Hi all, hope things are going as good as they can, I visited the GP a few months back and she surgested signing me off sick. I have no job, but not on any benefits, just cant get a job as not up to much. She said i was entitled to it. So ok it took a few months to agree with her and got a sick note a couple of days back, although felt physically sick when i made the apt to see her. So made the esa claim by phone. all paper work will be sent to my dads, (im of no fixed abode!) They said on the phone hat i needed to send something back and other bits in to them like the sick note. other than filling in the forms (which i think ive found copies of online, But there is no box or points for get so bloody exhausted need to sleep in the day, and goes to pieces over the super market shop or such things related to ms)) So i have read on here in the past that information needs to be collected, as much as possible, what sort of information? i mean do i get my last employer (was only a short term position to write a letter? I am good friends with her, but what would she say “id never employ this person again, needs to nap more than my toddler”
or the kindly vicars wife who took me to a friend of hers who was the district nurse (on a day off) because as always had not gone to see a gp but my hand was badly blistered as spilt boiling water on it and the pain reflex did not work and stood in kitchen looking at boiling water pouring on it until my partner hit my arm to make me drop the kettle.(Brain was trying to work out where to put it so as not to break anything instead of the immediate drop that should have happened)
I have many accidents like that, cutting my hands when numb and realising when the bood hits my forearm, or slicing fingers when chopping as do not feel the knife get close, but never bother with a gp or “on record” as steri strips or other over the counter stuff is just as good without wasting everyones time.
So how actually do i prove anything. on a good day im ok (ish) on a bad day ive no worries about the answers to the forms as i cant do half the stuff. Do i answer them as how i am on a bad day? what happens if i feel ok on my assesment day, they will think im a fraud and a lier. so what do you do when it changes daily. i cant work, if i do nothing i have some ok days, if i work every day is a bad day and i cant actually work. I need the money but worse for me was being looked at as a fraud (it took months of no income to decide to apply out of fear being declined-how stupid? i know!)
Any info, surgestions, input, ideas or comments all appriciated,
thanks
a rather confused me
SP
hi you need to get help with forms with someone who is used with this some citizen advice people are good some not so good get your docter and reumi etc to back you up your council should have a welfare rights department one of thier officers should be able to help you hope all goes well g
Letters from your GP, consultant and or your MS Nurse are the evidence they are looking for. If you don’t already have them then ring them and ask they will be used to requests of this kind. I recently had to do this for something else, the letter off my Nurse was free but I had to pay for GPs £10.00 if I remember correctly.
Good luck and please let us know how you get on.
Jan x
Thanks for the replys,i hate hasseling everyone, i feel the gps are already busy, the gp has written me a sick note, if they want more details why do they not ask then, as will have to take up more of their time to get them to write a letter. Typically the ms nurse who i would feel happier to ask (as i do not think her job is busy or stressfull (not from what ive seen, if every patient gets the same traetment as me i could do her job, chat listen and any actual questions answer with the ms soc web site address, which of course ive already looked at. Any way i diverse!) but typically she retired last month and there is no new one yet!
And consultant, well when i was diagnoised i had to wait so long to actually see some one, the thought that she is busy filling in paper work rather than seeing poor terrified newly diagnoised people makes me shudder, id hate to take her time from some one who needs it.
Well even if i get 13 weeks of something then refused its better than nothing. The sooner i can work out a way to make a living with out a conventional job the better and no need for benefits.hoo hum,not quite the life i planned!! Cant help but ask why me? im sure we all do, but there are people who dont want to work, who try and claim benefits get round the system who would love an excuse to sit in front of TV all day. But i love my work, love doing and being active, infact this damn MS seems to have stripped me of everything that defined me as me!!
SP
Coming to the realisation that you need to claim benefits rather than support yourself with work can be very hard and I understand completely how you feel about this. However, despite what we sometimes read in the papers or see on TV our society is set up to support people who are unable to work through no fault of their own so do not feel guilty or depressed about this - it is your right and you must claim. I think that you need time to adjust to this situation but you will come to find that things other than work can define your life. I used to be a teacher and when I gave up work I had a hard time thinking that I was anything at all - not a teacher so not anything! 20 years on being a teacher is like a distant memory of another person, loads of people I know now don’t even know about that chapter of my life.
Hillbilly is right - you need some help with the form. I suggest joining the benefits and work website who have excellent guides
At first glance the form does not seem to give opportunities to mention fatigue. What you need to do is add additional info for every question ( on extra sheets if need be) it is here that you can bring in the effects of fatigue, lack of coordination or any other effect of your MS. There is also a very useful section “about your illness” where you can go to town explaining your particular circumstances. Remember that the ESA form is principally concerned with the world of work (they don’t give a monkeys about your showering or cooking!)
They will be aware that MS is a variable condition. You need to describe what your worst situation is but quantify how often that happens - talk about “better” days if needs be but make sure they are aware how often you are debilitated. That way if you go for a medical on an “up” day it won’t look as though you exaggerated on the form.
Take time over the ESA50 it really does not do you any favours to approach it as a tick box - you must add extra information to clarify how Ms effects all aspects.
Jane