Work Focused Interview - ESA

Eeyore2009

My illness has gradually got worse

System

just been to one of these work focused interviews
i was dreading it but i can honestly say there is absolutely nothing to worry about
a nice lady just told me all my options,including getting extra benefits..no pressure to do anything and it took 10 mins
she said i might be asked back in 6 months or more
doddle really

rogerblack

trev1865 wrote: »

just been to one of these work focused interviews
i was dreading it but i can honestly say there is absolutely nothing to worry about
a nice lady just told me all my options,including getting extra benefits..no pressure to do anything and it took 10 mins
she said i might be asked back in 6 months or more
doddle really

This varies.
If you have no arms, or have a disability that the interviewers mother suffers from - they will likely understand your position, and not do require you to do things that are unreasonable.

If they do not understand your condition, or worse - don't really believe it exists - you can be required to do very inappropriate things that may worsen your condition.
If you believe you may qualify for the support group, you should consider strongly appealing either the decision to place you in the WRAG at the outset, or if your condition has now worsened - report a change of condition.

graduate2012

I don't know your issues so not sure if this applies, but I have an anxiety disorder which has improved greatly, my therapist says the only way I will ever be ok with, and not scared of doing something (for me it was going to areas that I need to go to, that I might see a particular person) is by doing it. It is very difficult, and in some cases for me I can't do it, but for those situations where I have, my anxiety has improved.

The longer you avoid things, the bigger the 'monster' gets. All the thoughts about what might, or what I thought would certainly happen, made the fear bigger and bigger. When you go, and see that it is probably ok, there will be less evidence to feed the 'monster' that is stopping you from doing things.

Hope that doesn't seem rude, but to me it really did help when my therapist explained that the more I avoid things, the bigger that monster gets. Each time you do something and realise it is ok, there's less evidence to support that negative belief, if you see what I mean.

Hope you get better

Indie_Kid

rogerblack wrote: »

This varies.
If you have no arms, or have a disability that the interviewers mother suffers from - they will likely understand your position, and not do require you to do things that are unreasonable.

If they do not understand your condition, or worse - don't really believe it exists - you can be required to do very inappropriate things that may worsen your condition.

My mum took my brother to one of these interviews. They turned up, sat down and then the woman said she has no idea what Autism is. I remember when I put my claim in, I was asked what Autism is. I asked him to repeat what he'd said, just in case I'd misheard him. (I have problems with my hearing too)They were appealing the decision; so only ended up with one WFI.

KxMx

rogerblack wrote: »

This varies.
If you have no arms, or have a disability that the interviewers mother suffers from - they will likely understand your position, and not do require you to do things that are unreasonable.

If they do not understand your condition, or worse - don't really believe it exists - you can be required to do very inappropriate things that may worsen your condition.
If you believe you may qualify for the support group, you should consider strongly appealing either the decision to place you in the WRAG at the outset, or if your condition has now worsened - report a change of condition.

Yes, my last WRAG interview began with me explaining the problem that hospitalised me as an emergency in June was no better so was having more investigations, and that i'd had surgery 5 days earlier, and to have that surgery I had to stop beneficial treatment for 2 weeks so it would be some time before I arrived back health wise where I was.

I need not have spoken because she just typed a few things then said "so we talked about work experience last time, we have some vacancies here".

Luckily I was able to refuse and she accepted that. Probably only because she agreed I could do a free online course instead. Not that I will be left alone while I do it WFI's are monthly face to face she won't accept any less.

She is getting seriously pushy though and I am out of time to appeal. I maybe could argue the problem developed before my time ran out- I haven't made a decision but in all likelihood I am too late.

I plan to see a welfare advisor to get a run down of my rights because of how pushy my advisor is getting. She even tried to give me medical advice last time :eek: Told me to carry on taking my tablets the flaming cheek there are 101 reasons why I wouldn't stop!

WRAG was okay to start with but when the poor figures for claimants moving into work were published I knew there would be a crackdown and I was right. At my very next WFI my advisor said "the rules have changed we have to see you more often and be much more work focused".

Indie_Kid

If you're out of time for appeal, you can put in for a change of circumstance.

epitome

I know this is an old thread, and it would be nice of eeyore to come back and say what happened....


Nevertheless there is a catch-22 or oxymoron-ish aspect to the WRAG and the requirement to attend WFI and WP

To be awarded WRAG.... if you got this decriptor:

(a) Cannot get to any place outside the claimant’s home with which the claimant is familiar............ 15 points

And then you are invited to attend a Jobcentre, if the jobcentre does not agree to to do the interview over the phone, there is an obvious contradiction. If subsequently a sanction is imposed then a Man Recon/Appeal is an absolute must as the DWP are contradicting themselves.

Indie_Kid

I can't understand, for the reasons you've mentioned, why that's not a support group descriptor.

pmlindyloo

I think the one in the support group that you are thinking about is this one:

3. Coping with social engagement due to cognitive impairment or mental disorder.
Engagement in social contact is always precluded (prevented) due to difficulty relating to others or significant distress experienced by the individual.

A little different to getting to a place.