I have recently had my esa claim for the support group removed and put into the work related group .I was first diagnosed with MS back in 2014 and went through all the usual this cant be true etc etc and then in 2016 i progressed to SPMS with my consultant telling me to soldier on and continue to fight it.Anyway i now use a wheelchair to go out as my balance has got really bad and my legs hurt so much and give me spasms and i feel everything getting worse and i am sure the extra stress of what the esa has done is doing me no favours and i am losing the will to fight.What i cant understand is how my condition has worsened and still they mess with my benefits when i know i am getting worse and how can they really justify this.I thought my esa would be a easy assessment but far from it.I just wish i had help its so confusing.
Have you thought about joining https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ Their members only guides are excellent, so if you were to appeal against the decision to take you out of the support group (which I would encourage you to do), their information is invaluable.
Or you could try to get some help from your local CAB.
But keep in your mind that you only have one calendar month from the date of the DWP decision to ask for a mandatory reconsideration of the decision. And you have to do this before you can appeal. So you need to get on with it and get your reconsideration request in soon.
Sue
Hi Anon, if you have done everything yourself to apply for various benefits, then it is a hard slog.
Sue has given excellent advice, she knows her stuff and has recommended a brilliant website where loads of help, advice & information is available. It’s well worth joining.
Search through your paperwork relating to previous benefits, plus as much medical evidence as possible. Have you any medical proof that your RRMS has gone to SPMS? A letter from your Neurologist, MS Nurse or GO will help if they confirm the symptoms you are affected by.
Take copies of everything you send to DWP. Speed is of the essence, so keep within the dates you’ve been given.
Good luck.
Chrissie
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