HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS CARE

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
HELLO,
CAN ANYONE EXPLAIN, how you can be put into the back to work group in ESA WHEN YOU HAVE A CARER??????
I have had insulin diabetes for 43 years since age of 9, now almost 52, have worked since age of 15 til about just over year ago, when got severe complications neuropathy of feet and hands ( nerve damage caused by years of diabetes ), also where used to get Hypo awareness ( low blood sugar warnings ) I no longer get warning and is consequentialy very dangerous if left on own, so wife is my carer.
I am also on DLA level 2, went to ATOS med. and doc. there said would put me in support group after looking at Consult., GP, Specialists letters etc and seeing me, she never even examined me, awaiting copy of report sposed to av been here 2 days ago, coz they put me in WRAG!!!! and want to see whether this doc lied, if so will complain 1) to Atos 2) GMC.
Cant walk far coz of pain, keep dropping things due to pain in hands am in constant pain even with max. painkillers and been told they can do nothing for me by specialists, so when i went to WRAG interview with my wife, and wife said she had to go everywhere with me and this P""" said " we can get transport to pick you up" !!!!! wats that got to do with my low blood sugar then he said I might get better, I have an incurable chronic desease, unless he knows better than all the specialists in the world.
We are appealing and i walked out of WRAG interview with wife, seeing manager of this idiot tomorra 8/7/2011 making off. complaint, see what they av to say, if find they useless, will complain about them, when working if was as inept as these I would have been sacked for grosse incompetance.
STILL ASK THE QUESTION HOW CAN YOU BE EXPECTED TO FIND JOB OR TRAINING WHEN WIFE IS CARER, WHO CAN GIVE ME LIFE SAVING INJECTION, WHICH SHE HAS DONE FOR ME ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS !!!!!!! also gave letter to local MP.
DIS. ACTION representing me with the appeal, and GP has written brilliant letter for me and said she was disgusted by them and said bring it on, am on antidepressants coz of so many years of diabetes, been seeing psycotherapist for this, and pain clinic are going to try intravenous pain relief for me, only time I have had any help in 43 years, just got DLA and carers and now they wanna take it off, coz can see if DLA see that you appear to be looking for work even if you arnt they will say " You must have had a miracle cure and you dont need the help anymore " so lose DLA and carers.
Anybody who says they are not connected are l;iving in dream world, this is the GOV. way of stopping money going to the right people, [edit] IM REFERRING TO ALL PARTIES, not biased at all

YOURS IN PAIN AS WRITING THIS, STEVE, SO ANGRY
 

candy1567

Well-Known Member
Messages
120
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi littlesteve

i know exactly wat u mean and have gone through somthing very similar regarding my hubby's ESA, he was actually refused ESA and told to claim jobseeker allowance,

after working for 30 odd years he developed a prostate cancer, although thankfully fully recoverred has been left with severe nerve damage of the muscles controlling the bladder called DSD, which means he cant pee properly, he has severe urine retention and he has the feeling of fullness in bladder all the time, but can only manage a dribble and has to use cathetor on many occasions to stop pain and infections. Waiting to find out if permanant cathetor will help problem, but consultant is reluctant to do. It causes major problems, wetting the bed, dribbing excessively all the time, takin 5 mins to start to pee then only dribbling out only to have the urge to go again after a few mins, our lives are taken up with toilet habbits, hes also a chef so this interferes with his job, but his work is fantastic and they have let him have 2 yrs leave (albeit unpaid)from his job to deal with this illness and then they will take him back, so its not as if he doens't have a job to go to as we are hopeing this is a temp problem with his bladder.

wen goin to see the ATOS medical ppl, the DWP stated he failed the medical and he got 0 points out of 15 on their medical. How can someone with his problems score 0 points on the section regarding bladder control We did appeal and he did get ESA only due to excellent consultants input, and the appeals officer was fantastic and used to ring us up at home and ask for more medical evidence so she could overturn the decision. She also said that they are allowed to uses WIKI wen researching ppl's illness, which is so wrong.

