" it would have proven a setback in my case. Not having the stress of dealing with the job centre meant I was able to do things at my own pace and without extra pressure which eventually led me to gaining a job and being able to sign off ESA completely, this was nearly a year ago. So I think in some cases being left alone to recover is not always the worst thing

ab.da54

Indie_Kid wrote: »

Most won't get better in the future. That's the problem - most have permanent and incurable disabilities.

Where has that information come from, please, Indie Kid?

rogerblack

ab.da54 wrote: »

Where has that information come from, please, Indie Kid?

I suspect made up from whole cloth.

ESA in the work-related group is composed of some who have life-long conditions, yes.
But it's also composed of a large number of those with medium term illnesses - who have passed the 13 week assessment period, but not yet recovered.

This would include those undergoing non-trivial surgeries with recovery periods of over 3 months, and many mental illnesses.

http://tabulation-tool.dwp.gov.uk/100pc/esa/ctdurtn/esa_phase/a_carate_r_ctdurtn_c_esa_phase_aug13.html

In Aug 2013, there were 1.9 million on ESA.
Of the 1.9 million, 344K have been on ESA more than 2 years, with slightly more of these being in the support group.
Of that 344K, 134K have been in the work-related group for over 2 years, or about 7%.

Is it possible that this is misleading - yes, for several reasons up and down - for example people failing the assessment and needing to reclaim, deaths, reassessment from IB being significant over the period, appeals, and other factors.

But to go from 7% of total ESA claimants - or 23% of work-related claimants being on ESA for more than 2 years to 'most being on it for life' is a hell of a stretch.

However - this is not quite the same as having an incurable disability.
For example - until moderately recently if you were in a wheelchair, and couldn't walk significantly, you could get ESA.
Now, through legislative change, you may not in all circumstances be entitled to ESA, though your disability has not changed.