universal credit and fit notes — Scope | Disability forum
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hello ive been on UC since applying in feb and had to submit a 1 month fit note because it was causing my anxiety to get worse. had my meeting with work coach and she reduced work search to 16 hours per week, i contatcted her via my UC account that i was having trouble due to my HS (Hidradenitis suppurativa) flare ups and being in constant pain. i get regular flare ups close to my periods and when im stressed out. so pretty much every few weeks. she suggested referring me to the scope provision for a 8 weeks. my condition is such that i avoid meeting people unless nessassry. i dont visit family for months. only people i will see are my mom or gp. or just my children and husband that live with me. last meeting i had with her she was very harsh to me regarding my illness which is a chronic skin condition which has no cure. i told her i get regular flare ups and the medication doesnt work. she was rude and said diidnt i think it was time to change my medication. i went to see my gp yesterday and told him i wanted to be referred back to the dermatologist but he told me what ive known for years that this condition doesnt have a cure and medication wasnt going to help. he was also really angry at my work coach and said who made her an expert on illness, he also pointed out we dont go to the job centre to tell them how they should do thwir job. he gave me another fit note for 5 weeks also a leaflet to contact insight health care regarding my deppression and anxiety, hes been very understanding and spent quiet some time reassuring me to ignore her remarks. i feel like my work coach is bullying me into doing things. we only made our uc in feb 2018 and already shes tried setting up voluntary work, interview skills, and now asking me to try the scope thing, i dont feel comfortable around people all i do is think negative and end up having a anxiery attack or panic attack. i cant travel to far as i get scared even a 20 min car journey has me panicking and thinking im about to die thats with my partner in the car and my children, i dont know how they expect me to travel on buses alone. im so scared ive not been sleeping at night. can they sanction me if i can'n physically make myself go on this scope course? stop my payments? really been struggling since husband lost his job last year. sorry about such a long post and the waffling im nervous i guess, thank you for reading the post
Hi SugarCoated, so sorry to read your story. I think you need to straightaway apply for PIP, you certainly sound like you meet the mental health part of it at least but apply for your physical illnesses to. By having PIP you would be able to show your work coach that you are not fit for work, or looking for it. It will give you breathing space as they will leave you alone, but this will take time. What is this fit note, are you not able to get a sick note from your GP? Sorry I dont know much about UC yet, do they make you get a fit note instead of a sick note now? Please try and attend the course, get your husband to take you and get some anti-anxiety pills if you can. I only say this, because if you dont attend then they will saction you, and that will stress you even more when they stop your money. Maybe your GP can give you a note to get you off the course. Please phone Scope the number is above and is free to get informed advice from experts. I believe PIP is the best way for you, but you need help in the meantime. Take care.
hi despondent a fit note is a another name for sick note i learnt this since claiming UC, im already on medication for my depression and my fit note is relating to my mental health which my GP thinks limits me from working. hes put down depression on the fit note but my depression is due to my skin condition, i suffer from other health conditions too. honestly im scared to apply for pip dont think i can handle too much stress. broke down at the Drs surgery yesterday which is my GP was so angry at these job centre people. my skin condition causes abscesses in my armpits and around my breasts, which restricts my movement and causes pain. ive been suffering for around 20 years now. it doesnt get easier just makes me feel more down and hard to be around people. even my family dont understand what im going through which doesnt help when you miss family dinners or get togethers, thwy look down their noses and think they know what im going through and offer advice which just makes me seem like im useless.
I know the PIP sounds and is stressful, but by getting it, you wont have to attend the Job Centre and have to look for work. Attending the Job Centre and their courses are going to cause you more anxiety in the long run than getting a PIP award. I suffer from mental health problems and find it difficult to take my medication as I have erosion of my stomach lining. I have damaged my kidneys with my overdoses, and if it were not for my son, I would be long gone from this world. The governement make it extremely difficult for people with mental health issues to get PIP, but get your husband to fill out the form for you. Get letters from the hospital, your GP as evidence of your illnesses and claim, it is for people just like you.
How's dose the sickness benefit work out when you are on uc my sisters on it they told her put no more sick notes in but her payment as not changed? Any no how this uc and being sick works please they not told her anything?
There is also a really great website called Benefits and Work and it would be well worth joining them for a year as they have really helpful guides on PIP. here is their address:-
Toffee has your sister been awarded a PIP? Was she claiming ESA before being put onto UC? When did she go onto UC? All these things will affect an answer to your question.
Hi Every one I am new but going round in circles the system is an absolute shambles I have been on Sick / not fit for work note by 2 G.P's for 6 month my current fit for work note is for 2 months I still have to attend and jump for the 'work coach' I have been sanctioned and put reconsideration APPEAL have today got an hardship payment Going through this like SugarCoated increased anxiety to massive levels it took me 3 days to even pick up the phone to UC helpline then could not get through for over 4.5 hours in total me my GP and councillor have a long term plan to restore my help but it is getting worse due to DWP UC I have had my medication TREDBLED in the last 6 weeks there is so much more.
I need Help urgently I am currently receiving UC on limited requirements but they are hell I have been told to apply for ESA the told this will just come off my UC can I claim PIP and if so would I still get UC or it seems I would be on less money and cannot cope now I have claimed UC since July 2007 PLEASE PLEASE HELP.
