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GP LETTER OF SUPPORT RE MANDATORY RECONSIDERATION ESA
Smedley
Member Posts: 60 Courageous
Hi all, I have now got the GP's letter in relation to my ESA WCA and inability to attend the WCA - Benefit Stopped 27/7/2018
Please advise if you think that this is sufficient ? Thank you
This 59 year old lady has been on ESA and apparently she tells me that her benefit has been stopped as she was unable to attend a review appointment.
She does suffer with quite long standing Bipolar Disorder and becomes extremely anxious with any change in her routine.
She also has Osteoarthritis and consequently is unable to get out of her house.
I feel that the combination of the two disorders renders her unlikely to be fit for employment and I would therefore be grateful if you would reconsider her eligibility for ESA.
SIGNED By Doc. 23/8/2018
Please advise if you think that this is sufficient ? Thank you
This 59 year old lady has been on ESA and apparently she tells me that her benefit has been stopped as she was unable to attend a review appointment.
She does suffer with quite long standing Bipolar Disorder and becomes extremely anxious with any change in her routine.
She also has Osteoarthritis and consequently is unable to get out of her house.
I feel that the combination of the two disorders renders her unlikely to be fit for employment and I would therefore be grateful if you would reconsider her eligibility for ESA.
SIGNED By Doc. 23/8/2018
Replies
I hope this helps your claim
Dr delivered this letter to me personally, & a Pastor of the local church sent it off for me.
GP has fudged the matter through a lack of understanding. You haven’t been found fit for work. You've had ESA stopped because of a failure to attend. No decision has been made on capability for work so at this stage the GP perspective on that is irrelevant unless you can show good cause for a failure to attend. Anxiety about a change of routine goes some way to explaining the failure but, unsurprisingly, there’s a lack of detail as to what that means in practice and that needs to come from you describing in vivid detail exactly what happened. By itself what the GP has written about that will have nil impact. DWP presumably already know you are bipolar and they’ll already know that can make people generally anxious but not about changes in routine. That won’t make sense to them so you will need to expand on it.
Similarly, few people have osteoarthritis which renders them housebound so that’s not a great argument either. You need to explain in mich more detail.
More to the point, why precisely didn’t you attend?
I have posted this before but recorded or special delivery are a waste of money when it comes to benefits. Keeping a copy as you appear to have done (well done) is of far more use. This is because post is delivered to mail handling centres run on behalf of DWP and not to the DWP itself. The person who signs for receipt could be a door man or security guard. It will never be someone from DWP and if there’s a point it will be lost it is most likely after it’s been signed for abd us being transferred from mail delivery to be scanned onto the system.
Using recorded or special delivery in this context tends to be a function of anxiety and unrelated to the actual level of risk.
I offered them to ring my go directly - not acceptable. I said I'll ring my doctor.
Rang docs, my doc is indisposed for some reason, and I have only ever dealt with her - she knows me.
So I explained all to receptionist & she said a doc would ring me next day.
Course next day came - no call.
I'm on my own, have nobody to go with me, can't do the bus.
Panicking like he'll, cos I literally have no where to turn.
Meanwhile I then got the reasons why I couldn't attend found unacceptable and deemed fit for work benefit stopped.
I then rang the docs again and was told a doc Grey had tried 3 times to know avail.
I later realised that I hadn't put the phone down properly so no one could get through.
Anyway comedy of errors or a nightmare ...
I asked if I could speak to the doc that looked after my late partner, and they left her a note to ring me.
I explained everything to her and I said I needed a letter supporting my reason for not going etc.
I said 'will you back me & she said 'OF COURSE'.
I rang DWP and said I was getting the letter and could they wait to receive it to include it in the reconsideration.
I was not on the ball , I was flummoxed as to how I could make this happen within a week, of course I couldn't.
I've been in tears, feeling suicidal trying to figure out what to do.
