What to do if turned down?

elljay

A friend had a lifetime disability award (is that DLA? sorry not au fait with all the terminology) for years but this is stopping I think and she has since been turned down for PIP despite appealing and is waiting the outcome of an ESA interview. She's pretty certain she'll be turned down for that and is talking about going to court. She is mid 50s, single and has never worked. She is trying to persuade them that she has physical disabilities whereas in reality she has mental health problems. She has had a lot of tests (and treatments) for various serious physical problems but as soon as they come back negative she goes to the doctor about something else for more tests.

If she fails this ESA assessment, is there anything else she can apply for - her friends are trying to get her to get help for mental health problems but she refuses to admit it which is understandable but we really want to help and advise her. Is jobseekers the next step? Is she more likely to get benefits for mental disability then physical? As she has never worked and doesn't really have any skills and qualifications, how will they find her a job? She's terrified in case they make her get a job as she has absolutely no idea about the world of work.

Thanks for advice

EJ

Bogalot

Yes, Jobseekers would be the next step. How is it that she has never worked, was she previously married or raising children?

As for which is more difficult to claim for, it depends on the individual condition, not whether it is mental or physical. What mental health condition is it suggested she may have, and has this come from a professional?

elljay

Thank you. She was married 30 yrs ago and widowed shortly afterwards apparently. No children. Not always sure of the truth of what she says but I think that's the case. She's always been on benefits for disabilities. No I don't believe she has ever been diagnosed with anything concrete in regards to mental health, though has had enough physical ailments (and made miraculous recoveries!) to fill a medical journal.

As she has no experience or qualifications, what sort of job would they make her take? She's majorly stressed about it and what she would have to live on and if we could help her to understand what might happen next we can then try to support her as she is in general quite a difficult person to help.

Thank you.

Bogalot

She'd be expected to apply for everything she can do - factory work, cleaning, caring, retail. If she can't find a job herself they could refer her to the work programme early for extra support.

Perhaps she needs to give JSA a go, which will either mean she'll get on with things and look for work or she'll acknowledge the root of her problems and seek the help she needs?

The biggest shock will be the money, JSA is £73 a week and that would be means tested. That's going to be a big difference than ESA and DLA.

50Twuncle

I would advise that you contact the CAB fot advice !!

Tommo1980

Interesting... So she makes up physical disabilities and got a lifetime DLA award.

She can't get past the PIP assessment or ESA WCA as she can't evidence a physical disability.

You now want to encourage her to jump on the mental health bandwagon.

I think that is called benefit fraud.

Tom

Tolly_T

It could be benefit fraud. It could be Somatoform disorder.

It doesn't sound from the OP that this lady accepts that she has mental health problems so I think it hard to argue that "She now wants to jump on the mental health bandwagon".

Tommo1980

Perhaps, but I doubt more sickness benefits will help. They are not there for people who simply lack the skills or desire to work.

JSA would be the appropriate benefit. Sounds like she needs to take some personal responsibility and help herself rather than inventing more illnesses.

Help her take advantage of the work skills help out there and/or getting a referral to the community mental health service in your area.

Tom

elljay

Thank you for these replies. No I don't think anyone's trying to jump on any bandwagon but all of her friends (well she hasn't many sadly) feel her complaints are more mental than physical. Well definitely.

She is now awaiting the outcome of the ESA assessment but says she hasn't enough to live on (around £75 a week for everything) while waiting to hear which could be a few weeks.Is this right? If she's really stuck then we will support her but if there's some interim benefit or other she should be applying for then she needs to know about it.

She's been to CAB but says they weren't helpful, probably as they didn't give her the answer she wanted!! They've told her she needs to borrow from friends and family. Surely they wouldn't say that. As I say, getting to the truth of things is quite hard (which is why I want to support her from an informed point of view, not just to tell her what she wants to hear) but she is very depressed and does get confused and is basically really not too bright!

Thanks

lemontart

just curious, has she had confirmed diagnoses of physcial conditions? or undergone tests -

elljay

lemontart wrote: »

just curious, has she had confirmed diagnoses of physcial conditions? or undergone tests -

Hundreds, all her life. Tests, treatments, hospitalisation, operations. Something different each time (apparently).Range of different hospitals. Seems to find validation in illness rather than for her other qualities which is why we think it's far more mental than otherwise.