ESA/JSA benefit - panicking very upset :-(

[Becca19962014]

I've no idea where to put this and I'm severely panicking. I've been in support group for years, always no problem as had support worker to help me do form. However, support worker abandoned my case end of last week after being told my ESA wasn't due to be renewed for months (that was a lie as form was sent in post that day!). Support worker cannot reopen file so soon after closing it.

CAB can't help until almost end of next month (that's way too late to be of any use, they claim money can be backdated but that's no help to me). Jobcentre gave me an appointment but it had nothing to do with ESA and was about me getting a job it was very upsetting - I can't wash myself anymore and they had a go at me for that and I can't afford a telephone anymore and they had ago about that too. I'm using next doors internet and ipad to use MN. I've no money to join a website to find out about things. The jobcentre said as I can use a pen I can easily work and I'm to go back on Thursday to fill in what they call the right form for someone like me, I'm worried that means JSA. I can barely walk and have two hands in casts, last time I was booted off JSA because of being disabled I was refused sickness benefits as I didn't have any doctors and no diagnosis, now I have diagnosis but no doctors as local hospital has got rid of them and I can't travel due to my conditions even in an ambulance I cannot get there due to the amount of pain I am in. I'm really struggling financially and cannot afford to lose a single penny.

I've no credit cards so can't join any sites online for help and cannot open a separate account to ensure what little money I get can come to me and not on debts (repayment plans were refused CAB did try but bank were adamant I had enough in my account to pay so must pay, I'm not trying to get out of debt to be clear I know it must be paid off, just a lot of my outgoings are not considered essential by them (medical expenses)).

I see no doctors or anyone now as my care was stopped months ago. My GP is struggling alone and is concerned for my mental health but can do nothing to help me.

I'm really struggling mentally anyway and have no idea what I can do about this. I don't know what I expect from this thread though I'd appreciate not being flamed, I'm really scared and upset as it is and I tried talking to someone in real life but they had no idea e.g. They said benefits are never stopped for people like me.

I'll try and come back later in case anyone replies.

I can only suggest you contact your local MP - they should do surgery's where you can call in but do find out who your MP is and email or call them to explain your plight - they should be able to get things moving for you - good luck - I know how awful and demoralising it is having to deal with JC policies!

Your gp should be able to back you up with the Esa doesn't have to be a hospital dr?.

Have you had a atos assessment?

What has actually happened? Has your money been stopped?

Thankyou both.

The MP is on holiday until the end of next month. No surgery where I live until middle of October, that's two months!

I said about the problems with nhs services as well as jobcentre when I contacted their office but they were very very dismissive, the comments were 'we know everyone's in the same boat' which I don't find helpful.

The GP rang them, as she is concerned for my welfare, I attempted suicide last week, and was told her word wasn't good enough, they need hospital consultant letters. The problem with that is my local hospital doesn't have consultants anymore following severe cuts to services. She also rang social services and mental health team who weren't bothered at all and very dismissive.

I've never had a medical. That's the problem, the jobcentre said something about everyone must attend medical or it's fraud, well I can't get into medical centre and have very rare conditions, in the past I had consultant letters to support my application but don't anymore.

It's a mess, or rather I am I'm so desperate I'm reaching out to total strangers.

Money stops end of month as I don't qualify anymore. I've been sent a letter and form but cannot fill in the form and no one can help me for over six weeks. Jobcentre have already lined up interviews to get me back into work.

Am going offline now for a bit as having panic attacks. Will come back.

Well can see their point about needing medical evidence, but surely someone can provide an alternative letter which they could accept? All hospitals have consultants of some sort

So you have no money coming in?

If your claim has been stopped because you failed to return the medical questionnaire, then you must send a letter stating your reasons for failing to return it, and you can make a new claim at the same time. The new claim will most likely be suspended until you do actually return a medical questionnaire. Once they have the questionnaire they should lift the suspension.
You will need a sick note from your GP. They don't usually make distinctions between GPs/consultants.
You seem able to write responses/posts - can you dictate to your neighbour and ask them to handwrite it for you?

