I claim pip and esa ask me anything

[Plopandflop]

I lot has been said on here about benefits and people who claim them and supposed how easy it is. I claim pip and esa because I have epilepsy and narcolepsy. My husband has just been diagnosed with MS and is currently going through the process.
I also used to work for a disability charity who supported disabled people to claim benefits so I have quite a bit of knowledge about how the process is for people with different disabilities.
there is a lot of misconception out there so if anyone would like to ask me anything about the process, or my disability or how the process made me feel or how I feel now being on benefits please do.

You will have been given 3 months' notice to change to UC. Bity misleading to say you got 'the letter' last week and your final ESA payment is next week.

Yes thank you. That does not mean that people have the right to be intrusive - the amount of benefit the OP gets has no relevance to claiming ESA or PIP, and if you spend any time on this site at all you will know that the majority of threads about disability end up as "people living the life of luxury", "there's nothing wrong with them at all" and being "benefit frauds". Nobody needed to know how much the OP's income was.

Do you have any specific tips for ADHD given it is a neurodevelopmental condition typically managed (to a point) with medication and the claim success rates are lower than average? What sort of evidence are you supposed to submit beyond a formal diagnosis?

I wonder if this thread is having the desired effect, in that it would change some peoples minds, regarding the process of benefits being easy to claim, for disabled people. I think that the opposite is true, but I am not the one judging disabled claimants.

"Ask me ANYTHING"

The OP doesn't have to answer it - but it doesn't make the question wrong or inappropriate.

We’ve been claiming UC since October, my DH has terminal cancer. They’re still conducting ‘fit for work’ interviews. They do them on the phone because he’s too sick to get to the job centre. It’s insane! They’ve had his medical info since the start and we’re still waiting for LCWRA.

Im so sorry @Rachie1973, the whole process is so stressful, I hope it's gets backdated without any trouble too .

Do you receive PIP? It has a significant effect on ESA because of the Severe Disability Premium - this doesn't exist on UC so the vast majority of transitional protection is due to this.

I sincerely doubt you will be better off in this case, and the transitional protection is eroded with time making us all worse off.

Thank you for taking the time to reply to me. It's actually citizens advice who have been one of the people who told me it's no guarantee but I will contact them again. I think I might need help with the forms anyway.

There are special regulations for this but I cant remember the name of it you will find it in google or benefits and work website

Complex Needs I believe.

And it also doesn't make me wrong! It is rude and intrusive to ask someone about their income.

@Plopandflop - I’m guessing you must live in a similar area to me
As well as fight back for justice and Disability Equality North West have a look at ICANN - face to face services in the North West and telephone online services across England and Wales www.i-cann.net

It was "Ask me anything", not "ask me anything except my income".
Many people have no clue as to what people get on PIP and ESA/UC. There is a misconception that people claiming it are raking it in, and getting tens of thousands in benefits a year.
There are always comments on any thread about benefits, where you always get someone who knows their hairdresser's dog's neighbours' aunt who gets £50k in benefits, has a Range Rover and goes on fancy holidays all the time.
Maybe someone saying what the reality actually is, will put those myths to bed.

OP has said once her DH has his benefits sorted out, they will get about £2000 between them. That is way less than a couple that are both working NMW.

@XenoBitch
Hi sorry, I was referring solely to PIP, which isn’t means tested. I didn’t really think about ESA.
I volunteered briefly for CAB until two of the other volunteers thought that because I was being assessed for ASD (the volunteer Co-ordinator told them, and yep, I have that too), I may be bothersome as a volunteer, because they ‘didn’t get along with’ another volunteer on the spectrum and I would turn out to be like him.😳
Yes, I swear this was CAB.
I hope this might be of some use so you don’t have to keep on gifting.
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/while-youre-getting-esa/working-while-getting-esa/

Have it your way. It is absolutely ok to ask total strangers their income for no better reason than prurient interest. So I asked that poster their income - I presume they will now answer. I'd also like to know what yours is?

And if you think that telling people what benefit income is will stop the hate, then you are very naive.

I think this causes so much resentment because benefits have gone up and wages have stagnated. The OP has said that her and her partner get rough 2000 a month plus both have part time work. As a very conservative estimate they'll be getting over 3000 a month after any tax - which is likely to be zero. You'd have to earn over £50,000 to get that. Their take home is more than mine as FT teacher. I'm a single parent entitled to bugger all and pay well over 1000 a month in tax.

Well, for a start you're comparing the combined incomes of two people with your one income, and OP says the £2000 includes the PT work.

As for the rest, if someone said to you,

'bigvig, you can give up work tomorrow and have an extra £720 per month. All you have to do is agree to have a neurological disease. You can choose between Disease 1, which may cause you to suddenly collapse, jerk violently, make unusual facial movements or even lose consciousness. You may also severely injure yourself or lose control of your bowel and/or bladder in the process, and you will most likely have to give up your driving licence as well as consider the safety of children in your care. Alternatively, Disease 2 involves progressive damage to your brain. You might lose the ability to walk (this could be temporary or permanent) and experience problems with your vision, and you may have episodes of numbness across your body and severe facial pain. The progression of symptoms could be gradual or sudden, and there is no cure'.

what would your answer be?

And I rest my case - this is why sharing income is a bad idea. It inevitably leads to comparisons which are meaningless.

@bigvig - you chose to have a child, nobody chooses to have a disability. You chose to be a teacher, nobody chooses to be too ill to work. You are (presumably) lucky enough to be able to walk and take public transport if you can't afford to run a car- many people with disabilities can't do either and can't afford to run a car either. I won't continue in this vein, because I think anyone can get my drift. It isn't a race to the bottom, and just because you think you are low paid for your work doesn't mean someone else shouldn't have a decent basic standard of living.

BTW - you really need to get someone to look at your tax problem, because if you earned £50,000 (I chose that figure because it was the one that you chose to use - you earn less than that you say), and assuming you have no deductions or allowances, no pension payments (which I assume you do have), and if you were a single person with no "extras" (i.e. just the single persons tax allowance and nothing more, then your tax would be just below £624 per month. So why are you paying well over £1000 a month in tax? That doesn't add up. Your tax must be a lot less than £624 per month.

Anyone can just go online and look up benefit rates anyway so I don't see why it's a an issue.

bigvig
sorry but you are a classic case of people who don’t read the facts and this is why we get huge misconceptions and people spreading stuff that just is not right
it’s £2000 INCLUDING what we earn part time. What we earn is taken off benefits.
also my husband is a teacher and when he worked full time he certainly did not pay £1000 in tax so I think you need to ask your local authorities to have a look at your pay.

Oh and we get no help with housing costs as we have a mortgage which we are desperately trying to keep up with as in five years it will be paid off but if we don’t managed to get back to work I don’t see how we can