Well, that is that over with! Got in 30 minutes late and was in there for around an hour. We went through all of my hospital reports, conditions and medication and then went on to discuss how my anxiety and depression affects my every day life which I did re travelling, meeting people etc. A few 'trick' questions were thrown in like "how did you get here" "did you walk from the station" "who does your shopping at home" "do you drive" all in reference to my back problem. she then made me try and lay on a bed and relax but I couldn't due to a pulling in my back. She was pleasant enough but we both know the outcome based on answers I gave and her general responses to what I said. Put it this way, a man who lives near me had his assessment after me and we were chatting in the waiting area and he has two walking sticks, degenerative osteo (can't spell the rest!) can hardly ove his hands etc and he failed on 9 points before after his GP telling him he could not work but ATOS (now whatever it is called) telling him he was fit enough for work and must claim JSA. It is not very PC I know but unless you have no arms or legs and are literally mentally unstable i.e bipolar you will not get past this assessment with the 15 points needed so I know I am back on JSA unless I get the job I was after which I am still waiting to hear from. It ended with me being told I could wait UP TO 2 months for the report before anything happend and in the meantime keep my sick notes up to date. So, if I do not get this job JSA it is - will need to see what the process is once I get the report through but won't worry until then. Left the office, grabbed a frappe and got the train home The end! P.S They done my travel expenses as I got there so were on the ball without me asking

Well tomorrow is the day. Got my letter, ID and meds ready to take and have to lay out £17 (borrowed off Father) for my train journey there. Usually I am worried about these sort of things but you know what? Knowing it is a pointless exercise and you are getting ZERO makes it easier as there is no worry about failing/passing. To be honest, one look at me "yes, he can walk, speak, lift his arms, hold a conversation" and it is over anyway. Hope I am in and out in 5-10 minutes. Not taking anyone with me, parents are at hospital themselves for something and to be honest no need for anyone to be there. Just sign the report and let me leave and chuck be back on JSA. Yes, nothingwrong with me, my doctor has signed me off for no reason at all but you override his decision. How soon after this waste of time am I chucked back on to JSA? Immediate? Do Ire-apply for JSA or am I put back on it automatically? Who informs INGEUS (6 months left) that I am back with them so they can really 'help me' find work. Also, even though I will still lose can I appeal to delay going back to JSA/Ingeus? Is that my right? Ironically I had an interview last week and waiting to hear next week (full time 32 hours a week) Thanks

Makes a mockery of the whole system. Basically the patient as well as a medical professional has been undermined. A note that says you are NOT fit for work but then FORCED to look for work. How is that even legal? What happens if for example you are being treated for anxiety/depression etc - forced back on to JSA, crumble under pressure and have a breakdown. Your EXISTING note says you were UNFIT for work but you have been FORCED back as 'being fit' Surely there are legal implications?

So, just to be clear, a GP who is medically and professionally trained to deal with sickness whether physical or mental signs someone off via his/her own professional opinion based on information and tests done on the patient but this counts for NOTHING? Seems fair enough. So when back on JSA and I am mentally incapable (as my note says Oct 2015) to look for work I should still be seeking work and attending workshops etc? Makes sense

I emailed my council and have an automated response so that is good. Another question - my current sick note takes me to mid October, if (sorry, WHEN) I am forced back to JSA/UC from ESA surely they cannot disregard my GP's advice/sick note period?

Thanks. I was unsure if I had to start at INGEUS again, that would have given me a breakdown. At least now, if things do not change, I only have a 6 month sentence rather than 24 months which I can just about handle at a push although it was them that sent me on to ESA in the first place so a vicious circle. I obviously want to work but there simply isn't gainful employment in my field. Obviously I hope it does not happen but what if I was to get ill again via JSA/UC and the WP - I cannot go back to ESA? So, if I have a breakdown or major anxiety issues I cannot claim ESA and have to endure the WP and JCP? Obviously once my assessment is done on August 17th and I have failed with ZERO I will inform the council and keep them up to speed.

As a follow up to this as a previous claimant of JSA but now in a UC area would I be shoved on to UC as I claim JSA and HB after my ESA claim has been stopped? I thought even if I am in a UC area as I previously claimed JSA and HB this would continue rather than under the format of UC. Also, can anyone help re my question re INGEUS 'sentence' I am hearing horror stories about UC so obviously worried. Also, once my ESA is stopped do I need to reclaim in full for my HB and JSA? If so I could be without money for ages. Should I also, once ESA is stopped contact the council to say while I am transferring I am on 'nil income'?

