good afternoon ( i think), if i’m honest i dont feel like it! i realise this is my first post for well over 2years, but please read my profile and you will understand why.I could really do with some support, i’m sorry to ask, i’m feeling desperate. the final straw for me has been the decision to place me in the work related activity group within the wonderfully thought out new benefits for those of us who dont enjoy recieving benefit as our only income, but due to illness cutting right through my career in the charity sector,( i havnt worked for 5 years) what else am i expected to do? this has really hurt, i hung onto my job as long as i could and even returned volintarily for a short time. i sufferded severe spasm, balance, speech, tremor and chronic pain, amongst many other symptoms. can someone please please help me? i dont know what to do. i have care everyday, i cannot walk without pain, i have had a recent relapse. this is too much i dont know how i am going to work. its not that i dont want to. i would love to have a job to go to. to have my self respect back, an identity once again. i will be expected to work among people, tremoring, slurring my speech, i need help going to the loo for gods sake! why should i have to even appeal? it should never have got to this decision. my application covered every single area of my illness and care needs. its so stressful. help please x
Hi, I have looked at your profile and see that like me, you were on one hell of a long road to diagnosis land.
This decision to send you to work is obviously totally wrong.
You must appeal. You`ll have to gather medical evidence from doctors/neuros.
I know so many folk here, who have had their decisions turned around.
yes, I know it is wrong and all this anxiety is adding to our problems.
Good luck.
luv POllx
Hi Moonshadow You have to appeal their decision and get as much help as you can have a look at www.benefitsandwork.co.uk costs just under £20 for a years subscription but there advice is excellent. Also get letters of support from your gp, neuro, ms nurse, OH it all helps your case. I was placed in the wrag and appealed and won, without having to go to medical assesment, It makes me so cross that these idiots are getting away with what they are doing. Good luck, thinking of you Sue x
Good advice already that I would completely concur with - APPEAL! And make sure and get letters from as many medical people as possible supporting your claim. If possible, get them to detail your worst symptoms and to conclude with, “X should be put into the Support Group. She cannot work.”
There is quite a quick deadline for appeals so please get moving on it straightaway.
Good luck!
Karen x
I just want to add my voice to the appeal chorus.
I know that it is an absolute crime that you have to appeal but you must dredge up the strength from somewhere.
The call for George Osborne to live on £53.00 p/w has been gathering strength and although I wouldn’t wish a serious illness on even him, I would be more interested in seeing him cope with the trials and troubles of the chronically sick. (He wouldn’t be so quick to brush off disabled bay rustling I can tell you!)
You have some good advice here about gathering medical evidence and joining Benefits and Work but the most crucial point was from Karen about the deadline.
You have just one month from the date on your decision letter to appeal. You should get the GL24 off ASAP and then set about gathering your medical evidence.
Jane
Thats not the support she is referrring to - maybe she doesnt have £20 to throw away ?
Where is the Ms Society? it seems like they’re all well and good putting their hands out for money but what do we get? seriously ?
Yeah I get that they whispered their issues regarding ESA but , when will they stand up for us? I mean REALLY get behind us on this, this is peoples lives.
If you can hold down a job, fair play to you, but some of us can’t, we all need help , if you’re a working MSer then one day you may need help.
I do feel as if the MS society have turned their backs on us, I rang my local branch to try and get help with a scooter and was told to go rent one from shop mobility
so thanks for nothing guys well done
Perhaps you would like to look on this website under ‘get involved…campaigns’ to find out what The Society is doing.
If that was what your local branch suggested I think you should email MS National Centre and give them more information in order that someone can look into it for you as that does not appear to have been an acceptable response.The branch will be required to answer to any complaints.
Liz [Moderator]
Contact DIAL http://www.dialuk.info/ who will come around your house and help with the forms. The DLS give excellent free advice http://www.dls.org.uk/advice/factsheet/factsheets_download.html it is essential you get help for your appeal.
George
Thank you to all of your kind messages yesterday. i will certainly appeal my case. its rediculous that i have been placed in the work related activity group, along with so so many others. infact i find it incredible that less than 6 weeks before this i had confirmation that my DLA would not be changing from middle rate care component and higer rate disability (as a response to completing these forms over Christmas) to then be told that they felt with a little of there professional help i could be back at work within under 12 months! they say if i learn how to write my CV, get my backside out of bed to do voluntary work, and attend monthly meetings i can sack my care agency! forget the daily meds! throw away my walking aides! push aside the wheelchair! its a simple as that people, I’M CURED!!!
So sorry to read this thread Moonshaddow. I agree with the appeals. First time I got sick my DLA (many years ago) was turned down. I went to a tribunal so as a pannel could see and hear me and not just some guy in an office. I won. I went from low to middle then on to high, which is (was due to lovely pip) indefinite. Now I am worried sick about this PIP rubbish. Can not believe the gov is doing this to us!!! This MS ride is awful as it is without this.
I understand wanting to remove people who claim for nothing, whom are able to work. But we MS suffers aren’t. Well most. Our condition changes daily. I’m sure you’re the same, but I live in constant pain and take morphine which only helps slightly. I fall into walls, use cath just to wee, have blurred vision, double vision, tremours, shakes, spasms, sore skin all over, headaches…you name it I’ve got it. Some days I can’t get out of bed and cry in pain…then others I can go out with support nd if you didnt know I had MS you would… If I was made to work I wouldn’t last long on this earth. The stress of this process is enough to make us ill, then we’d be costing more to the NHS, care homes, help etc. Why cant the gov see what this is doing to us and now.I would give my all to take a pill to cure me and get back to a full time 9 to 5 “er”…but there isnt one
I hope you get the result you deserve and I’m pretty sure if you fight you will, but it’s still wrong you have to fight in the fist place.
Good Luck