Employment Support Allowance

[Guest guest]

Come March, as the single parent of a 12 year old, I will no longer qualify for

Income Support. Job Centre wants to switch me over to JSA, which could be a

disaster as I am not fit enough to properly work outside the home.

Since being diagnosed with hypothyroidism in March 2008, following a decade of

unidentified illness and poor life quality, I was put on thyroxine. Initially I

felt that I was finally getting my life back as my energy levels and brain fog

improved to the degree that I was able to go out to do voluntary work at a

small, quiet archives project. I applied for loads of jobs, even getting very

favourable interviews and feeling full of hope that I was actually getting

somewhere at long last ... then no job. The pyschological blow from each

rejection made me physically ill for weeks, yet I still kept applying. It was

almost a relief when the local paper job pages suddenly became bare as it meant

I could stop torturing myself and just get on with things.

Treatmentwise, over time the body swelling has worsened and, while the all-over

muscle pain and weakness and joint pain faded to bearable levels, it never went

away entirely. Currently on 150 mcg thyroxine. I stopped taking it for a while

to see if the pills were making the swelling worse, but felt no different. Am

now back on them and still feeling no different apart from getting heartburn

again.

Bit by bit I'm losing my grip on being able to do activities I used to love and

draw strength from. I had to give up dance as I kept falling asleep before the

class starts and was in to much pain to enjoy it. Gave up my gym membership as

it was wearing me out and bizarely causing the body swelling to accelerate. My

body hurts all over and is now so heavy and misshapen it is hindering my

mobility. Even getting around is becoming very demanding as I feel weak and get

out of breath, then need time to recover.

Every few months I have health relapses - usually triggered by a series of

stressful episodes - which leave me in a dreadful state. I'm back to living one

day at a time. Losing the Income Support has beena real worry to me. At my last

WFI, the lady said some very hurtful things to me and I cried for days

afterwards. I've got her again tomorrow (

Problem is, as the job centre gave me no realistic notice of their appointment,

I've been unable to get a letter from my GP which is needed to apply for ESA.

The earliest proper appointment with my doctor is mid-February (I booked it at

the beginning of the year)and none of the other GPs in the practice will

intervene without HIS say so. He is back from holiday tomorrow, and the

receptionist tells me to phone and ask him to call me back after surgery. It

could go either way. He's never been able to pin down why I am still not right

and, of course as I'm on thyroxine, it can't be my thyroid so it has to be in my

head.

I am actually becoming depressed in a way that I find quite worrying as it is so

not me. But then a lot of awful things have happened to me and my family since

October with no sign of ceasing, so it is to be expected probably.

I don't know how to explain effectively to a bureaucrat what is actually wrong

with me, or what words should be used. Has anyone here successfully got ESA? Can

they offer some words of advice about applying for it and what it entails. I'm

hoping it is not another one of those processes involving gestapo-style

questioning, humiliation and jumping through hoops as I really can't cope with

any more of that!

Thanks,

Tracey

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey, all I can offer is a (HUG). hope someone lese will come up with the relevant info. Is there something in the Files? > thyroid treatment > From: redharissa@...> Date: Tue, 19 Jan 2010 11:25:06 +0000> Subject: Employment Support Allowance> > Come March, as the single parent of a 12 year old, I will no longer qualify for Income Support. Job Centre wants to switch me over to JSA, which could be a disaster as I am not fit enough to properly work outside the home. > > > I don't know how to explain effectively to a bureaucrat what is actually wrong with me, or what words should be used. Has anyone here successfully got ESA? Can they offer some words of advice about applying for it and what it entails. I'm hoping it is not another one of those processes involving gestapo-style questioning, humiliation and jumping through hoops as I really can't cope with any more of that!> > Thanks,> Tracey> > > > ------------------------------------> > TPA is not medically qualified. Consult with a qualified medical practitioner before changing medication.> >

[Guest guest]

First off, phone the surgery and book an emergency appointment, if they won't

give you one then tell them you can go to the surgery and wait for a space.

Secondly when you see a GP get him to give you a sick note, bully bribe or

threaten if you must but get a sick note. I'm not sure about the rules for

Incapacity Benefit these days but I know for a fact the an under active thyroid

qualifies you as being disabled in the same way that being diabetic does.

