Hi all I’m reading a lot of very discouraging stories about applying for ESA and PIP. I just wondered if any of you have positive stories to pass on? I’m in the process of applying for both and could use a little hope! Kaz xxx
Once upon a time I phoned ESA and was sent form questionaire etc, filled it out sent them all copies of 4 years of Neuro letters given money left alone for a year.
After year filled same out again lol, sent them more Neuro letters and physio letter and moved to Support Group and they upped the mony by £10 to £15 a week.
And lived happily ever after
Hi Hobs
Thanks for that
I’m already on ESA, have been for several months, assuming I would be dragged in for the dreaded one-to-one. From what you’ve said, maybe that won’t be happening after all 
I applied for PIP in October, and have since been told that Atos have been sitting on my details since November and I am in the queue for an assessment. I wrote to my MP (never done that before! But I was fed up with the wait) and he has (surprisingly!) written to Atos asking them when I will be seen. Really not looking forward to that interview, as from all I’ve read it seems they do all they can to catch you out and make you look like a liar. Because having MS isn’t stressful enough already!
Kaz x
(I have replied, Hobs, but its not appearing as yet, I’ll wait and see if it does, and if not will post again! )
Yep they left me alone have never had a medical with them etc.
Yeah that PIP sounds a pain
Though I be coming off now as I found someone who will employ me
That’s brilliant 
I hesitate to say that this is a positive experience because positive and ESA don’t really belong in the same sentence but you are looking for reassurance that the application process is not always painful.
Last year I transferred to ESA from Incapacity Benefit. The process is exactly the same as making an initial application. I filled in the ESA50 with great care (and used lots of additional sheets) I was put into the support group without a medical and with no medical evidence (I was waiting for the letter from my consultant so sent the form off without it) As far as it goes it was very straightforward and I got the result that I wanted.
Still on DLA but I hope that the changeover to PIP goes as smoothly.
Jane
Cheers
I wish you luck hun and would say write down everything and take your time so you can make sure you’ve given them the whole picture and and send supporting documents as it will save time in the long run. I didm’t the first time and went through a long wait but this time I did a lot of work on application and it went smoothly Krissy
Thank you Jane and Krissy x My appointment came through for the end of this month for PIP assessment. I had a relapse start at the weekend so we shall wait and see what shape I’m in by the time of the appointment! Kaz xx
I applied for employment support allowance last year after relapsing and loosing all strength in my right and as I’m a plasterer by trade I had no income, I applied ran up a 30 min 0845 phone bill going thought medical questions two weeks later a questionnaire came through and I received payment of 113 every two weeks. They then sent me an appointment for a ATOS assessment and as I’ve relapsed it clashed with my appointment so I called them up and explained my situation and they offered to pay for the taxi there and back which is a easy 20 quid each way. I need a home visit as I’ve recently relapsed again so still waiting… But not had much trouble with claiming, if I’m late with my sicknote I just fax it and they do same day bank transfer
ESA after years of dread i finally recieved the form ,the hub filled it in with me and the help of onlines guides .sent it off and panicked. 3 -4 weeks later got a call , Support Group, no medical, £234 a fortnight,no mention of reassesment but when i enquired she said " uh 3 years"
We where quite TMI when completing it , i had a docs letter and a copy of a letter from my neuro to my doc as evidence
after sweating blood and lots of tears since 2010, i have to say it was an anti climax - i was expecting a huge fight and appeal but the gods blessed me that day
Thanks so much for all of your replies My ESA claim seems to have gone smoothly and all seems to be in place. Now I have to face my PIP one to one assessment next week. I’ve just had a major relapse so probably good timing to see them really so that I can ensure all the info they have before making a decision is as up to date as possible. Kaz xxx
Hi I`d been on IB for many years and dreaded the switch to esa. Worried myself silly, like you do. My daughter filled it in for me, she works for a disability charity, she was aghast at the length and type of questions.
One thing about it was that she learned a lot more of what her mum has to live with!