I'm in same boat as you Daxleeds, my work coach has reduced my job search to 16 hours but I still need to be ready for interviews, workshops and work experiences. I'm struggling to sleep up all night until 5-6am the stress is making me tried and cranky which makes my mood terrible. I only see my work coach once a month not sure if that's normal or not buts very stressing going to the job centre full of people and noise. Hope you get it sorted I know what your going through. Can't wait for my husband to find a job so we can get off these benefits. Hang in there its a learning curve
Hi. I am on PIP but still have to attend job centre.. im on universal credit and have been sending in fit notes since May they no I'm not for for work for a while but still they have no intentions of sending me for an assessment. Now they ring me instead of attending there. I don't know what tgey expect from people who are ill but they don't care as long as they make you try look for work.. they have mentioned to me to go voluntary but if I could do that then I would go to work.. it's an absolute joke.. No sympathy for sick people.
This thread I'm reading here seems like the film about benefits ( I Daniel Blake ) trust me that film regarding benefits is so true what happens to claimants and how they get left with No money by being sanctioned etc.
This Government is so heartless and very cruel to the vulnerable.
⬇️ I created one of the campaign election videos for Labour, and Jeremy Corbyn, This is a new version of Emeli Sande, Hope "You Are Not Alone
I highlighted everything that's wrong with this country from benefits, NHS, UC etc, but now we have to put up with the hate now that is the Tories.
Just to clarify. PIP is a disability benefit. It's paid to people who work and people who don't work. It isn't in any way connected to national insurance contributions (so you don't get any national insurance contribution credits towards your eventual pension entitlement if you just claim PIP.)
Contributory ESA is an "earnings-replacement" benefit and whilst you claim it, you get class 1 national insurance contributions credited to your national insurance account. These count both for your state pension and for any future contributory ESA or JSA claim.
With universal credit, you get class 3 (the same category as voluntary contributions) credited to your account. These are useful for your state pension and for widowed parents allowance only.
So there is a purpose to claiming ESA as well as PIP if you want to get these credits. I realise that the degree of stress might be high, but I just wanted to explain that there is a point to maintaining an ESA claim, especially if you are not well enough to work over a long period.
@theresa73 the same thing happened to me Theresa in regards to them not wanting to send me for a WCA & just having phone call appointments. Each time I rung for a UC50 form they would make up some excuse as to why one had not been sent out yet.
I ended up going mad at them in the end, said I would complain & that I was being discriminated against. I had the UC50 sent out to me within a matter of days, along with a written apology off them on my UC journal. I'm just waiting now to see if I have to go to a f2f or not.
Hi lizzieloz30, ESA has been rolled out here so we are claiming Universal credit, but i dont think they seen to grasp the idea of sick or disabled people sometimes can't work. I'm sick of hearing about why they havnt sent me a UC50 out yet.. I'm receiving phone calls from them instead of appointments but i still have to take fit notes in too be verified.. I might have too do what you did and go and kick off with them because they are saying I can work voluntary.. in a year I have had 4 operations and constantly back and forth to the hosp.. do they not think that if im capable of working then I'd rather get payed for it.. good luck with yours.
The reasons why you've had to claim UC is because Income Related ESA no longer exists in area where there's full Universal credit and not because ESA has rolled out in your area.
Unfortunately claiming UC with a fit note doesn't mean you're completely excused from the work commitments, it totally depends on the work coach. Some will reduce the hours, very few remove them completely. Claiming LCW under UC is about the work you can do rather than the work you can't do, like ESA was/is. It will be worth looking at the criteria for LCWRA by doing a google search because that's what they'll be looking at to place you into the group. This is the group you'll also need to claim the extra money which is £328 more per month.
Waiting since May for a UC50 form is far too long and you really should either contact DWP or put a note on your journal to request it be sent out to you. Your work coach should have already requested this months ago.
Don't forget you'll need evidence to support your claim when returning that form and i'd advise getting some help to fill it in when you do receive it. Good luck.
I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
@theresa73 I would ring them if I were you and if possible don't let them get you off the phone.
I haven't been asked to look for work at all whilst I've been submitting my fit notes. The only things I have to do is attend my doctors appointments and take my medication. They've tried getting me to go into the jobcentre once or twice, but I have major anxiety attacks. So I just ring and tell them and they do it over the phone.
Same I haven't been asked to look for work but I've been asked to look at job sites. I have had a heart attack bypass surgery and suffer from angina, I have irritable bowel disease reflux oesophagitis and COPD and a bad back that gives out on me about four-five times a year that leaves me bed bound, any wonder I have anxiety and depression I get exhausted just thinking about getting dressed some days I feel like ending it .I'm 59 in Feb worked all my life until I had to take my autistic grandson into my care his mum couldn't cope now I can't look after him because I'm too sick to look after myself he,s back with his mum now. I'm so sick of it. I had my Pip stopped even though I had a lifetime award and didn't have it in me to appeal not got the strength this government is disgusting and the staff in the job centers need to understand one day they could be in the same boat they all need to get a backbone and start speaking out.
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