I did think about that but I am going on my own - my Father or Mother cannot go due to illness and they would also have to pay the train fare. It is not so bad knowing you have failed (zero) before you walk in so no pressure. Just want to get in and out

Hi all Well, I knew it wouldn't last forever - the dreaded letter came this morning for an assessment on 17th August. Now, before I go any further I know already with mild anxiety and depression and a blood disorder as well as bad back occassionaly I have failed - I will get ZERO points so I am not that fussed by the actual appointment and result - if I know in advance the descriptors show ZERO I am not set up for a fall. Now, I know I can claim travel expenses that is not a problem but I need to take a few things with me. I have various medical letters and reports which is fine, my medication is fine I can take all of that but re ID my passport is out of date and they say 3 forms of ID - would driving license, DWP letter and council letter be OK? I am failing so none of this really matters - not negativity just realism. What happens after the assessment? I know I am failing so once DWP get the report and I back on JSA straight away? If so do I reclaim or just switched back? I am worried about loss of money in the interim. Also, My INGEUS sentence started Feb 2014 so even if thrown back on JSA will I be back there until Feb 2016 (if no job found) or do I do the whole 2 years again? I don't think I can handle 2 years again but 6 months of needed I can just about tolerate. Also, re voluntary work - I still do 10 hours per week so presume I still can? Will I also need a new claimant commitment as a new JSA claimant or will it be a quick rapid reclaim? Sorry for all the questions

Messing about? Hilarious when it invlves people's lives and income whilst looking for employment. See how he likes it, complain about unprofessional behaviour from a civil servant who is there to serve YOU

I am no Tory but all in all I didn't think that was that bad!

http://news.sky.com/story/1514982/budget-to-slow-pace-of-welfare-cuts-sky-sources

Good morning all. I have not been on here for ages, mainly because of a lot of personal stuff going on with family and also problems with INGEUS and the DWP which I won't go in to but needless to say I am winning (along withmy MP) and hope to have apositive outcome shortly. So, the budget, I really am NOT looking forward to this - for me this budget will define the future direction of this country for decades. What do we all think will be in it? Not interested in things like booze and fags and petrol - I am interested in REAL things that could tip people over the edge or force them in to poverty/rent arrears. Both I and my parents (me - ESA Assessment phase and HB) (parents - HB, DLA, Mobility, Carers, Pension Credit) are worried sick. My guesses are: Child benefit frozen or reduced based on number of children Restructure of the tax credits system JSA/ESA frozen for 5 years ESA WRAG and SG payments reduced or scrapped entirely HB frozen and not available for under 25's unless there is a real need i.e. domestic problems at home etc DLA/PIP frozen for 5 years (care element) DLA mobility payments reduced Carers allowance scrapped or significantly reduced Who knows - it will be pretty dire watching it though! Still - we will find the money for more campaigns in Syria though!

Thanks all. Good advice, will decline

OK some background, I was originally on JSA and had a 2 week JSA28 period for a back problem (still get problems but not as bad) After another few months my anxiety and depression came back (had it for about 10 years) in force and my GP upped my meds and sent me to get some counselling. I am doing well but since August 2014 have been on ESA (assessment) My GP says exercise really helps anxiety and depression so I am not housebound and get out when I can for walks etc which is why I do these charity events. My worry was being seen to be fit to walk, sound state of mind, ready for work and meeting people so claiming ESA fraudulently even though I am not as GP has signed me off!

I am on ESA and HB. I do a sponsored walk for a local charity annually and this year the charity want to do a piece on me for the local paper including name and photo. I am on ESA for anxiety and depression so if this would to get back to people at DWP etc would I get in to trouble for 'socialising' and doing this event when I am on ESA and 'ill'? I know how the minds of DWP work - if he is well enough to do this and socialise and walk a long distance he is well enough to work - let's get him and sanction him then put him back on JSA! Silly question but would you decline the offer or am I safe to go ahead without risking benefit sanction? Thanks

Also got mne this morning with a 1000L code. Filed under 'DWP nonsense'

Universal Credit - making work pay (Well, making you skint as you pay for travel and council tax amongst other things so you are actualy worse off) HOORAH for UC!

Unenforceable and illegal for a start as the money is yours, as described by DWP, "for you to live on" (whch is a joke in itself) I wouldn't worry about this, however, I would worry come May 8th if the Tories get back in to power

Ask you 'coach' if they have an understanding of the data protection laws? If they don't ask him/her to have a read of them on their way home from work. To answer your question, no, you are not at liberty to give your UJM password to your coach and there is NOTHING they can do to make you re sanctions.

Thank you for the reply - couldn't agree more, fire off your quotas on a one click application in a short period of time and spend 90% of your time on REAL JOBS that YOU want.

Good-o - so not much of that painful waste of time when back on JSA

May as well ask this as I am on line. Started INGEUS Feb-14 - stayed until Aug-14 (6 months) Since Aug-14 been on ESA so 14 months since I started INGEUS have gone. Does that mean I only have 10 months left or does my sentence start with another 18 months if I go back to JSA?

I had many arguments with both JCP and INGEUS over job searches as they seemed to think that quantity was better than quality. I am sure most of you have applied for jobs that you do actually want and if you have then like me you will understand that some applications can take 4-5 hours of work as you are reading the JD and PS, doing the application form, composing and proofing the covering letter, researching the organisation and so on. Realistically for a job you REALLY want you can do ONE application a day at best. At one point INGEUS said I had not applied for enough jobs and when I argued that most I searched for were too far away as travel costs would be high, part time or not what I am skilled at I was told "apply anyway" so I turned up one week with a spreadsheet with 55 applications using the same CL and CV and they said "wow, well done" I said "I won't get any of them though as they were all identical applications so only these 3 were properly done" It is a case of doing what they ask to avoid sanction and not doing what SHOULD be done so let them have their way as you won't get ANY help from them. God, when I first started at INGEUS they wanted to re-do my CV and dumb it down - they are clowns, end of