I was reading a statement online from Amber Rudd , she stated a while back that 95% of people with MS are in the support group. Do you think this is true ?
I don’t even have to claim ESA / UC yet and I’m worried sick about being found fit for work.
This FOI response also says about 95% of those with MS on ESA are in the support group, but they say that it would be too expensive to also provide figures of those found fit for work:
My wife is in the support group but only after we took it to tribunal. We didn’t know she had Ms when she applied for ESA but she had very severe nerve damage caused by an accident at work,and went for it when they stopped paying her sickpay.After an Absolute joke of an assessment by a nurse the Dwp decided against the advise of a spinal surgeon that she was fit for work!By the time tribunal came round almost a year later it was fairly clear she had MS as well! Ollie
The emotional toll it all took on us both was pretty horrific,firstly her injury then a new manager coming in trying to get rid of her after just a few months, so fighting them on that for 6 months,then to get all her holiday pay according to the law not the outdated and illegal contracts they had, then given Esa til assessment which was an absolute work of fiction,then forced to sign on(which as she couldn’t drive or walk safely involved me finishing work early to take her).Stressful as hell but even though we would of got by as far as i was concerned we had to fight them as it was the right thing to do,don’t like bullies which is how i see them!
Like i say we would get by but it really opened my eyes to how difficult things could be for some people,i mean my wife couldn’t have fought em without me,she couldn’t have signed on without me,She would have had no money at all coming in,she was unable to look after herself let alone do any kind of work, so how long til someone single in same circumstances ends up homeless,and starving,6 weeks maybe? This country is going backwards at a rapid rate!
I’m so sorry you’ve both been put through this. This Government have no shame whatsoever.
My eyes were definitely opened after my PIP assessment…another complete work of fiction…I got my award only after breaking down on the phone to DWP. The whole experience just broke me.