sorry for long post but wat i want to say is that u can get it overturned, aslong as u have got the medical evidence to back it up, but one thing i was told about these so called medicals is that it doesn't matter wat evidence ur gp/consultant sends, it is down to their ATOS ppl to say if u are medically fit for work, my gp went apes**t wen he was told that and fired a letter off sayin that he wasn't happy that his proffesionalism was under scrutiny and that he was more qualifed that a nurse with 5yrs nursing experience who did the ATOS medical

sorry for the long rant but the DWP and the ATOS medicals are a law unto themselves and i used to be involved in working for them many moons ago its shameful, but i do agree that the system is abused everyday by ppl claiming wat they are not entitled to, but genuine ppl are get the short straw

Juilex
 

alaska

Well-Known Member
Messages
475
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi Steve

This sounds very unpleasant. This sounds like one of the times when some basic compassion is allowed no room for manoeuvre within the guidelines. I don't know enough about this area to know whether this is the guidelines themselves or on the part of the individual employee here?

I hope this isn't too invasive a question, I'm wondering how your control is and whether the need for glucagon to be available could be reduced?

I had some pretty graphic hypos earlier in my career. In my case I was fortunate as I had nurses at my workplace who were able to administer glucagon. Luckily this was only only needed once but assistance was needed at other times by other means.

For me, I took the decision to go onto a low carb diet to try and rid myself of the roller-coaster ups and down in sugar levels. Thankfully it worked well for me, improving my hypo awareness and I've yet to have a hypo situation I've not been in control of since.

I think you have a more pressured situation than I was in at the time.

I might consider one of the following options:

Booking onto a Dafne course
Getting a book on a low carb diet -the one that, it's fair to say, saved me from my daily big highs and big lows was Dr Bernstein's Diabetes Solution
 

sugar2

Well-Known Member
Messages
833
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi Steve,

Perhaps you suggest that they fit you with a CGM...continuos glucose monitor. I know that this will not help with the pain and the mobility issues, but it does mean that you do not have to be in your wifes company 24/7?

You can get hypo awareness back, but i assume your Dr has been through this with you. I lost mine for a few months a few years ago, and didn't need constant care, but idid test my blood sugar every half hour.

I do not know anything about the appealing for care etc, so my comments are not in support of the Dr you are angry with, but I just wanted to point out, that your situation could be improved slightly?
All the best
 

Psychicboy

Newbie
Messages
1
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi Steve, although I am no expert, I do have Diabetes but also have brain damage, my specialist has done a report stating I am unable to work because of the extent of the Brain damage, his advice was when I go for ESA from Incapacity state that you are a Health and Safety Hazard and any accidents caused by you will be there responsibility, as the specialist whom has done years of training does know what he is taliking about and they clearly do not, so they will be held personally reponsible as they are the ones sending you to work or group or whatever, my wife is my carer, I suffer memory loss and get lost and anxious if I go out on my own, As I always said at the incapacity benefit medicals, please tell me how it is that we are run by one government (although two) at the moment, and there rules can be so contradictory, the NHS is government run and they say I am disabled, the KCC are government run and they say I am disabled, the housing association say I am disabled and put me in a disability house, the local council say I am disabled and put a lift in the house, I get DLA, my wife gets carers, so are all these people wrong and if so they should all be sacked for being paid under false pretenses as they do not know there job, well clearly they cant all be wrong so that leaves just one person looking silly and thats the person doing the medical. I had an accident in 2002 which gave me the brain damage I have back injuries as well, but it took 9 years to get DLA and yet I am no worse or better now than I was in 2002, so how come I now have DLA , well I put a letter in with my last application, and it basically said " I am not being funny but can you tell me what qualifications you have over and above the back specialist and the brain specialist, I received DLA a few weeks later, cos they know nowadays if they are wrong you can sue them, take care mate, I am sure it will work right in the end .
 

Gappy

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

ATOS related but not diabetes related (sorry) but someone mum knows had 2 fingers cut off by machinery at work and he now has to be reviewed in case his condition has got any better! Er, can fingers suddenly grow back? It's all official form filling beurocracy and I hate it, they don't care for the person, when you phone the 1st thing they ask for is your NI number. So don't take it personally but good luck beating them at their own game.
 

bowell

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Believe it or not I am also in the Back to Work Group :evil: I have no use of my legs most of my right side . Incontinent and self catheterize or with help from spinal injury ,Damage to my neck that has left my right arm Useless left arm also going now ,Recent TIA and lesion found base of brain stem You would not give these head pains to an enemy ,Arthritis, Gout Chronic Neuropathic pain
ow yes nearly forgot diabetic as well All conditions are progressive

I have Care 8 hours a day when wife is at work .
Told be lucky if i have 5<>10 years left to put my affairs in order , At least i have some time to sort things out for wife and kids

You only get in the support group i was told if
Your Term ILL one year left or a total Vegetable :shock:

I have worked all my life 35 years until i fell ,, So i receive ESA because on NI contribution i worked all my life .This will end in four months as this is only paid for two years , changing to one year later on , Then i well get NOTHING

Because my wife works and earns over the UK poverty level £140 @ week :?