I don't think I understand - if you can barely walk and your hands are in casts then you must be under a consultant/hospital?

Becca,
Someone needs to be advocating on your behalf here - this is just too much for you to be wading through without help. Are there support groups for your disabilities? Would these offer any help or advice? Do you have any family or a friend who can help you to pull things together? Will you get support worker back soon? Sorry for so many questions. I really hope things can be sorted.

Can you also call Social Services, anyone can to access help for adult services. My SIL is a social worker in this area and often helps people fill out forms etc.

If you cannot cope with any of it by yourself then you can ask social services to act as your appointee. You will be visited by a DWP officer and they will explain it for you.

Am confused could you maybe say what your condition is? Have you been discharged from your consultant because there is no further treatment available just pain relief?

I am very confused. HOPE someone can help

Do you have a carer/s or a counsellor or CPN who could help ?

I'm really sorry for causing you kind people confusion. That totally wasn't my intention. I'm struggling a lot mentally as well as physically and my confusion is obviously catching

I didn't get the form they claim was sent, I went to the jobcentre last week and said I hadn't received anything from them and was worried my money would stop, they said they'd ring ESA and whilst I was there chatted to them and then told me not to panic there had been no form sent and wouldn't be. Due to massive backlogs.

Today I get a letter saying it's being stopped and an invite to the jobcentre. Then I got home and found an ESA form as well, the date on it is Saturday. So obviously not a form sent weeks ago, besides ESA said they hadn't sent one.

I don't really understand why they need letters every six months to state I have an incurable, deteriorating genetic illness that will become terminal. I can understand them needing letters to begin with, totally understand that, that's reasonable but I don't understand why I have to keep getting them.

The only consultants (3) are for emergency medicine. My hands aren't in solid casts, they are in more flexible casts, more like splints - that was my mistake. Sorry. For other conditions patients must travel, my conditions are very rare, I can't put what they are here for that reason but I'm in severe pain and have mental health issues. I was under consultants locally but due to government cuts those services have now been moved. Which is fine if you have family or someone to take a day to drive you to or from appointments each week, or can cope with long bus journeys but that isn't possible for me.

I did contact social services for help but they said that's the responsibility of the mental health team as I have mental health problems, there isn't an alternative service for people who are physically disabled, which seems very very odd. however, they won't help me to actually do the form (previous ones due to complexities of conditions were typed by support worker and ran to over twenty pages of additional information!) and they won't touch the physical side of things.

The support worker won't return to my case although I may try and check that with them. I have an allocated cpn but she won't see me at all and is ignoring any contacts from me or GP (both me and GP have complained) cpn is insistent as I have a degree I can manage things myself and don't need a cpn. She's still allocated due to an ongoing investigation, again confusing.

Hopefully this has cleared things, not made them worse. Sorry if it has. Yes my neighbour gives me temporary access to internet, typing is done via special software which doesn't seem to work with other programs. Don't know why exactly.

Sorry that was a massive post, I hope it reads okay and not against any rules to put all information like that, sorry if not.

Have you accessed any forums that relate to your specific condition? I can hazard a guess at what it is but I won't mention it obviously!

I am not sure under what local authority you are, but if you are in the support group you shouldn't need to be sending medical notes every six months. Once you are placed in that group you have a review date and are more or less left alone. They also have always accepted a GP note at the very least; other forms of information can be helpful but not compulsory.

Again, I have never heard of a local authority that only deals with community care for mental health and ignores physical illness or disablement. Regardless, if your mental health is severe enough (reinforced by a recent suicide attempt) then one would be allocated anyway.

Most hospitals will provide a taxi or pick up service, particular if it is a rare or significant form of therapy or treatment that is required. If you are unable to make them, you can let them know in advance and they can arrange alternate transport.

