ok ive had the esa form for a few days now, i keep trying to fill it in, i managed to do the first couple of pages so far, but everytime i look at it to do more i just cant handle it, theres no one that can help fill it in for me and i just feel like crying when i try to restart filling it in again, they failed me straight away on the assessment last time, i was in there for 40 mins but it took the so called dr 10 mins to fill the forms out, so obviously he made his mind up i was a liar in the first 10 mins of me being in the assessment, what if they get me in for yet another assessment and they keep failing me after i have all the proof they ask for, i can’t handle this
Hi,
I got Citizens Advice Bureau to come around and help me through it, big help, they do come out to people who find it difficult to come to their offices,
Good luck
Hi
schoey is right. get CAB to help fill it in.
its so depressing filling these forms in when you have to describe yourself at your worse.
chin up soldier, this is war!!!
carole x
hi thankyou for the suggestion, but ive gone throught the list of people first, the citizens advice are fully booked up for another 6 weeks and cannot spare anyone, the ms nurse and staff are really busy at the moment ( that i completely understand and appreciate), my mums on medication that basically puts her to sleep alot of the time, my dad is like me and isnt very good at filling out forms, i even tried asking my dr if it was possible for help but he said that he was really sorry but its not the kind of thing he can help with, all he can do is give me the proof i need to confirm all my health conditions, ive had help from a friend here about how to fill the forms out truthfully but i get mixed up and end up with half the form being crossed out with messed up confused words, i would put a letter in the form saying sorry iys a mess and all confused, but that means me being sorry for something thats not my fault and im not doing that, the only thing im greatfull for is that the form is thinner than the last one, but none the less daunting and scarey, why cant they just do it over the phone instead, it would be alot easier than tearing myself apart trying to fill it in
Contact DIAL http://www.dialuk.info/ who will probably come around your house and help with the forms.
George
thankyou, i just called them but are closed, so ill call them in the morning, thanks alot
i just tried to post a comment saying thankyou and quoting ggood but got this instead, Your comment has been queued for moderation by site administrators and will be published after approval.
have a put something wrong for them to want to check my reply?
Hi, I sympathise, it’s a bugga to complete. I get tired very quickly when having to do a lot of form filling and in the end my writing becomes illegible due to stiff fingers and brain fog. Do what I did and download the blasted form here http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/esa1.pdf and you can fill it in online and make changes as necessary as you go along. Don’t forget to save it to your computer each time you make a change and then you can go back to it as many times as you need to and do it in short bursts. When you are satisfied all the relevant info is documented you can print off the completed form to sign and send off. Good luck. Sue x
I’ve recently filled mine in, well actually disabilty welfare rights forum did it for me, check to see if there are any in your area, they like CAB will come to your home. You can ring up for an extension to sending the form back, I had to as the appointments were a few weeks ahead, I just rang the number on the letter explained this and they gave me another date for returning it. A supportive letter from your gp and ms nurse would be good to enclose.
Hi ownedbymurphy
I volunteer for CAB and I had to wait for an appointment with them as the new changes have aent that they are well and truely booked up. If you ring ESA and tell them that you have booked an appt with CAB to help with the forms they will ask when your appt is and put an extension on the time that you have to return the form by.
I got CAB to help me fill in my form with the increased time and then returned it. I was successfull for the “support group” thanks to CAB. Make an appointment with them and tell ESA, it’s worth it and you are worth it". :))
Echo
Just in case you don’t get anyone to help you with the form you CAN do it yourself. Just take it steady and don’t try to do too much at once.
Most MSers will be filling in the form based on physical rather than mental difficulties so the first 12 questions are the ones that count.
You have already spent some time on the form so check how many days you have left. If there are enough – do one question a day. First of all have a go at the activity in question. You will then be able to describe the difficulties you faced in the comments box. Don’t be afraid of adding extra sheets. There’s nowhere near enough room to put a full answer. I found that when I actually tried to do the activity first I could answer the question easily. For example I described how slanting my foot on too narrow steps makes me topple over. In my head I just thought “No I can’t climb steps” but it was better to be able to describe why.
Trying to do the form in one big bite is soul destroying but if you plan to do just a little bit at a time you will be successful and this will give you the confidence to continue.
If you’re not already a member of Benefits and Work (about £20.00) I would recommend them highly – I used their ESA guide when I filled my form in a couple of months ago. (support group)
Good Luck
Jane
thanks alot everyone, ive got some…no scrap that ive got alot of good advice from everyone, im calling dial in the morning after the dr’s app, ill just remember to take it slow and de stress between it all, thanks everyone i really appreciate it, vicki
Also Vicki If you look at http://www.dls.org.uk/advice/factsheet/factsheets_download.html there is advice free how to fill in most forms. Don’t get stressed; this is only for advice; DIAL will do it for you.
George
Hi Vicki, the esa form is horrendous to fill in.
I got my daughter, who works for a disability charity, to fill it in.
She is very bright, articulate and knows how these things work (I hope).
But even she groaned at the task after she`d done it.
One thing i hope she learned from my answers, is just how much her mum has to deal with.
Prior to that we hardly ever spoke about my problems, as she didnt seem to want to talk about it.
Hope you manage to get the form done and get a better result this time.
I am still awaiting my reply.
luv Pollx
google essa e60 a guide to fiiling in form you will find lots of help there i used it when i did mine (e60) i think thats the form no if not use the no on your form.
Good luck. barbara.xx
Hello,
I was working for a company called murphy just before ms hit me.
I had to apply for esa and fill in the dreaded form from hell, but did get into the support group. My advice would be to take your time and read the questions carefuly. I got tripped up on a few of their wordings, not designed to be reader friendly.
Go steady with it, i found it hard going.
Goodluck
Darren
finally got the esa form filled in, telling them my worst day, list of medications, side effects, all the people i now have to see and all the other info they want, i just got my fingers crossed they dont send me for yet another assessment or just fail me full stop and try to get me on jobseekers allowance instead, not got much fight in me now if they decide to fail me
Hi again.
If you and me, should be put into the worng category, we MUST appeal.
I know, it will be a huge pain and be full of stress, but we must do it.
Get someone like Welfare Rights on to it.
luv Pollx
And there is jut one more bit of advice: Photocopy!
Before you start to fill in any form, copy it and fill the copy in in pencil. If it was a downloaded form, print off two copies and treat one at the photocopy.
Before you send the form in - copy it. That way you have a record of what you actually put down (could be handy if some jobsworth claims you did not answer a particular question).
But the big advantage of the copy completed in pencil is that it makes it easier to avoid the trick questions.
Yes, I am quite sure that the DWP/BA.all oficialdom will deny that there are any trick questions - all they do is to ask the same question in different ways (and probably 20 pages apart) - and your answers had better be consistent.
Geoff
i dont know where ur from but sumat like devon welfare rights