Glynis

The earliest proper appointment with my doctor is mid-February (I booked it at

the beginning of the year)and none of the other GPs in the practice will

intervene without HIS say so. He is back from holiday tomorrow, and the

receptionist tells me to phone and ask him to call me back after surgery. It

could go either way. He's never been able to pin down why I am still not right

and, of course as I'm on thyroxine, it can't be my thyroid so it has to be in my

head.

>

> I am actually becoming depressed in a way that I find quite worrying as it is

so not me. But then a lot of awful things have happened to me and my family

since October with no sign of ceasing, so it is to be expected probably.

>

> I don't know how to explain effectively to a bureaucrat what is actually wrong

with me, or what words should be used. Has anyone here successfully got ESA? Can

they offer some words of advice about applying for it and what it entails. I'm

hoping it is not another one of those processes involving gestapo-style

questioning, humiliation and jumping through hoops as I really can't cope with

any more of that!

>

> Thanks,

> Tracey

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Tracey

didn't you post about this before?

Get a sick note from GP (say you are depressed unable to cope with work as it

sounds like you're not able to cope), you then apply for ESA, after this you

will get a medical -mine was 2 months after being on ESA i think

you then get a decision; you can appeal it if necessary and string it out - the

whole thing could take months, giving you time to get a bit better. The CAB

should help with appeals? i wouldn't appeal without seeing CAB or getting very

good advice

In the ESA app form they ask stupid questions " can you sit, can you stand, can

you bend over " etc. and the medical was quick for me 10 mins perhaps. They ask

you the same stupid questions and ask you to doa few simple stretches and bend

your knees etc. mine also asked " what is 101-93 " etc etc. well there is plenty

of advice on forums on how to " fill in the form " . i got no points for

depression/fatigue but you get points for not being able to bend etc.

c

==========

> I don't know how to explain effectively to a bureaucrat what is actually wrong

with me, or what words should be used. Has anyone here successfully got ESA? Can

they offer some words of advice about applying for it and what it entails. I'm

hoping it is not another one of those processes involving gestapo-style

questioning, humiliation and jumping through hoops as I really can't cope with

any more of that!

>

> Thanks,

> Tracey

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Chris.

That is interesting as, since I had sciatica for 7 months in 2007, I have been

unable to bend properly. If I crouch down I cannot get back up unless there is

something to haul myself back up with. The trusty kitchen stool has rescued me

from the floor many a time! In public I sometimes have to call for help and get

someone to drag me back up.

I am surprised though that depression and fatigue do not score when they are

much more incapacitating and harder to deal with.

Some good news is my jobcentre appointment has been rearranged to allow me time

to have a telephone conversation with my GP. He came back from holidy today and

should be phoning me at lunchtime. Of course he may say that he considers me

well enough, in which case it would rule out the ESA application. Fortuitously

the original intimidating jobcentre lady is unavailable for the rescheduled

appointment, so it will be with a different adviser. This one has a voice which

I can hear fairly well plus she understands my situation perfectly having seen

my pre-thyroxine condition.

Tracey

i got no points for depression/fatigue but you get points for not being able to

bend etc.

>

> c

[Guest guest]

A bit of good news! My Gp did phone and has managed to get me squeezed in next

week, in time to get a letter ready for the jobcentre appointment. He sounded

sufficiently concerned about my current relapse for the appointment to be more

than a mere bureacratic formality too, which is great. I'm thoroughly fed up

with feeling so awful.

[Guest guest]

well they dont' care about whether you are depressed or not, they ahve a pill

for that!

the sciatic thing sounds like it could work in your favour - though i'm sure

it's a really horrfible condition to live with

let us know how you get on with the job centre- i would just go off sick

personally and that might/should avoid the whole jobcentre thing?

chris

[Guest guest]

Hi, I sure this website has been recommended on here before and someone joined

and was helped with the process of getting benefit. Hope it helps. judy

http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/join-us

>

> well they dont' care about whether you are depressed or not, they ahve a pill

for that!

>

> the sciatic thing sounds like it could work in your favour - though i'm sure

it's a really horrfible condition to live with

>

> let us know how you get on with the job centre- i would just go off sick

personally and that might/should avoid the whole jobcentre thing?

>

>

> chris

>