I can't advise much about ESA other than getting in touch with the CAB. Your illness sounds severe enough that you may benefit from an assessment at home; in special circumstances assessors will come to you.

One thing I will add do not accept going on to jsa. Put in another claim for esa if needs be.

As said above you shouldn't have to be providing letters as you are already in the support group. Usually after x amount of time a claimant will have a atos assessment which will then be decided if you are able to receive esa and which group you will be placed in.

I think you need some advice from the cab office as what is the best next step.

thornrose I have accessed forums for my condition, though my experience is far from typical. I appreciate you not trying to guess what it is! Thankyou.

mumtosome I've attempted the hospital transport before but it is too far for me to manage due to severity of my pain. I'm far from alone in the situation, though it feels like that. I am in support group, but have a review every six months, I didn't know it could be longer than that. With the local authority stuff the problem seems to be that they don't recognise I can have mental and physical health problems However, I'll ask again as I may have misunderstood.

In terms of the assessment my consultant, when I had one, didn't want me being seen by someone who was not a specialist due to the possibility of long term damage being caused by lack of expertise by ESA assessors so they always did a sort of assessment and wrote what I could and couldn't do. I only have a tiny room which isn't big enough for more than two people (I've been told I must have someone with me for a medical) I have a tiny bathroom and kitchen but there is only room for one person. I can't get in the medical centre.

hashtag The problem with CAB is them only being open an afternoon a week for two hours, hence the wait for six weeks for an actual appointment - I had a quick 10 minute one today and all they said was it's cut and dry with my condition and needs. no medical has ever been necessary and according to the information they have shouldn't be. But it's such a huge wait to see them is the problem and I'm worried their information may be wrong.

I'm struggling a lot with trust at the moment for a variety of reasons.

I'm sorry for going on about this.

I really appreciate you all replying!!

Gosh Becca I am so angry that you are having to deal with all this stress. I have a chronic pain condition and understand how difficult it can be to get to appointments I am lucky we have a car now so my husband can take me but before then I often missed appointments . I am really sorry I don't understand ESA only dla/pip. I really hope you can find someone who can help.

soon I'm sorry you struggle with a chronic pain condition as well. I was trying to explain to someone else part of the problem is always being pain and struggling leaves little to cope with other things, I don't know if you can understand that.

I really can't get to appointments, I live somewhere remote so that's why it's so hard. It's difficult to understand though if you don't live somewhere remote how hard it can be to get to appointments. When I asked about hospital transport they said it would take much much longer than a car or even a bus as it has to pick up other patients on the way, which of course makes sense financially, not so much if you are in a lot of pain and suffer with nausea and travel sickness due to medication!!

I do have DLA but that was something CAB mentioned that I would soon have to apply for it again. I don't know why as I was awarded it long term. Is that to do with PIP? Is it changing like IB (incapacity benefit) changed to ESA? Don't worry if you don't know I'm just wondering.

Yes DLA us changing to PIP and everyone will have to be reassessed and moved over no matter what the length of award was (I'm going through the change over the moment)

It is stressful and I agree with pp that you need support to do it. Do you have anyone who can help you?

I am struggling to understand why you can't access the hospital via the 'hospital car' scheme, or use the other hospital transport they have offerred to provide - you are, I understand in severe pain all the time, so why is it different when you are sat in a car seat than in your own room, I also appreciate you feel car sick, but surely the driver will stop for you. I also cannot understand how you live in a room that is so tiny that 2 people can't get in it. If you so need a home visit for your assessment can't your chaperone stand on the bed or something ?
Sorry this is harsh but I am looking for ways you can access the services the need, not for reasons why you can't.

If you are under the Community Mental Health Team they might be able to put you in contact with an advocate who can help you. If not the GP should have referred you so speak to them.

The charity Mind might offer some help 0300 123 3393 is their helpline.

They also have a legal section that might be of help re:ESA you can phone or email Linky.