i have recently been diagnosed with PD and and was unable to continue my job due to the illness and ongoing tests , this was ten months ago when i finished work i have been on the sick ever since
In October i filled in my ESA 50 form ( think it was called that ) it had to be in for November the 19th 2015 it is now April and i am still awaiting a response from ESA, and still on the contribution based ESA is there any sort of time scale as it is putting pressure on my wife who is the only bread winner and i am only bringing in the minium payment think its about £73 per week
also the same sort of question regarding my PIP form which was handed in on the 5th of march 2016
I waited a year to be diagnosed from 2013, i was on esa at the pre assessment phase @ 73.10 a week, i was diagnosed Oct 1st 2014 i was assessed Oct 6th 2014, Oct 23rd i was then placed in esa support group, I did get a back payment.
Have you told them you have been Diagnosed? and have you sent evidence to say so?. Did anyone help you fill those forms in? i.e disability advice charity/support worker if so have they chased the DWP up for You?.
Hi Bobby1983 - perhaps if you contact thehelpline they may be able to give you some advice or if you contact your local parkinsons support worker for your area. Hope you are able to sort something out.
As shefinn mentioned, you're more than welcome to contact our helpline on 0808 800 0303 (Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm, Saturday: 10am-2pm) or email us at [email protected] with questions about all aspects of living with Parkinson's, including medical issues and benefits.
We also have information sheets on ESA, PIP and other benefits you may be entitled to. You can download these at http://bit.ly/1PQNitq.
I'm so sorry to read your PIP interview made you feel low.
Please remember that you're not alone, and if you'd like to speak to someone you can ring our Helpline on 0808 800 0303. The Helpline team are around on Monday-Friday: 9am-7pm and on Saturday: 10am-2pm.
Hi Bobby 1983 - I'm sorry you felt degraded and upset at your assessment, I have heard this is how the assessors make you feel and do it on purpose to belittle you. I have never been assessed, but will probably have to go through the diabolical process of being looked down on, when the PD is something we have not been asked to be laden with and don't want, but have been burdened with regardless. Society can be so cruel, and these assessors are paid a good wage to belittle you, they are part of society that have no regard for the disabled or anyone else for that matter. All you can do is to stay as strong as you can, hold your head up high and don't give in, fight all the way. I know it is easier said than done, but in the end we all have to hold on to our dignity to keep us together
after my Ordeal with my pip claim in which I was awarded the standard rate care , I thought that the embarrassment was over and the pip & esa people would liaise with each other and I would be placed on both , how wrong I was I now have to go for yet another assessment with the esa people this time .
can anyone tell me what to expect and is it the same sort of meeting to pip
Me too, I also thought the PIP people would liaise with ESA . I had to wait five months to get a health assessment appointment as it was, only to have it cancelled by them three hours before I was due to attend as the doctor had gone off sick . My husband had taken a days leave and I got myself all worked up ready to face the dreaded face to face interview. Why have I got to be assessed by a normal doctor when I had been diagnosed by a specialist in this field I don't know .
As far as I know this is the same sort of scenario as the PIP interview
Yes bobby you will most likely experiance a similar assessment to the one you have already had. My advice to you is thus you must approach this interview with you worst possible days in mind this advice was given to me by adult social care. If you continue to to be given the run around let me know there is a gentleman whom works there in policy I will give you his name.
Re assessment there rule states it is not the fact that you have.pd it is how it effexrs you xx
BB good luck xxx
I would normally agree 100%, However, I stood (eventually) proud at my PIP assessment and was told that I showed no signs of anxiety! Then they rubbed salt in the wound by ending PIP by removing 2 points for dressing myself (I get daily help)...
Sometimes you have to project an image you don't particularly wish to.
I had my PIP assessment yesterday at home ( didn't request a home visit I wish to add) and I have to say I hated every minute of it.......not because of the assessor it was just the whole experience of having to justify your illness its symptoms and put that into the correct acceptable phrases of how it affects your day to day life...It is not the best experience I'm afraid to say. I began to feel like I was almost begging the more I the ought about it after the more upset I became .....my advice to anyone is to write stuff down I thought I was prepared but not sure I was because I couldn't think of descriptive words how to explain I just seem to go to pieces and I felt I couldn't get my point across. No real complaints about the assessor they were very polite and thorough only one statement worried me.....we were talking about how I managed shopping and I said food shop was done on line and in fact most of my clothes shopping would be done on line because I cannot deal with the changing room or 'mooching' about shops anymore ......the reply was ' so you like shopping' and I said yes BUT I don't go shopping as a day's activity!!!! When we got onto to driving I stated that I only drive about 8-10 miles in one journey and that I avoid driving at night because the amount of concentration needed completely wears me out ....so there response was ' so it's fair to say that you could drive some where and if a road was closed you would be able to negotiate a route plan a route your self' I said No that's not what I said ......now the more I think back in a way I feel I may have been misrepresented and I'm just hoping that I did pick up on all of them when they read back what they were typing or at least some of it. From another source I had been advised / suggested that they try to catch you out I could not believe that would be ethical so I will wait and see the outcome before I comment anymore
Blimey! reading all these posts has definitely given me food for thought, other peoples experiences will benefit those reading who have not yet gone down the route to claiming benefit like me. When the day comes i shall remember what you have all said and be so ready. Like any government body they drag their heels and stall as long as possible. If for certain conditions you can claim for a free prescription card without being hauled over the coals then the sheer fact that you have been clearly diagnosed with a qualifying condition, should be enough. I f anyone treated me with a manner other than polite and civil then i would be extremely angry and would be telling them so. What right has anyone got to judge over and above an official qualified diagnosis .
Thanks to the experience you had Bobby1983 i am forewarned and forearmed. I hope your ordeal proves worthwhile, good luck
Barnowl1,
Hope you are well hun.
As we live near each other when you decide to claim your entitlement I promise you I will be there with you after three assessments myself I pretty much know what to expect. Another point I should make is to all reading this post is if you live more than a 1hour commute to the assessment centre you can request a home visit. I did with Capita and they completed. I also qualifed without any trouble at all.
Touching wood... my support worker called a couple of weeks ago to say the dwp had been in contact with her and were considering doing a paper based assessment as we (pd nurse &support worker, myself) had put together a very good application for PiP, i'm still awaiting any update on that whether it will indeed be a paper based assessment or a face to face one or an award will drop through the post.
Isn't a paper assesement the first step in applying for PIP and then maybe a f2f if that does not provide enough information for them to make a decision?
Great news for Geordie Gus, It isnt my news though i had an assessment at home, await the outcome of that tmrw i'm having a esa form filled out yet again and then i have to await that too.
