Finally won my esa appeal
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themousemuncher
Community member Posts: 2 Listener
Hi all,
not sure if this the place to post this as i am a first time user. I would like to share my story for anyone in a similar situation and also for some advice.
It started in June 2017 when i was asked to attend an assessment in Wimbledon and it was cancelled on the morning by phone call from someone at the center, as i had arranged for my sister to take me it was rather inconvenient but so be it, then i got another appointment for August and again it was cancelled on the morning by a phone call again, another appointment was set for early October, again it was cancelled this time by letter 4 days prior to the appointment, i finally got seen in November and only scored 6 points and got a letter on the 28th of Nov telling me my money had been stopped.
Sent off a long letter written by a support worker for a MR and was told i would receive a reply within a month which would be before xmas, by the 2nd week in Jan i phoned the DWP and was told there was a delay and i would hear soon, i finally heard on the 19th of Feb and it was the same decision but in the letter it said to make an appointment at the job center and also i was capable of some type of work, less hours, working from home etc and a work coach would work with me to find me work without it affecting my health, so i go to the JC and this woman gave me no advice at all but made me sign this form and then told me i was expected to spend 35 hours looking for work and be prepared to travel up to one and a half hours each way, i said i have a letter that says you will work with me and in the middle of me speaking she shouted out it dont matter what the letter says and i walked out feeling suicidal, went to the doctors and she signed me off with out hesitation for the maximum 13 weeks and said we will deal with it after the 13 weeks was up, remember at till this point i had received no money for nearly 3 months as no one at any point had told me i could appeal or sign on while i was waiting for my MR as why would you sign on if your waiting for a decision.
After the 13 week sick note expired i went back to the J C and she tried to send me on a fork lift driving course which was 30 hours a week and then i would only have to spend another 5 hours looking for work but i had been given 6 points for not being able to go to unfamiliar places and having to be with someone so i thought it was silly but agreed to it but when the morning came it was impossible because of my condition and never went, at this point i was ready to end it all as i was really at the lowest point i could get and missed my next J C appointment and i got a txt from D.W.P asking why i had missed appointment and to phone this number which shockingly i did and started to tell this girl my problems and a manager interrupted the phone call and said she was concerned about about was i was saying and thought i had a good cause for appeal, anyway she spoke to another woman in the department and phoned me the next day and she did indeed think i had good reason for appeal and told me to get a letter from my doctor and to see CAB.
After taking her advice i did send off an appeal which was 8 months after the MR and they allowed it to go to appeal which i won and was put in the support group which has not happened yet as the appeal was only 2 weeks ago, i knew within one minute of going in to appeal i had won just going by the judges sympathy towards me and it is only now after that nearly 2 year nightmare is over that i realize how badly i was treated and how easy i could have become another victim of this system.
My advice is there are some good people out there and them two ladies from the DWP that got the ball rolling i really cant thank them enough and wish there were more people like that working for the DWP and if you are in a similar situation dont give up and make that phone call.
Sorry that this is such a long post but i feel better getting it off my chest and would like some advice while i am here if that is possible, when they stopped my benefit in nov 2017 and until i signed on in Feb 2018 my sister paid my rent for three months which was over 1200 pounds, will i be able to claim that back does anyone know or has that ship sailed, would appreciate any help as i am not very good on the phone and the thought of speaking to people at the council gets me down
not sure if this the place to post this as i am a first time user. I would like to share my story for anyone in a similar situation and also for some advice.
It started in June 2017 when i was asked to attend an assessment in Wimbledon and it was cancelled on the morning by phone call from someone at the center, as i had arranged for my sister to take me it was rather inconvenient but so be it, then i got another appointment for August and again it was cancelled on the morning by a phone call again, another appointment was set for early October, again it was cancelled this time by letter 4 days prior to the appointment, i finally got seen in November and only scored 6 points and got a letter on the 28th of Nov telling me my money had been stopped.
Sent off a long letter written by a support worker for a MR and was told i would receive a reply within a month which would be before xmas, by the 2nd week in Jan i phoned the DWP and was told there was a delay and i would hear soon, i finally heard on the 19th of Feb and it was the same decision but in the letter it said to make an appointment at the job center and also i was capable of some type of work, less hours, working from home etc and a work coach would work with me to find me work without it affecting my health, so i go to the JC and this woman gave me no advice at all but made me sign this form and then told me i was expected to spend 35 hours looking for work and be prepared to travel up to one and a half hours each way, i said i have a letter that says you will work with me and in the middle of me speaking she shouted out it dont matter what the letter says and i walked out feeling suicidal, went to the doctors and she signed me off with out hesitation for the maximum 13 weeks and said we will deal with it after the 13 weeks was up, remember at till this point i had received no money for nearly 3 months as no one at any point had told me i could appeal or sign on while i was waiting for my MR as why would you sign on if your waiting for a decision.
After the 13 week sick note expired i went back to the J C and she tried to send me on a fork lift driving course which was 30 hours a week and then i would only have to spend another 5 hours looking for work but i had been given 6 points for not being able to go to unfamiliar places and having to be with someone so i thought it was silly but agreed to it but when the morning came it was impossible because of my condition and never went, at this point i was ready to end it all as i was really at the lowest point i could get and missed my next J C appointment and i got a txt from D.W.P asking why i had missed appointment and to phone this number which shockingly i did and started to tell this girl my problems and a manager interrupted the phone call and said she was concerned about about was i was saying and thought i had a good cause for appeal, anyway she spoke to another woman in the department and phoned me the next day and she did indeed think i had good reason for appeal and told me to get a letter from my doctor and to see CAB.
After taking her advice i did send off an appeal which was 8 months after the MR and they allowed it to go to appeal which i won and was put in the support group which has not happened yet as the appeal was only 2 weeks ago, i knew within one minute of going in to appeal i had won just going by the judges sympathy towards me and it is only now after that nearly 2 year nightmare is over that i realize how badly i was treated and how easy i could have become another victim of this system.
My advice is there are some good people out there and them two ladies from the DWP that got the ball rolling i really cant thank them enough and wish there were more people like that working for the DWP and if you are in a similar situation dont give up and make that phone call.
Sorry that this is such a long post but i feel better getting it off my chest and would like some advice while i am here if that is possible, when they stopped my benefit in nov 2017 and until i signed on in Feb 2018 my sister paid my rent for three months which was over 1200 pounds, will i be able to claim that back does anyone know or has that ship sailed, would appreciate any help as i am not very good on the phone and the thought of speaking to people at the council gets me down
Comments
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Hi @themousemuncher thank you for sharing this with us. Congratulations on winning the appeal I am sorry to hear what you had to go through. I understand, do you have someone who can talk on your behalf and maybe your local CAB can offer some advice.
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Hi Antonia,
i did go to CAB the once last year and they helped me with appeal but when i phoned on friday it went to answer phone and nobody has got back to me as of now, will try them again tomorrow as they may have had trouble understanding me -
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