I have spent hours waiting in queues on the various DWP lines, waiting an hour at a time, listening to dreadful 'music' and feeling totally perplexed and beaten.
I got so many conflicting answers from various operators to the same question.
Some of the handlers were extremely terse & Jobsworth.
Others more caring, sympathetic & kind.
I'm at the stage now where frankly I don't care what the outcome is because I have done my best, caused myself great stress, sleeplessness & distress.
I am not going to compromise my hard fought for mental stability to have this faceless organisation crush me to the extent that a depressive or manic episode is triggered & I end up in hospital. NO WAY I WILL STARVE FIRST.
I lost the high rate personal care which I was getting under DLA.
Many people with Osteoarthritis are housebound, my own gran was.
You're being judgemental & making assumptions - much like the DWP do - not impressed - Debbie Downer
I never want to hear the phrase 'mandatory reconsideration ever again.
But I spect that is wishful thinking.
I know at the end of it, I never want to deal with them again.
I have never been so confused by a system in my life, it's a nightmare.
Sick people trying to claim what is rightfully theirs. It is shameful really.
Perhaps I'll go and live off the grid.
I'm so sorry to hear about all the troubles and chaos you've been experiencing. Where do you live? I'm wondering if there is a local disability rights advocacu group which would be able to offer you some support?
I have got in touch with A disability advise bureau who will help me with my case after I have received the mandatory reconsideration decision re ESA missed WCA
They also want to look at my PIP claim, as when I was in DLA receipt I had high rate care & low rate mobility.
The home visit assessment resulted in full mobility, but 0 home care.
There is no judgement on my part at all. It is factually correct to say few with OA are housebound. Of course some are but certainly not the majority and it’s important to recognise that precisely because assessment providers and DWP are aware of that and start from that position unless given strong evidence to the contrary. This they won’t just accept a vague allusion from the GP in that respect as the reason for a visit. They will note, for example, that the GP has omitted one piece of information which could have been relevant i.e. whether or not you go see them or they have to come to you. You can’t win a failure to attend challenge by assuming that what is obvious to you is obvious to them.
As regards comments about benefits being “rightfully” anyone’s. I decline to engage in that kind of language. Benefits are not deserved or a right. They require a claim and supporting evidence.
As regards your last paragraph, I agree with you but I am tired, stressed and mightily pis*ed of with the whole affair so I am VENTING.
IF I vent here, then it saves me from VENTING to the handlers, cos that doesn't get anyone anywhere & is unfair on the handlers.
You are sounding like a Jobsworth.
However 20% is 5th which is a sizable amount and I feel optimistic with those odds.
It’s 17% by the way, albeit that I suspect it’s growing again slowly judging from recent experience.
'Jobsworth' - there's always a first time lol 😜😀💝
It really isn’t a “sizeable percentage”. That would be the numbers who win appeals cos their MR failed.
My mind can't take in and process any more of this gobbledygook any more.
My mind is frazzled and has shut down. Cannot process any more input.
Thank you for all your help tho' 😘😀 Take care.
I sure was getting frazzled !
In the light of a new day, I fully understand your posts and thanks so much for your knowledge & experience, however tough it is a pill to take !!
Anyway, go letter is on it's way to them - now the ball is in their court ....
Cheers !!
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My medications help and I can get in touch with the doctors if I think I need a referral to the mental health team, however I don't think that is necessary atm.
Yep I can ring Samaritans or mind if I feel the need.
My anxiety comes in waves, & I think once I get a decision re the mandortary consideration I will know where I stand and act accordingly as to whether I need to Appeal.
In which case, our local Disabled Advice Bureau is going to help me.
I will keep y'all posted.
Thank you so much, all of you for your help & support.
God Bless & Kind Regards, Mary
They did take into consideration the GP's letter in addition to everything I had said in my defense.
I now await a letter detailing my monetary award., & if/when I have to have a WCA done at home.
It pays to have a positive attitude as in my cup is half full rather than half empty.
Good wishes to you kind sir Xxx