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We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

ESA, WCA and the Green Paper - Scope's Stories team would like to hear from you

Scope_PhilMarsh

Hi everyone,

The Work Capability Assessment, Employment and Support Allowance and the new Government Green Paper are dominating the news at the moment.

We would like to hear about your experiences of WCA or ESA. This would involve a phone interview from which we can create blogs and articles around the subject to showcase a variety of different experiences.

If you're happy to chat to the Stories team, please comment below or send an email to stories@scope.org.uk

Many thanks,

Phil
Stories Manager

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[Deleted User]

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Scope_PhilMarsh

Hi @mumof3boys, thank you so much for your reply.

I understand that this is a very difficult subject to talk about, but would you be happy to chat to me over the phone about this when you're free?

Many thanks,
Phil

[Deleted User]

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Scope_PhilMarsh

Apologies! Please drop me an email at phil.marsh@scope.org.uk

Thanks so much!

[Deleted User]

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vbdl201544

2014 Oct. went to local job centre after being made redundant on grounds of capacity.
I was hit on the head while working as a Youth Worker for Sandwell Mbc. Another wise working two jobs. lost the day job, as the pain, made me miserable and still does, things get confused easily. Might be down to high medication. Anyway I was told to go claim Esa, I tried. Silly thing is the so called professional advisers should know you can't get Esa if you have any kind of employment.
Therefore a livable wage can't be made up to the standards needed for someone no anyone with disabilities. This I believe is discrimination against vulnerable people in our society who can't work a full time position.

3_SAMagnify1

I've never had one of these. thanks to the efforts of one of the Money and Benefits Officers who works for the local council (my landlords). When she came to visit after I received the letter re the process my carers were. here and I said to her " How can they say I'm fit for work if I need carers?) Previously I had been on Income Support since 2001 when I was 22. On the advice or my key worker at another local landlord, at that that point in time the government was changing the eligibility rules for incapacity Benefit and so I was advised to apply for Income Support.
My opinion on the current benefit reform, I agree that they needed to be done to simplify but undoubtedly they have been too harsh. Is it really necessary to put ESA into Universal Credit. for me it's better to have a separate benefit system for disabled people as it is perhaps more responsive to those it serves. I thinking putting disability benefits into Universal Credit over simplifies the system if previous benefit reforms will cost more money than it saves. Why create a new benefit such as ESA only scrap it a few years down the road?

Interesting comment re living wage by vbd201544. In would appear that any reform to benefits or wage hits all vulnerable people other than the retire (especially those with disabilities who are unable full time) harder than other groups of working age. If the government wants to have disabled people use their money better perhaps they should consider allowing a greater amount of savings so that that they put a percentage of that towards a pension and/or insurance.

Scope_PhilMarsh

@vbdl201544 and @3_SAMagnify1, thank you so much for commenting.

It would be good to talk to you over the phone about your experiences if you are happy to? Drop me an email at phil.marsh@scope.org.uk and we can arrange a date and time.

Many thanks,
Phil

peisuen

I have an ESA tribunual next Wednesday but was stress these 6 months but will share my experience after the tribunal.