ESA reassessment

chrissy93
chrissy93 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hi. I have been on ESA now for coming up 5 years, in the support group too.
my disability i have is a colostomy which I have had since I was 3 years old, I have no hope of having it reversed, this is a lifelong condition I have. As a result of this I have 18 inches of my bowel from the **** up over not working, this also means my nerve endings are dead. One problem I have is I regularly 4 to 5 times a week pass lots of mucus and also blood, with hard lumps of mucus from my ****. But as I explained due to a lot of my bowel not working and no nerve endings I can’t feel when this is going to happen or when it has happened. This results in me being sat in mucous and blood which results in soreness and changing of clothes, bath/showers upwards of 10 times a day.
Regarding the colostomy bag itself, I have large granulomas around my stoma, this results in them bleeding a lot which means the bag often doesn’t stick properly meaning I have substantial leakage.
But I have now received another ESA50 questionnaire form, I’m afraid that I will lose my place in the support group even though I have a disability which is certainly lifelong and is only going to get worse as the years go on. This has made me frustrated and also my stoma nurse who has known me since I had the colostomy thinks the reassessment is stupid

Comments

  • Benistmonk
    Benistmonk Online Community Member Posts: 341 Empowering
    She is not alone in thinking that, of course it is stupid when you have a condition which is incurable, there should be a rule for people in this situation to be left alone once it has been established there is no cure. But as we are governed by ze Germans, I guess we have to grin and bear it.
  • chrissy93
    chrissy93 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    I honestly thought there was a new rule or even a law that came in a couple of years back stating people with lifelong, severe conditions with no hope of it ever getting better would not be reassessed anyway or something along those lines?!?
    its just more stress that I could do without. My stoma nurse only a few weeks back told me I’m going to need surgery on the stoma in the very near future. So the reassessment has come at such a hard time for myself.
  • Benistmonk
    Benistmonk Online Community Member Posts: 341 Empowering
    AFAIK, even those with lifelong severe conditions will still be assessed, but not as often. Something like every 5 years I think.  
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,457 Championing
    chrissy93 said:
    I honestly thought there was a new rule or even a law that came in a couple of years back stating people with lifelong, severe conditions with no hope of it ever getting better would not be reassessed anyway or something along those lines?!?
    its just more stress that I could do without. My stoma nurse only a few weeks back told me I’m going to need surgery on the stoma in the very near future. So the reassessment has come at such a hard time for myself.
    Hi,

    You're correct, new rules came out in Oct 2017. For those that are currently in the Support Group after your next re-assessment if evidence proves that your condition is life long and are unlikely to ever work again then you'll be placed into the severe conditions group and all future re-assessments will be turned off for life.

    There is a but to this though... it's extremely difficult to be placed into this group and only those with certain conditions will be given this. Link here.

  • chrissy93
    chrissy93 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    It’s just really frustrating to have to go through all this again, the constant worry. I have an appointment to see my consultant on Tuesday which I’ve been told will result in further surgery too. My condition is certainly lifelong and will only get worse but the DWP don’t seem to take notice at all.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,457 Championing
    As far as i know very few people have qualified for the severe conditions group. My conditions are also life long with no cure and i was also recent re-assessed and will continue to be re-assessed, unfortunately.
  • wildlife
    wildlife Online Community Member Posts: 1,289 Trailblazing
    My son has also just been reassessed and is still in the support group with severe disablement premium purely for mental health but the assessor recommended re assessment in the medium term? So is the severe conditions a different category of severity or is this the group he's in? The DWP decision letter didn't have reason or a timescale for his award. @chrissy93 if you have a good assessor like my son had you'll be OK. Going by what you have told us they can't argue or change what you have to cope with it's fact and much easier to assess than mental health. 
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Online Community Member Posts: 5,195 Championing
    ESA is an on going award that can be reassessed any time after three months. If you meet the severe criteria you will be informed on your decision letter
  • Benistmonk
    Benistmonk Online Community Member Posts: 341 Empowering
    You wouldn't mind having the assessment if you knew it was genuine and done purely to confirm ones medical conditions. Unfortunately the assessment process as it stands ignores medical evidence. Your fate is then decided by someone who has never met you and has no medical qualifications to speak of.

    You really couldn't make it up, could you.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,457 Championing
    The severe conditions group is completely different. If you were placed into this group then it would advise medium term, it would advise that no further re-assessments are needed.
  • wildlife
    wildlife Online Community Member Posts: 1,289 Trailblazing
    OK thanks I think you meant to say it wouldn't advise medium term? 
  • chrissy93
    chrissy93 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    I’ll just wait and see what they say and try not get to stressed about it in the mean time.
    theres no way they can realistically expect me to work with regular daily incontinense I would presume.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,457 Championing
    wildlife said:
    OK thanks I think you meant to say it wouldn't advise medium term? 
    No problem, yes that's what i meant.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 62,457 Championing
    chrissy93 said:
    I’ll just wait and see what they say and try not get to stressed about it in the mean time.
    theres no way they can realistically expect me to work with regular daily incontinense I would presume.
    Absence or loss of control whilst conscious leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or bladder, other than enuresis (bed-wetting), despite the wearing or use of any aids or adaptations which are normally, or could reasonably be, worn or used.
    At least once a week experiences
    (i) loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder; or
    (ii) substantial leakage of the contents of a collecting device;
    sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing.

    The above is a support group descriptor and must apply the majority of the time, which in your case i'm sure it does. My advice is to concentrate on that when filling out the form. Good luck.




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