Social Anxiety W/ ESA Assessment

Alex_Shafner

Hey guys,

Was just wondering if any of you can help as I don't really know what to suggest.

My friend has to go for an ESA assessment in May. She suffers from severe social anxiety, depression and anxiety.

She is totally petrified about the impending assessment. She's hoping against hope that there is someway she can get out of the assessment. She isn't very good at talking to strangers about herself and just clams up. She has to take notes into doctors appointments that he has to read, she can't even speak about the notes as she can't get across her emotions and true feelings in speaking.

She was wondering to me if she defers the first appointment so she can send in additional evidence would that have a chance of working around the assessment.

Also she was wondering what would happen if she just clammed up in the assessment or had a bout of diarrhoea or nausea as this happens to her in the presence of strangers.

Thanks for your help!

Dan27

I'm sure she is able to take someone with her as extra support and can sit in with her on her assessment or wait in the waiting area with her. Not sure of this however but other forum members should be along shortly that can advise further. They do have a website you can visit which may help. Just type Maximus into Google which should direct you to this.

Indie_Kid

There's no way she'll get out of the assessment. Everyone (there are exceptions; such as terminally ill) has to be assessed. Some people, such as me, didn't have a face to face because there was enough information submitted for DWP / ATOS to make a decision.

nannytone_2

[she may be able to request a home visit, if she can get a supporting letter from her GP.
if not then someone will be able to go into the assessment with her for support ( my dad came into my assessment with me)
putting it off isn't a good idea, as it won't stop the need for the assessment, just postpone it. of she postpones twice, they will cancel her claim/B]

tomtontom

If she needs the bathroom during the assessment she should just excuse herself - the assessor will not object. It may be helpful to arrive early so she can familiarise herself with where the facilities are.

benniebert

Alex_Shafner wrote: »

Hey guys,

Was just wondering if any of you can help as I don't really know what to suggest.

My friend has to go for an ESA assessment in May. She suffers from severe social anxiety, depression and anxiety.

She is totally petrified about the impending assessment. She's hoping against hope that there is someway she can get out of the assessment. She isn't very good at talking to strangers about herself and just clams up. She has to take notes into doctors appointments that he has to read, she can't even speak about the notes as she can't get across her emotions and true feelings in speaking.

She was wondering to me if she defers the first appointment so she can send in additional evidence would that have a chance of working around the assessment.

Also she was wondering what would happen if she just clammed up in the assessment or had a bout of diarrhoea or nausea as this happens to her in the presence of strangers.

Thanks for your help!

All evidence will be helpful. However, one of the reasons behind bringing in ESA and stopping IB, was that claimants should be assessed regularly ideally with a face to face assessment. (Gone have the days of sending in a sick note, completing a form and getting benefit for years with no real checks being carried out).


Most claims will have a face to face, but you may be lucky and get away with it.


In my case I had reams of evidence but they still had me in. I went alone as no one told me that I could have had my wife with me having driven there on my own. I was given 0 points and told to get back to work (had to retire due to ill health from the Civil Service).
I decided to appeal against the decision (a decision not lightly taken) and within a week or two had a letter stating that I was now entitled to ESA and was put in the Support Group for 3 years. No further evidence was sent in so it was based on the original documents that I had previously failed on!!


Good luck.

eadieb

If she has extreme anxiety then as previously said, if her gp will provide a letter for her that states she cannot attend and it is sent to the new medical services assessor in good time, they may consider it and possibly phone the gp to clarify. If she has a mental health worker to also do a letter then this can also be useful.

With this sort of issue it is always better to take someone because when they write up the reports to send to dwp, ATOS would frequently comment that the person attended the assessment alone/travelled on public transport alone, and that would lead to assumptions that the mental health issue was not severe enough for points.

Get your friend to check the ESA points scoring system before she attends. There is a descriptor that gives you points for 'social engagement is always precluded by severe anxiety' etc.

If you read the points and find your friend meets the support group rules then it may be worth writing to the GP and asking that the letter stating she cannot attend the medical, also includes further information that could substantiate the points she needs. They may drop the medical if you submit clear evidence.

benniebert

eadieb wrote: »

With this sort of issue it is always better to take someone because when they write up the reports to send to dwp, ATOS would frequently comment that the person attended the assessment alone/travelled on public transport alone, and that would lead to assumptions that the mental health issue was not severe enough for points.

When I attended my ESA face to face, I drove myself and attended on my own as no one said that someone could come with me.


The trouble with assumptions are that they are invariably wrong. The assessor claimed that there was very little wrong with me and actually stated that I do not and never have had any mental health issues and could cope with making decisions without any help. I handed him a whole wad of documentary evidence at the assessment covering a period of 15 years with a copy of my latest care plan!!


The guy who assessed me was supposed to be a nurse - God help me if I was ever under his care - mind you he owned and ran a nursing home for the elderly I later found out!!!!

eadieb

I work with esa appeals and tribunals and 9 times out of 10, the reason no points were given was because the applicants information given at the assessment was taken out of context when typed up or incorrect assumptions were made.

If I can, I always advise clients to prepare for the assessment in advance and have an idea of which points/ESA descriptors, are relevant to their condition and try to ensure that information is given relevant to those points. It is better to get through on assessment than have to appeal, especially now that I hear the rules are changing so that when an person appeals to tribunal they will be stuck on jsa until the actual hearing. previously you could switch back to esa once the mandatory reconsideration has passed and you put in a formal independant appeal.

Richard_Cranium

benniebert wrote: »

All evidence will be helpful. However, one of the reasons behind bringing in ESA and stopping IB, was that claimants should be assessed regularly ideally with a face to face assessment. (Gone have the days of sending in a sick note, completing a form and getting benefit for years with no real checks being carried out).


Most claims will have a face to face, but you may be lucky and get away with it.


In my case I had reams of evidence but they still had me in. I went alone as no one told me that I could have had my wife with me having driven there on my own. I was given 0 points and told to get back to work (had to retire due to ill health from the Civil Service).
I decided to appeal against the decision (a decision not lightly taken) and within a week or two had a letter stating that I was now entitled to ESA and was put in the Support Group for 3 years. No further evidence was sent in so it was based on the original documents that I had previously failed on!!


Good luck.

What a wonderful story Andy! Shame it's a load of cobblers. I remember you posting similar fairy tales on the CAG benefits forum.

benniebert

Richard_Cranium wrote: »

What a wonderful story Andy! Shame it's a load of cobblers. I remember you posting similar fairy tales on the CAG benefits forum.

I beg your pardon?
Story? If you say so.
I have never posted anything on CAG - never been a member although I have looked at the site on occasion.
Maybe you could enlighten me and everybody else where these so called posts of mine are?