Going to start filling it in after a week of sitting looking at it! On page 4 it asks "Does anyone else provide you with care, support or treatment" Is this "Me" as her Carer or is this her Arthritis Specialist Doctor or her Specialist nurse? Thanks

Thanks for replying nystagmite I think your missing my main question, i understand that if you claim Carers you dont have to work but what happens if she cancels her claim for IS as a couple and "I" claim Income Support for us as a couple, or even just ring them and ask for it to be me to be the main claimee not her? As i am a carer i dont have to look for work so wouldnt be hassled with the ESA work related issue? Does this end the whole ESA debacle or are we still affected in some way? I have a funny feeling it wont be that easy or there will be some sort of monetary penalty for doing so? I am going to make an app with the CAB to see what they think. Thanks again

Great news for you, so glad you dont have to go through any of this again! Or do you? Now that you are in Support Group do you ever have to go through medicals again? The reason i ask is that i read somewere that another person in Camerons local ward was in Support, went for a medical failed and was thrown in Wrag, appealed ended up in Support again and the same thing happened again? Apologies if i got this wrong as i dont mean to worry you! Maybe someone can explain what exactly the Support group consists of, are you left alone for good (Or until they think of another way to punish people for being ill) Again great result, have a great year.

Thanks for the reply My main question is, if i change the claim to me being the main claimee for us as a couple and as I'm her carer claiming Carers Allowance will this stop this ESA issue for her? I would then claim ESA or IS due to low income. Then i need to ask would i then be made to look for work or is being a carer for a partner classed as working? If it isnt it should be as its not exactly the easiest of jobs and for £55.55 a week! Thanks

I have mentioned before we have got the ESA50 from to fill in BUT can anyone help in regard to 2 questions. I am my partners carer, she currently receives DLA MRC/HRM. She is the one who claims Income Support so my first question is this:- Would it make any difference if we cancelled the Income Support claim and reclaim but with me as the main claimer not her? If not then how about if i do this:- Whats happens if i decide to get a part time job (Under £100 per week carer rules) Would this stop all this ESA nonsense? I realy shouldnt do this as she needs me at home but the more we think about the stress this is going to cause her the more we think the risk of my working part time is probably better? I just find it strange that they may find her "Fit for work" but i am her carer and obviously fit for work? Its all befuzzling me now! Any help would be great or should i use a benefit help site for this type of info? Thanks

Hello Been reading over some of the posts and noticed alot mentioning medical certficates, my partner hasnt had to get these for literally 6 years! Am i correct in thinking that if you fail the medical you have to start getting med certs until the appeal is done? We got the ESA50 form yesterday but as i'm full of cold I wont be rushing into helping my partner fill it in until my head is clear! I cant sleep and should have been in bed long ago! My partners already suffering from the stress of having to do all this as are many, many other people. Its also bothering me as i am fully fit for work but being her carer what am i supposed to do? Leave her at home to fend for herself while go to work or go through the stress of claiming ESA, i'm not sure whats best? Oh well bed for me, 4 hours sleep before the grindstone starts turning! Thanks

Hi hope you dont mind me replying and admitting to having a giggle when reading this! Not laughing at you but at how you have explained it to us, the last sentence was realy funny! YES IT WAS Anyway i hope things go well for you, its amazing what problems, issues, stress etc this ESA rubbish is causing and the sad thing is we cannot do anything about it, yes we can complain, yes we can tell certain people but in the end "They" dont care, "They" being the politicians who decide all this and for what? To save money, to make it look good that they are paying less in benefits to "Scroungers" I dont get angry like you but i do get angry and frustrated, i like to follow the economy and it sickens me that (As the Yanks would say) "We the people" are being punished thanks to not just bankers but politicians and business/moneymen ruining this country thanks to thier greed. YES their greed, these cuts DO NOT affect them, they earn enough money and have enough already for it to be ineffective to them and THEY know it! I watched the USA debt limit issue tonight and when they passed it yet again i had a little giggle, Ok its America not the UK but yet again it shows just how far these people will go to keep their pockets lined but punish the people who are not to blame! I realy worry for the US economy in a few years time if not next year! Ok going of on a tangent but my point being that we are being (Sorry for swearing) bitch-slapped left, right and centre, punished for things we didnt cause. "Of 1.3 million tests between October 2008 and November 2010, some 88,700 were considered unfit for any work." 7% were incapable of any work 17% were able to do some sort of work given the correct support 39% were deemed to be fit for work and were moved onto jobseeker's allowance 36% dropped out of the application process 1% of applications were still in progress So basicaly a hell of alot of disabled people are "Conmen/women" Yeah right, well if thats the case they have been taught well by the people who govern us! Corrupt bunch of ................ Sorry for that rant and DO NOT GET ANGRY OVER IT, take it easy and just realise that things can only get so bad before things change, i do believe we are heading for some major change, i dont know what and only time will tell! Good luck to you all!

