Refused ESA

tayph47grish

I have recently been diagnosed with ppms and have also tested positive for the jc virus and still refused esa, the medical assessment was pathetic, I had to move my hands and forearms up and down, failed because I was sat longer than 10 minutes (although I also have austeo arthritis and have to sit with my legs straight) and I can use an ipad, so my sympathy goes out to all who are wheelchair dependable that order their food shopping online. Not once was I asked about mobility or general day to day living, as far as I see it, your assessment should be done via your neurologist or your own g.p and not by someone who is obviously under qualified. 

steve51

Hi @tayph47grish

”Welcome”

Its Great to meet you this morning.

I’m very very sorry to hear about your struggles to date with your “esa”

We have got lots of info & advice with regards to “Benefits”

There is also a number of “Benefit Advisors”

You can also use our “Benefit Calculator” 

Please please let me know know if I can help you with regards to the above info??

Richard_Scope

Hi @tayph47grish

Welcome to Scope's community! It's great to have you here.  Just to get you started we have a How To Guide here, you can see all the latest posts here, jump in and get involved and don't worry we are a friendly bunch!  
If you need anything, just let us know. 

tayph47grish

Hi lads, good to meet you,well textually speaking, (that sounds so funny and so wrong at the same time), well since my first assessment my eyesight has deteriorated thanks to the jc virus  ( I now see triple unless I wear an eyepatch, good for 5 a side football mind, full teams + subs at no extra cost, if I'm still refused esa, then I'll just apply for the most inconvenient jobs I can, building site sounds like good start, especially if I turn up on my crutches, thanks for the info, I'm sure it will help.

[Deleted User]

Hi tayph47grish

Welcome to the community.

I quite agree that the DWP assessments for ESA in the current format are really no improvement on the method used 30 years go, which was asking the opinion of the GP and being guided by that. 

Are you going to challenge the decision not to pay you ESA?  If you are, you need to ask for a mandatory reconsideration within a month of the decision date. This is a  device intended to reduce the number of appeals, but as the decisions are, often, quickly and superficially made, there is still a backlog of appeals in most areas of the UK, waiting to be heard.

The appeals system is under stress, and Scope amongst others has made and continues to make representations about the ESA (and PIP) assessments being not fit for purpose. Change is taking some time however. 

You may find the link below helpful - the series of short videos offer an overview of the challenging DWP decisions process, and we would always suggest trying to find a local specialist adviser on these issues - you could start at the Citizens Advice outlet in your area.

 https://www.scope.org.uk/support/disabled-people/benefits/appeals

Essentially, you need to list the descriptor points or Regulations 29 and 35, that should have been applied to your case. We can tell you about these, and the phone may be a good vehicle for this. 

If local advice is not available, , do phone the Helpline - we should be able to offer some support.

Best wishes
Gill_Scope
Benefits and Finance Specialist Information Officer
Scope Helpline
Tel: 0808 800 3333