ESA Tribunal Hearing Anxiety ***WON***

[Nottingham1989]

Hello again everyone,

 

My friend has her appeal on the 8th August for the same problems I have.

 

Would you be able to help me write a submission letter for her?

[rebel11]

Hi Nottingham

 

I think you would have to provide her specific details for your friend, for Caggers to help.

[honeybee13]

Hello again Nottingham.

 

Has your friend seen the sticky about Appeals, or would you be able to print it for her to have a look at? And your own appeal document that leemack helped you with, maybe she could draw on that if she has similar problems.

 

It's a big ask for someone to draw it up from scratch. CAG is aimed at self-help in the first instance, but we'll do what we can. Would your friend be able to post herself, because we are likely to need to ask more questions?

 

My best, HB

[Nottingham1989]

Hello again everyone,

 

I will add as much detail as I can, I still have the layout out of mine and most of my information will come from there, it's mainly just double checking the descriptors etc.

 

Bare with me

[honeybee13]

Hi Nottingham.

 

Good idea, here's a link to the descriptors in case it helps.

 

How are you these days?

 

My best, HB

[leemack]

I'm happy to give advice, Nottingham, but you need to get something written up for her, and post it, then we'll make suggestions on how to improve it. You've learned a lot in your time here, and will be a good resource for your friend.

[Nottingham1989]

I should have something up for tomorrow afternoon.

 

She has dyslexia so she can't read or spell, thanks for the support again and I will see you tomorrow afternoon.

 

(Honeybee, I am feeling ok but still low, I start cognitive behavioral therapy in a few weeks so I am hoping that will help)

[Nottingham1989]

I got a letter on Friday from the JCP office saying they have made me an appointment to go in on the 1st August to discuss what support can be offered to me. I am not overly keen about going down there. It's an 8 mile bus ride in to town then a 15 minute walk to the office's.

 

I am struggling bad with anxiety and I just don't think I could go all the way on public transport walking through crowded areas. I am sweating now thinking about it, shall I contact my therapist about this? (cognitive behavioural therapy)

 

Is there any thing else I can do? I can't get my uncle to take me because he cant drive due to a foot operation he just had.

[Nystagmite]

Can you ask for JCP to pay for taxis? You may need medial evidence stating you can't travel on public transport.

[Nottingham1989]

Sorry it's taken so long

 

Here is the first bit, let me know if it can be made better

 

 

Appeal submission of ******** ******

Date of appeal - 8/8/11

National insurance number - *********

 

 

 

I, ****** Wright am appealing against the decision made on 8th November 2010 to decline the award of Employment and Support Allowance on the grounds that I have not attained 15 points from the combined Physical and Mental Health descriptors following my Work Capability Assessment (for ESA) on 22nd October 2010.I submit that the Atos medical assessment was in places inaccurate did not adequately assess my mental health condition.

 

 

I suffer with anxiety, depression and asthma. My mental health problems began 2 years ago and were caused by the deaths of my father and brother . I have been unable to work since 22/9/10.My medication at the time of the medical assessment was citalopram (10MG).I have been referred to a specialist as my current GP treatment as been ineffective in improving my condition. I feel depressed all of the time to the extent that it severely impacts my daily life. I feel anxious most of the time, my anxiety is severely increased if I have to leave the house or have any social interaction. I contemplate suicide on a regular basis and recently walked towards the train tracks hoping a train would hit me. The deaths of my father and brother have taken its toll on me. I feel have been left with my mental health in tatters.

[Nystagmite]

I feel depressed all of the time to the extent that it severely impacts my daily life.

 

She needs to explain how, in reference to the ESA descriptors.

[honeybee13]

Hello there.

 

You say this is the beginning of your submission. As Nystagmite mentions, are you planning to go through the descriptors and points, and the questions where you think Atos got it wrong or contradicted themselves?

 

My best, HB

[Nottingham1989]

Yes, I have split this letter in to sections and I will post each section when I think I have done enough

[honeybee13]

Sounds like a plan. Good for you .

 

HB x

[leemack]

Nottingham, how detailed to you want us to be? For instance missing words, spelling etc,?

 

What you've written so far sounds OK, though its difficult to say more than that without seeing the rest. I'd change the bit where you put the deaths caused the mental health issues, by just changing caused to triggered - it might seem like a small difference, but for long term problems its best not to attribute cause, and saying a large event triggered the problems suggests underlying issues that were brought to the fore by the bereavements. There's a couple of words missing elsewhere - but you may be going back to check for things like that anyway.

 

You're doing well.

[Nottingham1989]

Hello everyone,

 

I have my first interview at the Job Centre next Friday morning but I am going to struggle to attend.

 

I keep getting severe panic attacks, I had to walk to the next village along from where I am yesterday and I had to turn back because my anxiety got that bad. I went to my GP as my heart was beating at 135 beats per minutes and he put me on 200mg of Propranolol, I was on 160.

 

Is there any thing I can do? can I apply for the support group ?

[leemack]

Hi Nottingham, its best to phone up the person who your interview is with and explain the situation, they may be able to put the ineterview off for a while or do the interview over the phone for you. The only way to get into the support group would be to satisfy the criteria, which are very, very harsh, and even if you thought you satisfied the criteria, you would then have to appeal again in order to try to qualify.

[Nottingham1989]

I have got a stomach bug and I have been throwing up for the last few days (as well as other things) and it seems like it's not going to go any time soon.My appointment is tomorrow, I had to re-schedule from the 1st! if I am still not well in the morning do you think they will kick up a fuss if I asked for it to be postponed?

 

I feel awful!

[Nystagmite]

if you're not well enough, you're not well enough to attend.

[Nottingham1989]

if you're not well enough, you're not well enough to attend.

 

I don't want them to think I am trying to avoid going and I don't want my benefits to be cut...:/

[flumps1976]

If you have a sickness bug then you would not be allowed to continue with the interview and would be asked to eave anyway, as long as you contat in advance of the appointment and have geniune reason for not attending then you should have any issues for having susoensions or sanctions imposed.

[Nottingham1989]

appointment is at 9:45, if I call at 9 do you think that would be ok?

[flumps1976]

I would accept a call at 9am for a same day appointment so yes! Hope you feel better soon

[Nottingham1989]

Hello Everyone,

 

Tomorrow I have my first appointment with A4E, the Job Centre referred me to them on the 19th August and they said I will need to see them from now on. What can I expect from them tomorrow? do I have to agree to everything they say?

 

I had no one to take me and I have pretty bad anxiety problems and I asked them to book a taxi for me and they don't like it, but how do they expect me to get there, it's a 20 mile around trip. I had a bad attack when I had to go to the job centre, I left home at 2pm and I did not get back till 11pm because I got that bad and has a severe impact on me.

 

[Nottingham1989]

They were putting far to much pressure on me, asking me to look at Learn Direct & The Open University, she said to me as soon as I went in " Even though your on ESA you will be treated as if your on JSA " I am still struggling with my problems, I am still waiting to start therapy and I am still waiting for my appointment with a physiatrist, they did not like that I came in a taxi, they said next time I need to get the bus in to town then a taxi to the place but I can't use public transport.

 

Don't know what to do