I feel like Schrodingers cat right now: am I entitled to ESA or not? Who knows!
Atos Medicals - Questions, Answers and Support
- Thread starter Zabo
- Start date
While there is uncertainty, there can still be hope.
I have become a principle of theoretical physics in welfare benefit form.
I'm shaking. The decision notice just arrived. It says
1. The appeal is allowed.
2. The decision made 8/7/13 is set aisde.
3. I'm entitled to ESA with the work related activity component.
Have I won?
1. The appeal is allowed.
2. The decision made 8/7/13 is set aisde.
3. I'm entitled to ESA with the work related activity component.
Have I won?
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wobbly
you have esa. you're in the work related activity group. how that can work can be 'how long is a piece of string'. anything from an occasional interview to full time workfare. a lot of it depends which private org you get passed onto and how much they decide they can be bothered with you.
One battle at a time.
At least now I have some stability. If the Sally Ann start threatening me (they rang me just after i got the tribunal date) then maybe I can persuade my GP. I have a feeling he will be more amenable to support now that there is a legal decision on my side.
Or of course it could be out of the frying pan!
Thanks for all the support and assistance. Dealing with this nightmare system, that alone is half the battle and 99% of the problem. I'm more convinced than ever now that if we take care, compassionately and without judgement, of people's need for an income, we could achieve a lot more in helping them.
At least now I have some stability. If the Sally Ann start threatening me (they rang me just after i got the tribunal date) then maybe I can persuade my GP. I have a feeling he will be more amenable to support now that there is a legal decision on my side.
Or of course it could be out of the frying pan!
Thanks for all the support and assistance. Dealing with this nightmare system, that alone is half the battle and 99% of the problem. I'm more convinced than ever now that if we take care, compassionately and without judgement, of people's need for an income, we could achieve a lot more in helping them.
Yes. Nice one - You wanted to be in the work group didn't you rather than the support group?
I got exactly the same letter but mine also said "The Tribunal recommends that the Department does not reassess the appellant for 24 months" - Does your letter not have a time bit?
Congratulations though. You can relax. For a while anyway. The sun's past the yard arm so here's to ya.
I've been on WRAG ESA since last summer and I haven't had one single interview or anything. So far it's been just the same as being on incapacity. Which is a relief after all the bullshit I went through with signing on and that.
I saw no time limit. Not sure what to make of that. So they could reassess me next week for all I know (though surely not if it takes 6 weeks to process all this).
I argued for the WRAG because I want support. I have never said I can't do anything. It's about finding the right kind of support and the right kind of occupation. That may well become my epitaph I suppose, but there's only so many options available. The support group is for people who really need it and I can't pretend I justify that.
And with bitter irony there are probably plenty of people in the support group getting retested month after month.
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wobbly
there's people who know this side of it better than me, but afaik, you don't have to give them copies of things like your cv, you don't have to sign their documents. which makes it impossible for them to send you off to placements. the short version is don't sign anything or aggree to anyhting until you've checked out whether it is actually of benefit to you, or jsut for them
Correction: it says not to reassess me for at least 6 months. I can live with that.
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wobbly
i think it can help if they think you're loopy, there's benefits to being able to convince idiots that they don't want to be in the same room as the crazy person.
that is a recommendation, it's not binding. dwp have been known to demand instant reassessment of people who win appeals
I hope that doesn't happen, however what else can I do? Win or lose this system is in such a mess that people are just fucked over regardless.
When I spoke to this (really helpful TBH) woman from the DWP place that deals with appeals in Birkenhead who sorted my backpay out and that, she assured me that the DWP would take the findings of the tribunal as gospel and I definitely wouldn't be reassessed until the two years was up. And so far they've stuck to it.
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wobbly
you've done this once. you can do it again.
thing is, from what you've said, you want to move towards work. the worst thing they could do is put you under so much stress that you can't cope with anyhting other than dealing with them.
Er, do I still need fit notes? Mine expires around mid-late January IIRC. I just want to be clear.
I'd rather not do it for at least 6 months if possible (it will be summer by then!).
And the DWP seem pretty keen to do the worst thing, thanks to the edicts of the Dark Lord of Chingford.
I'm pretty sure you don't, but saying that don't take my word as gospel.
No idea but I hope somebody else knows. Anyone?
chainsawjob
Kipping in the dunes
According to Benefits & Work you don't (I knew you didn't for Support Group, but it appears WRAG is the same). You only need them when you're on assessment rate, or in the process of appeal as far as I can tell.
Glad you got the result you wanted.
Glad you got the result you wanted.
That's what I thought as well.
Thanks. Let's hope that's the case. The paperwork says nothing, but it's not from the DWP.
is WRAG ESA paid at the same rate as the preassessment rate?
Awesome Wells You've won, enjoy the feeling of justification.
Your money should end up being about a hundred pounds a week now mate. That's assuming you're single and not having any deductions taken out.
thanks.
Bakunin
I am Noodle's bitch.
Don't know if this is useful to anybody, but here's the criteria used by DWP decision makers:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/medical-conditions/a-z-of-medical-conditions/
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/specialist-guides/medical-conditions/a-z-of-medical-conditions/
equationgirl
Respect my existence or expect my resistance
That's the document Frumious B and me had a big fight about earlier in the thread.
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