Help filling in disability form

candycane1

I need to claim disability ,as I have degenerative foraminal spinal stenosis, and lumber osteoarthritis, I am in terrible pain all of the time day and night with my neck, head , back ,arms ,hands, thighs, i am unsteady most of the time, I could go on and on with my symptoms  I have had both illnesses long term .The problem is the way the disability form is worded ,seems to cancel most of my illness out. Any tips would be help full please .

veriterc

Age UK might be a good place to start.  They have very helpful benefit advisors.  If not, Citizens Advice Bureau, or look on the notice board of your local library for helpful charities that deal with this.  I am araid you are going to have to start phoning to ask for help, and quickly as the best ones have a long waiting list. 

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @candycane1, and a warm welcome to the community! 

You can search for support and advice near you on the Advicelocal website, and hopefully our community members will be able to offer some guidance too.

If you're filling in the PIP form, this page on Citizens Advice may also be helpful. It breaks down the questions into individual sections and talks you through each one. Hope this helps, and do feel free to come back to us with any questions!

Yadnad

veriterc said:

Age UK might be a good place to start.  They have very helpful benefit advisors.  If not, Citizens Advice Bureau, or look on the notice board of your local library for helpful charities that deal with this.  I am araid you are going to have to start phoning to ask for help, and quickly as the best ones have a long waiting list. 

Yes a veryyyyyyy long waiting list. You can try AgeUK providing that you are old enough but my experience of them is not that brilliant. I walked into their local office once and out within a few minutes - clearly not interested in anything that may be not the normal type of case - basically anything related to Arthritis is OK, anything else I would give them a miss.

CAB well all I can say is that they are extremely stretched - too many asking for help from too few advisors.
In fact I went once in 2013 and told to go home and wait for a phone call to give me a date and time when to come back in That is over 5 years ago - I never did get a phone call so gave up and filled the PIP2 form out myself without help or advice

Since then I gave up looking for help as it is a postcode lottery as to whether you will be lucky enough to get it.. 

veriterc

'IIsn't it awful that we can't easily get help  I have learnt to play the system, and you are right - I use arthritis to get exercise and hydrotherapy.  I paid the very small oining fee, and now get weekly exercise classes \(with others who have played the system) and am waiting for my turn with local hydrotherapy.  Mind you, instructors don't seem to mind.  They are only too pleased to have the humbers.  

Yadnad

N

veriterc said:

'IIsn't it awful that we can't easily get help  I have learnt to play the system, and you are right - I use arthritis to get exercise and hydrotherapy.  I paid the very small oining fee, and now get weekly exercise classes \(with others who have played the system) and am waiting for my turn with local hydrotherapy.  Mind you, instructors don't seem to mind.  They are only too pleased to have the humbers.  

Not too impressed in the way that you have manipulated the system, but hey, if that is what you have to do to get help then who am I to criticise you.

candycane1

Thank you to all of you that have replied.

The form that needs filling in is not personal to all claiments , its basically 1 question suits all illnesses. If I can lift milk/a empty box , then I must forget the next questions regarding my spine . But these are my problems, and it is painfull for me to lift or move items, my pain never stops . That question is very blunt and specific. I no of friends who have family members with severe mental and physical illnesses, with pain, weakness in there upper body  , they can lift a box or a milk carton, but still they could not do it repetitively or with any surety that it would not be dropped, Or cause furthur pain or damage to themselves ,will these people be forced to work .I feel I am wasting my time with this form, i can not see how it would help me .Even though i will fill it in and send it. It looks like I am going to have to return back to work ,because it sure dous not consider my various illnesses.

Genuine ill people, will end up forced to work due to these insensitive questions. Many of the questions prevent genuine ill people from getting what they are entitled to.

And yes there is little to no help, to help us sort this out, I tried age U.K and citizens advise they have a very long wait ,and unsure if at all I will be able to get help from them before I need to submit my form , everyone is overwhelmed with people struggling with the benefit form. The disability benefits form needs to be re done , with more sensitive questions regarding peoples individual illnesses, Better still why don't they listen to peoples personnel individual needs , and listen to how we ill people manage in everyday life. Instead of asking us irrelevant questions that prevent us from informing them of our illnesses.

Surely .gov can clearly see in peoples medical records who is ill and in need of help, with a informative chat regarding our daily life and needs and how our illnessess effect us, without asking us indirect, blunt, unspecific ,questions that are not case specific to peoples illnessess and needs.

candycane1

And thank you pippa I am going to look at the website that you advised.

poppy123456

The form you've received is the work capability assessment form, you've asked your question on the PIP/DLA part of the forum. There's guides available that will help you fill out the form. I don't know if you're claiming UC or ESA but both the ESA50 and UC50 forms are the same.

This guide may help you. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/

Have you taken a look at the descriptors for each group? Here they are.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1354-work-related-activity-group-descriptors

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

reg 29/35 here. http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/making-exception

When filling out the form you need to put as much information as possible about how your conditions affect you. Send evidence with your form to support your claim because they rarely contact anyone.

candycane1

 Thank you for your reply and help poppy. Yes it is the work capability form, sorry for posting in the incorrect place , am new to this website, just scouring the web ,looking for advice.I will read the websites that you have advised. Thanks

candycane1

Evidence could be a problem for me as my Dr has removed my medical history from my online Dr medical site . And I thought Drs couldn't do that.

poppy123456

candycane1 said:

Evidence could be a problem for me as my Dr has removed my medical history from my online Dr medical site . And I thought Drs couldn't do that.

Only the very basic details are available on line. To request your medical records you will need to speak to your GP practice. It's free to have digital copies but there will be a charge if you want printed copies. It could take a few weeks to receive your medical records so that could be a problem.

The form must be returned no later than the date stated on the letter, failure to return it could see you being found fit for work. There's no extension's when returning the work capability assessment form.