Nice little ESA Trick Cameron has put under the wire

DWP Made me go to back to work interviews ,Paid for medical transport :?:
Then would not let me in the building with wheelchair and my wife
as im now a fire risk :?: So home interviews set up ,,Job Center staff would refused to come my house ,,because not allowed in customers houses ,for safety :!: So I had them all back to work interviews via phone
Anything changed ???? NO will ring in back 4<>6 weeks .

A Total wast of time I will still have to claim ESA So my NI stamp is paid
I will not get any sick money when my NI contribution based ESA ends four mouths
Just in case i do live to pension age

The only way i can get any thing now is if my wife places me into care

Then it all goes ESA ,JSA, DLA ,TAX Credits ,Housing Benefit to be replaced by Universal credit
Deep Joy

I really hope that you all are still working do not become so Ill you can not work



scam.gif
 

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Blimey mate and I thort I had probs., but what your saying is correct about em, CONMEN, if they were on rogue traders we would be able to wipe the table clean of em, how can they lie so much and get away with it, as regards cameron he is a total non- entity, recently see him on holiday abroad with his family in press, me and wife cant afford day out at southend, my 30 odd years at work has paid for that numpty, whilst I and you and other people live on breadline, coz cant work through no fault of our own, think sooner have one of those african dictators in charge here at least they are honest to admit there thieving and conning there own people unlike what we have here
 

donnellysdogs

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

I too worked from 11 (lied and said I was 13 in thsoe days!!!) and at 45 after apying considerable taxes, NI etc had to stop work. I had gradually gone from great managerial positions with large plc companies to my own partime gardening business until I coulddn't manage this anymore. We moved house, and I had to give up my fantastic customers with my gardening, and my illnesses got worse and worse.....although I got full DLA for a year. from ESA I got nothing.....due to moving and trying to find some work, my contributions after 36 years were not enough the year before....and so I have only had my NI paid for the last 2 years at present.....

If I was able to work....and yes, I do firmly believe that tif there are two indiduals who are identical EXCEPT one has diabetes type 1...then the non diabetic will be selected...I hve more reasons behind not working with my illnesses, but any benefit of any kind can be very hard for the previous hardworkers to get.

I know I can sound as if I am not politically correct, but having no children, no debt, no mortgage etc and a husband that earns enough money to keep us off the breadline.....when I have worked 35+ years and paid huge taes etc does make me a little angry. I don't expect to be kept by ANY government, but I wish that the government paid as much attention to those that are genuinely in need rather than sucking up to all the media conmen etc.....
 

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

I can understand you coz I seem to be in same boat, when first on JSA couldnt get budgeting loan for a year coz Id piad NI and TAX, if never paid anything and never worked then could get it after 26 weeks!!!!!!! Then ended up on sick ESA and cant get Budgeting loan for 3 years aprox. coz of contributions !!!!!!! NUTS, why is it they only help those who have never cotributed ??????? makes me sick, whilst I was at that stupid interview, the WRAG ( working related activity group ) see some people that couldnt speak english and they were being helped to help themselves to our NHS!!!!!! Now IM being Politicaly Incorrect, had to fight to get funding for insulin pump coz of expense and money shortage, yet these people walk in and get everything and help to get it, whilst we only find out about things by accident, by talking to other people

All The Best STEVE
 

Osidge

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi Littlesteve

I am a bit confused about your inability to receive a budgeting loan because you have paid tax and NI. I can only assume that you were not entitled because your family income precluded you from getting income based JSA rather than contribution based JSA. Is the same the situation with your ESA ie you are on contribution based ESA and not income based ESA because your family income is above the level for income based ESA? (For my sins I was a Social Fund Inspector some years ago!)

