First of all can I just say thank you for all who replied to my earlier post on 'finishing work'. It helped me a great deal to reach my decision to finally take the plunge and finish work. My finish date will be 31st of March, or should that be my beginning date! Either way it will be pretty hard to accept after 42 years working.
Leading on from that, when I do finish, I wish to claim contribution based ESA, for which I think I might be entitled. Although instigating the claim seems fairly straight forward I understand that sometime after I will be asked to fill out a form ESA50 Capability for work questionnaire. I hope that when the time comes I can get some help to complete, however, can anyone advise how I go about getting the medical reports they would like to see. At this time I don't have anything to hand.
Below are some examples extracted from the ESA50
About medical or other information you may already have
Things we’d like to see, if you already have them –
Reports, care or treatment plans about you from:
GPs
l hospital doctors
l specialist nurses
l occupational therapists
l physiotherapists
l support workers
If you'd like some advice about this, please do feel free to give our Helpline team a call on 0808 800 0303 - opening times: Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm, Saturday: 10am-2pm. Our trained advisers would be happy to help!
Your Local PD support worker will help you fill out the EA50 Forms. you should be able too find out the contact for that through searching this website.
If you go to your Gp Surgery they should have all the letters from consultants/pd nurse/ physio ect electronically on file, they may copy them out for you for free or a small charge, anything you think that is relative to your heath and daily life, or all your medical history prob best, a letter from consultant or your work saying you are no longer able too work all help, also the medication as well and aids that help you in daily life.
i'm not totally sure but i think esa will soon simply be esa, contribution esa used to be 1 year, but if you cant get that means tested esa had no time limit, both pay the same rate. your Pd support worker will be able to advise more.
Flyem sea angler is right any forms you get a PDUK support worker will help you fill them in. you can also claim PIP and if anyone is helping you with your daily living stuff they can claim carers allowance
I have once again been in touch with Parkinsons UK on a more specific issue regarding ESA but happened to mention the question I have relating to medical reports. It appears that I should be able to get copies of notes made during my routine visit to my PD consultant and nurse. I understand that copies should also be sent to my GP and it was also suggested that, in England at least, it was common practice that copies would also be sent to the patient. Can anyone confirm this?
Yes you can, but i only started getting them when i made the point of asking for a copy to be sent too me. the rest i had to request from the Gp surgery.
