ESA stopped

Aaronwoods

Hi I'm a singal parent with my daughter in full time education . I suffer with severe anxiety and depression also an alcoholic I put claim in for ESA last year sept2017 and was told I couldn't get paid anything until I gave evidence of illness dating back to may 2017 as I apparently missed a medical assessment then . I tried to explain if I had missed one it was due to appointment letter being sent to old address of which I had a very bad landlady/landlord who repeatedly removed my electricity meter and entering house as she pleased I ended up living in a tent at side of patents while daughter had spare bed in parents . They still refused . I went to my doctors and told them my problem and that I'm now at crisis point . They wrote me a sick note going back to may and very kindly wrote a letter and gave my medical history for me to give to DWP after I did this I never received any letter with decision however I was only paid from September when I would have thought it would go back to may . I heard nothing until February when I was sent p45 and told I failed to go to a medical assessment so I called them and found all letters were sent to wrong address and they reversed decision only to immediately receive an appointment for another medical assessment . At time of this my uncle had passed away with cancer and he had no children and as he had more or less brought me up I was devastated . I had to travel more than 20mile away to go through his home before handing back keys to local council . I ended up being stuck there on day of medical assessment and had no credit to call them . I got home the very next day and called both DWP and medical assessment place and explained how I missed medical also stating my mental health was a lot worse after all ready having my ESA and housing benefit plus council tax stopped previously and only just got housing/council tax reinstated ( due to them send letters to wrong address ) . I then received a decision letter stating that my reasons were not good enough so I'm back to getting nothing and housing/council tax stopped yet again . I'm now even worse with my mental health I'm not washing or cleaning myself and house nor am I leaving house due to mental health this is having an effect on my daughter also by seeing me like this . I have COPD but not claiming pip because forms were very daunting with the size of them . I just don't know what to do anymore and at my lowest point ever I can ask for reconsideration but won't receive a penny while they do this PLEASE PLEASE could someone help me in anyway at all . I Thank you all in advance 
Regards Aaron
 

CockneyRebel

Hi Aaron and welcome

If posssible please ring the Scope help line or get f2f advice from CAB, welfare rights  or similar
You might also contact your local MP

Yes you must immediately ask for MR.
Are you in a full service UC area ?
Can you claim JSA ?

It sounds as though you really need to claim PIP, I know the form is long and daunting but you should be able to get help from CAB to fill it in

You seem to have enough on your plate at the moment so please seek help as above
Then come back and we will help in any way we can

CR

Aaronwoods

Hi sorry but what is f2f and MR sorry I'm not familiar with shortened words
Regards Aaron

Aaronwoods

I think UC is universal credit . I'm not a in universal credit area .
Regards Aaron

CockneyRebel

Sorry
f2f is face to face
MR  is Mandatory reconsideration ( by the DWP ) who will look at your claim again. you need to complete this stage to be able to appeal to the tribunal

CR

Aaronwoods

Ok thank you for info I shall try calling I'm struggling to just read and reply to these messages I'm on point of giving up totally I just can't see how I'm going to survive as a reconsideration has no time limits and I've now not been paid since 23rd of March it was just over a month since it was stopped due to no fault of mine so my money has been stopped twice in just over a month and landlord has been into me as he has been notified by council .sorry if I'm going on and on.
Regards Aaron

CockneyRebel

That is not a problem Aaron, we are here to listen and help if we can
Here is a link to find your MP

https://www.parliament.uk/get-involved/contact-your-mp/

Possibly the quickest way to get a resolution depending on who your MP is

Please dokeep talking if it helps

CR

Sam_Alumni

Hi 

We have a list of some of the common abbreviations here that might help.

Aaronwoods

Hi there so since I last posted I've had MP call esa and she was advised I had not provided enough evidence for missing appointment and I had to provide more through mandatory reconsideration so I called and gave them all information , dates , addresses, even the crematorium where we had the funeral I've since heard nothing at all . My housing benefit still not being paid and was told by council to prove child benefit and I had no other income by bank statement as I've no bank account and use parents who are not willing to disclose there finances I'm not able to do it so called council again and I'm now told that my claim is cancelled due to not providing the evidence I've explained the reason why and that I've got a personal tax account which shows I'm getting child benefit this is still not good enough and nothing they can do now with claim being cancelled as ive taken to long even though I've been in contact with them via phone . What can I do ????? My landlord wants rent I've no money coming in and my parents aren't happy with me having my direct debits being unpaid making them go overdrawn my council tax no paid I now have enforcement officers at door wanting money or belongings things are getting so out of control I can't live anymore I've ran out of ppl to borrow money from to feed us daughter is now starting to get depressed and not getting out of bed to go to college my house is a tip as I can't find energy to clean up been eating porridge for past week as it's only thing I have left and had to give my 2 dogs away to parents as I can't feed them either I'm ready for going on along walk never to return I'm past crisis point now .
Regards Aaron

[Deleted User]

Hi Aaron

I am so sorry to hear of your recent loss, your uncle's death, and also  to read that you are having a terrible time  because of the need to satisfy a requirement to attend DWP work capability medical appointments.

You said that the DWP accepted that you couldn't attend on the first occasion, when the letter went to the wrong address, but that they didn't accept your reason for not attending the second appointment, which was just after your uncle had died. I can confirm that this is very much what we hear from customers and online community members about their dealings with the DWP currently - they accept one "failure to attend" but hardly ever, two. 

As you'r e not in a full service universal credit area, you could claim JSA to tide you over a little, until the DWP receive your appeal letter.  This does not affect the outcome of your appeal,providing that you go back onto ESA once your appeal has been accepted, and you can therefore claim ESA again, though at the assessment rate. There is always some delay in getting to this point - because the mandatory reconsideration takes some time, and as you know, you don't get paid whilst this takes place.

You concern me when you say that you  are past crisis point, and consider "going for a long walk" and not coming back. If you are having thoughts about harming yourself, please do seek help, initially from your GP, and perhaps also from Samaritans on 116 123. 

Please also check out what help is available locally for food whilst you wait for the DWP to sort things out. There is likely to be a food bank, for example. The local social services department will know what else is available.