I am not sure of the nationality of the people who had no English and were being signposted to the NHS. Perhaps they were EU nationals and accessing our NHS in the same way as we access theirs (we even make television programmes of us doing it)?
 

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Are you telling me they get benefits and free health system equivalent to ours,
As regards the budgeting loan, when was orig. on jsa was told had to wait year instead of 26 weeks because of my contributions, so if never contributed anything you were better off, then went onto ESA and then enquired and found out first at job centre couldnt get budgeting loan, becoz of my contributions, then rung actual place for the loans to ask why and they explained I could get loan but not until after about 3 years or so, coz of contributions, have worked for over 30 odd years, and I said to jobcentre people I made a mistake " I WORKED AND PAID NI AND TAX " they replied " WELL IF ITS IN YOU TO WORK " WHAT A REPLY!!!!!!, they acually said if never worked, I would have been better off, when enquiring about over fiftys plan ( half fares ) and just gone onto ESA they told me couldnt av over fiftys plan coz now on ESA, but if sick and need to get to hospitals etc you needed cheap fares!!!!!! I give up!!!!!!!

Steve
 

Margi

Well-Known Member
Messages
132
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Steve, if you are on ESA you can get your fares back at the hospital. Just go to the office and ask. Different hospitals have different methods of administering, but if you ask how to get it sorted at the reception desk of the department you are visiting, they should be able to help. So for hospital transport you don't need half fares.

If you are on middle rate DLA you can get half fares though. Unless things have changed drastically. I don't like the sound of the new system, though. :shock:
 

Osidge

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Sorry Steve

All I can say is that the Social Fund pays out loans to those in receipt of income-based benefits. If you get contribution based ESA and your wife has earnings that take you over the income based ESA levels, then the Social Fund cannot give you a loan. You are not being penalised because you have worked but because your total family income exceeds income based ESA levels. If you had never paid a penny in NI and tax and your wife had high enough earnings you still would not get income based ESA nor loans from the Social Fund. As far as EU nationals are concerned, in an EU country you get what their citizens would get - hence the tv programmes about people on holiday in Spain accessing free Spanish healthcare.

Doug
 

Energize

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Messages
810
Type of diabetes
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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hi Steve

Yes, I can understand your frustration. I've just been checking out the assessment. If you Google 'work capability assessment' and go to the direct.gov site (top of the list), then click on their link Download 'A guide to ESA - the Work Capability Assessment ESA214' (PDF, 154K)
(which you will find near the bottom of the web page), you will find details of this assessment, and how the points are awarded.

The value/points awarded for different activities are outlined towards the end of the document. To me, it makes very interesting reading. It is based entirely on what a person is able to do, on a one-off moment. It doesn't take into account any other issues, such as resultant pain, stress, etc etc, as you will see, or probably know.

My suggestion would be to definitely appeal, of course, but also to get help with your appeal, such as CAB. They will have a lot of expertise and will be able to help you considerably.

Keep calm, get your facts together, make a list of difficulties you would have in a workplace etc. I feel sure you can get this overturned but I understand you have limited time in which to appeal.

I wish you all the best.
 

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Doug,
what about he benefits, and health system in eastern europe!!!!! what would you get there!!!! as regards my wife she does a little job for an hour in morn. whilst daughter keeps eye on me, wife doesnt pay tax as earns too little, so as regards income, negligable

Steve
 

bowell

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Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Steve If you have permanent problems with walking you can apply for a BUS PASS
I have one ,for free bus travel after 9:00 if you have a hospital apportionment for 8:30 show the driver your appointment letter and pass you can travel for free (well in my Area)

Thats half the problem with the system if you have worked all your Life
You don't have clue how or what you can claim and no one will help you

I have new male carer started for some of the week he was working as council social worker for the blind laid off with cuts ,So hes now working as carer for min wage
Hes been very helpful told me of two local funds i am entitled to apply for,
I would still be sitting here in the dark clueless


Yes you can get treated in EU not always the same standard :?