Anyway, 2 weeks after it was sent off, I got a very nice call from a lady saying I had been put in the support group and would never have to apply again…super eh?
But seeing as I will be 62 and on the state pension next march, that`s not so surprising!
However, I will have to go through the PIP rigmaroll.
Good luck with your application. And no, we dont need this on top of our daily struggle, for sure!
luv Pollx
Thanks so much, Poll I’m glad to hear your changeover went smoothly. Good luck with the PIP! Kaz xx
I applied for PIP and got rejected, I requested a ‘mandatory reconsideration’ and supplied them with a 7 page letter detailing the errors & omissions in the ATOS report and the errors in their letter (there was cleary a bit of copy and paste at DWP because there was a complete untruth that wasn’t even in the ATOS report!). I also supplied a newer letter from my MS nurse as additional support. There was clearly no understanding whatsoever to the fact I’m looking highly likely to be PPMS.
Anyway, it took a long time to write BUT two weeks later I received another letter,the result of the mandatory reconsideration was that I was awarded basic payment on both the daily living & mobility components and cash was in my account 2 days later.
So, good that they did listen and they changed their minds…but this week we submitted my appeal as there were some obvious mistakes and they skillfully ignored a couple of points I raised. I recommend looking at the website and how they apply their rules - things like reliability of performing an action.
For example, because I removed my boots unaided at the assesment, they ruled loc stock that I can dress/undress alone - there was no reference to the fact this was at 10am and I was literally holding my right leg over the crook of my elbow to put the boot back on, luckily I’m still supple enough to lean over to unzip them (I was a fitness instructor before MS and could out my palms flat on the floor with straight legs!) I even remember telling ATOS about this and the fact my lower back got really sore from lugging my leg around!
I hope you understand what I’m getting at, just be as straight with ATOS as you can be - but remember, they are usually trying to type whilst you are talking, so take your time and don’t rush to get your replies acoss. I requested a copy of the ATOS report and DWP did send it very quickly… there is not a single paragraph without typing mistakes and terrible punctuation.
Good luck
Sonia x
Polly, I agree totally! The stress involved is horrible.
Sonia x
Thank you Sonia. Really does make you wonder if its worth putting yourself through it. Do you mind me asking, how long ago was your assessment, and how long after that before you got your initial decision? Kaz xx
Kaz, sorry hun, I’m in bed so can’t give you exact dates but the initial response was some time in January and my assessment was in December so hopefully that means within 2 months roughly speaking.
The mandatory reconsideration was over a month in the making, I called them, they posted the ATOS report and I drafted the letter, so it took me some time. I called them after 2 weeks just to confirm they’d got it and it was a couple more weeks before the revised decision came through, that was a week or so ago, the money hit my account at the end of last week
Sorry if thats a bit vague but by reading other comments, it sounds like it depends where you live as there’s a lot of people waiting!
Hope you get an answer quickly, try not to let it stress you. The first line in my letter back to them was that I felt I’d done myself a disservice by making changes as things cropped up and trying to cope.
Oh, and the first question she asked me was if I wore incontinence pads - talk about putting me on the backfoot, I said no and went into a spiel about trying hard to cope and knowing if I started then I would become reliant and also explained that I paid privately for LDN & took D.mannnose to try to keep my bladder in check - ha, that was before I started the Dantrium! Needless to say, there was a statement that I took meds for MS… No, as a likely PPMS’er, I take a variety of meds to try to symotoms in check but take nothing for MS in itself. I pointed out in my letter that the LDN, crannerry & other pills, cost far more than pads! Additionally, things have changed since assessment AND it was not an appropriate introductory question.
Thankfully, I am off the Dantrium now but still very cautious, side effects like that leave you with a feeling that you always need to be prepared. Who knows what’s in store next tho!
Sorry to yap on, I think that the stress really does eat at you, and I feel like it’s gone on forever.
good luck
Sonia x
Thank you so much Sonia. All of that info is really helpful and I really appreciate it xxx