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brighton gal

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  1. Hi, The following link is to a BBC Scotland programme broadcast this morning. It concerns people being failed on medicals and put onto ESA. BBC - BBC Radio Scotland Programmes - Morning Extra, The Investigation - Who Benefits? Hope this post is allowed. Cheers
  2. Hi, It might help you to see a copy of the PCA assessment form, then you'll have an idea of what they are scoring. I don't know if it's available online anywhere but I'll have a look. Cheers PS, Perhaps CAB have a copy of it.
  3. Hi, Although different circumstances, from my experience, when you call the DWP it's hit and miss whether you get the right info. With me, it was usually miss. I spent about 7 or 8 weeks calling these people, being given conflicting information and advice until I said I wanted to make a formal complaint and insisted that I was called by the Manager (stay very calm when you do this). After speaking to the Manager, everything was sorted out very quickly. Don't be fobbed off. They wont put you through to a manager, but will take a request that you be called. If you don't get a call in 24 hours call again (and again). I'm sure you'll also get a lot of help from the members of this forum. They were the only light in my little dark tunnel last week. All the best. BG
  4. Dear Mooshoo 1, I Hope I'm not too late in responding. I was in the same state as you last week. Felt the appeal was doomed to fail as all I had seen were horror stories. However, don't be too downcast just yet. When I went, although it was a very stressful experience, the doctor and lawyer were, in fact, very polite, professional and did everything they could to make me comfortable. They're not there to judge you, just to decide whether the Atos report truly reflects your condition. Take heart, it's not over til it's over.
  5. Hi Rae, What a nightmare.... Writing it all down is the way to go. In order to face my IB appeal on Monday, I took each of the PCA descriptors used for a typical day in turn, e.g. "usually gets up at different times" and wrote my own descriptor - "This is true. I might not get up at all for a few days" Reason I'm telling you this is that having to go through the process of describing all the various aspects of my life, I realised that I had been kidding myself and was clearly in denial about a lot of my problems. At first it was a huge blow dealing with "is that really me?" but I've decided to consider it as a positive outcome of the process so would recommend finding a way to be able to look at all the problems you have to face every day. So Rae, you are truly a fine person and it has been my privilage to have come across you. If there is anything at all I can do - just let me know, OM or PM, I'll be there. Hope right now you're nice and cosy.
  6. Just got in. Won the appeal. Couldn't have done it without the help and support from this Forum, particularly from you HoneyBee. Going to bed now, I'm exhausted. Will post more later (maybe tomorrow if I'm not up to it tonight). Again, an enormous thank you.
  7. Just got back from CAB. They said "sorry, can't help you". I had asked if they would just look over what I had prepared or even tell me if I could ask for an adjournment, even though my request for a second postponement was refused. Still couldn't advise me. Told me that I was on my own with it. I know it ws a big ask to get them to help me at the last minute, but I'm still disappointed, Good grief guys, I'm swinging between feeling helpless and then feeling really angry about the whole situation.
  8. WEll, today is the day. I will post later to say how it went and include anything that might help someone else who finds themselves in this position. I would like to thank everyone who has offered me support and advice, both on this thread or by PM. Without meaning to sound 'mushy', I don't know where my head would be right now if I hadn't found you all. I've found encouragement to stay with it and practical advice on how to approach the appeal. THANK YOU ALL.
  9. Hi Honey Bee, thanks for your response. This is my first appeal against the DWP. When I first received their decision to end my incapacity benefit, I wrote, setting out why I thought the assessment was incorrect and asked them to reconsider the decision. I also enclosed a medical certificate. This was rejected so my next step is this appeal next week. My doctor has given me another certificate stating that I have been unfit for work since August, but I dont know if they will want to see it. My assessment covered both a physical and a mental health problem and the only conclusion I can come to is that the nurse who examined me and I were talking at cross purposes. For example, physically, I am able to get out of bed, get washed and dressed. However, in reality, I may not get washed and/or dressed, or leave the house for days at a time but the response to the mental health assessment question " Does he she need encouragement to get up and dress" states " Gets out of bed without difficulty" "Not depressed on examination" Sorry, I'm rambling....
  10. I have to attend an appeal next week, can anyone tell me what to expect? I suffer with moderate to severe depression and take maximum dose of setraline daily. I was given a date during December but asked for it to be deferred as I had to be away until end of December. New date is beginning of January, which they wont change, so as CAB is closed until then - I'm on my own. I don't want to ramble on about the methodology at the assessment as I'll still be going on this time tomorrow, only to say that cannot believe they can justify it. When I was trained the golden rule in science was 'you get the answer to the question you ask'. Had I been asked the questions they have marked me on I would have scored about 13, not the given score of 1. Can anyone help?
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