Thanks for the reply The job centre interview is my main issue as she cannot work wereas i can aslong as i dont need to care for her (Which i do!) I used to be a carpenter/joiner but had to quit to take care of her, i would rather be earning £500+ per week than £55.55! Why dont i go back to it? Simply because neither she or i will accept that someone else should take care of her, i'm her partner its my duty to do so. Is there not a way of arranging or reclaiming IS were i am the main claimer not her so that they look at me and not her? I just dont understand how if some doctor assessing her can say "Yep you can do work in certain areas" means she has to go to interviews that will be a total waste of time just because he/she thinks they may be some sort of job she can do! Its so stupid that one department of government can say she is entitled to care (DLA) and another can say she can go to work! It just doesnt add up! I'm assuming this may happen and to be honest it may turn out that they dont do any of the above, these feelings are due to reading so many people being forced into appeals because of IMO and many others, stupid and incorrect decisions! Its not the first time the powers that be have done this! I suppose we will fill the form in and wait to see what the decision is. One question, what chances are there that they will bypass a medical examination due to the form data we provide? Or is the medical exam almost certainly going to happen no matter what? Thanks again

Hello We had the phone call from the ESA department and now await the form to fill in. I am a carer for my partner, she currently receives DLA MRC and HRM, she also claims IS for us as a family including our 7 year old child, from what i can gather its the disabilty side of IS which is the reason for DWP contacting her about changing her to ESA? She has suffered from arthritis for 6 years now and also has Diabetes type 1 (Injects twice dailly) She is on numerous drugs and is constantly tired due to this. After reading up on ESA on the net she is worried that they will find her "Fit" for work as there seems to be people with serious health issues that are being forced into looking for work! No surprise there then! Some of the decision making i have read is amazingly bad! After reading the teletext today it seems most are "Fit" for work! 1.3 million people tested since 2008 yet 1.22 million are fit to work! So basicaly the majority of disabled claimants are cheats! (In thier eyes) I gather most of these will be put onto the work related part of ESA if not JSA, but even this is an issue for me, my partner wont be going to no meeting to help her to find work even if it is only once per month! There is no way she can go back to work, the arthritis is in her hands and feet and also affects her shoulders, her right hand is curling in and her feet ache all the time, yes she can walk but pain is there and if she walks to far then the pain obviously gets worse even when she sits down! She cant use a walking stick/aid due to her hands being sore if she does for to long so its catch 22, "Shes supposed to have bad feet but doesnt use a walking stick!" She has been on Humira for about a year and that has been quite good for her but shes got realy thin hair due to the methotrexate which she gets paranoid about! I'm rambling now but i'm just trying to explain the situation. Ok so back to my question, if they do decide she can sit at a desk and use a computer with one hand (Sarcasm) will they force her to go to the job centre or can i take over that role? As I'm her carer I could get a part time job but thats the issue, she needs me at home! Any advice on how this all works or just general advice would be very much appreciated. Thanks ancojo

Thanks for the reply, we are currently waiting for them to send us a copy of the GP's letter and will go from there. We have asked them to look at the decision again but were told it can take up to 11 weeks! Its been nearly 3 now and still no GP letter. I will give them until mid next week and contact them to see what going on as the GP's letter may be the cause of this issue. I will let you know when we get it Thanks again

I recieved my form and filled it in sent it off with all my info and was given an amazing decision, I've gone from High Rate Care, High Rate Mobility to just Low Rate Care!! The reason i say its amazing (sarcasm) is because my circumstances have hardly changed at all in the past 3 years! They have got no better but admittedly no worse. I am on a number of various drugs 12 in total for my Diabetes, Osteo/Rhuematoid Arthritis, Panic Attacks HBP, HC etc and have real problems with every day issues etc. My newest drug is Humira for Arthritis which is ok but everytime i am ill i have to stop taking it! I have been taking it for a year now on and off. I wrang and have asked for my claim to be looked at again and have asked for a copy of the GP's letter as last time this happened he missed of nearly all my drugs i take and didnt even mention half my issues! I have a feeling this may be whats happened again BUT with all the info i supplied in my claim form i am still amazed at the decision, i need care all day and sometimes in the night but the "decision maker" has still made a decision to basically say i dont need any help now! I was gobsmacked to say the least! Any views and any info on what i should do of they stick to this would be very much appreciated. (This was written by my partner but worded by me) Thanks