Bulgaria My Cozen had to shell out 800 euros for a Titanium plate for her leg
before would operate on her ,Her friends had to get money from bank in cash then return
to the ward and hand over the cash to the surgeon
All on her EU med card ?
 

littlesteve

Member
Messages
15
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Yeah this is what I mean, people syaing about spain etc, but we are not inundated with spanish, german, or french, ist all those from eastern bloc countries, that have never contrib. to EU,
If you go to there countries they wouldnt giv you a bean, and as you described what happedned to your cousin, is exactly what I have been saying, a lot of those that come here have criminal records that we dont know about, this Gov. and previous Gov. just dont care who they are letting in,
Also we are told cutbacks here and there, and we still let these people in!!!!! if you run a company like that you would be bankrupt in a week,
All what I have said about what has happened to me is true, all in the last 9 months to a year and I have checked and checked again and what I was told is absol. true, I have now a freedom pass, coz of health and mentle problems ( severe depression ) caused by my health ( not being able to work, cant really do anything, total change of lifestyle ) and been told by top specialists basically this is as good as it gets, and eventually worse!!!!! then some idiot at the back to work group who didnt even look at my docs. letter or certif. says you could get better!!!!!!
Has been sorted now, I am in support group, as went to local MP. disability action, complained about this individua, etc etc!!!!!!!l, got letters telling me just on friday 21/7/2011, plus I think coz specialists confirmed it all, but it has basically made me ill mentally, physically, and diabetes made worse by all the stress, plus made my wife upset worrying as well, I had to hide my condition when working or basically lie on some of the forms as had family to bring up, coz I see for myself, once at the company, where someone became diabetic with insulin how they were treated, pestered them subtlely til they left, if you were on tablet form diabetes they didnt mind so much, this is what Iv done since age of 15, now nearly 52 and had insulin diabetes since age 9 ( since 1968 ), for what!!!!! should never have worked, would have been better thought of, now have complications through no thort of my own and have had to fight everybody, to get anything, this year is the only help ever had in 43 years , then they try stopping you get it!!!!!!! meanwhile others just walk in and get it!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Im furious, my family has fought in 2 world wars, my dughter who is 22 been in army since 16, has served 3 tours out in Afgjhanistan, her husband has just come back from there as well, my family from the past would av looked at this and said why did we bother,
LOOK after your own first, not the other way round, Im not being racist, I have friends from abroad etc, and they say the same, my view has always been if you have 5 loaves of bread and you only need 3, then giv the other 2 to someone else where it will help, not other way round absol. NUTS!!!!!!
I must confess all my specialists have been brilliant, and if it wasnt for them, on my side I prob. would be living on bottle of lucozade a day, in cold and dark, like I had in the early 1990s when out of work for about 3 months!!!!!
When me and wife went to ATOS med. interview, whilst in waiting room. I nearly cried as thought is this what Iv come to begging for help!!!!!! wanted to end it all, felt as tho had enuff, if it wasnt for wife wouldnt be here now!!!!!!

STEVE
 

leahkian

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Messages
302
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hello
I have also been to see the Atos group and found them to be not interested in asking what your problems are. I am a unstable diabetic with no warning off hypos,I also have the rest of the complecations that come with the diabetes. I am also waiting for a renal transplant but when i went for the medical I scored no points. Even though I had mental health problems at the time. I appealed the verdict and with the help of a mental health worker,CAB helped and also many letters off GP,diabetes team and also the renal team. mine was overturned. So dont give up on your appeal and go to the welfare rights team for help. If you are having bad hypo and loss conscious you should tell them as this is one of the areas that will get you points. It has been said that with the cost of Atos and the appeals that it is going to cost more money than if they had left it alone.
 

Finzi

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Messages
366
Re: HOW CAN THEY PUT ME INTO ESA WRAG GROUP WHEN MY WIFE IS

Hypos with loss of consciousness are the only things that will get you points for ESA and they have to be occurring more than weekly to get you 15 points and the benefit (and even that will only get you into work related activity group). There are no support group descriptors for consciousness, so even if you were having several hypos a week it wouldn't be enough to get you into support group. The only other diabetes related condition that might get you ESA is if you have neuropathy that means that you can't reliably and repeatedly walk more than 50 meters, or alternatively that you can't walk at least 50 meters without having to stop due to pain. That would also get you into the support group, which is £5 per week more, doesn't involve attending work related activity, and doesn't end after 12 months, as contribution based ESA does. But it is very difficult to get into support group, it is intended for the most profoundly disabled and terminally ill.

Because the points system is cumulative, you could also score 15 by having some hypos (at least once a month) and some walking difficulties (100 meters).


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