Utter Despair - ESA stopped

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi watchdog,

 

You poor, poor thing. I am so sorry you are going through such a dreadful time. I can understand why you are in the depths of despair.

 

I helped a friend with an ESA problem last year and I just couldn't believe how dreadful the whole process was, with everyone pushing her from pillar to post.

 

I understand exactly what you mean by wanting to drive your car off a cliff; I felt the same when I first came to CAG except in my case it was the river. I was in total despair, as you are now, but I got through it and you will too with the help of people on CAG. We will all do our best to help you.

 

My first thought was a crisis loan too. Nowadays these are run by the local council in many areas. If not, ask DWP how to get one.

 

If you have any problems with the council, speak to your local councillor- that is what he is there for.

 

The landlord can't just throw you out in two weeks' time. He'd have to go through the eviction process which takes several weeks and hopefully things should be resolved in that time.

 

I am sure someone who knows exactly what to do with ESA problems will come along soon. I will be out for a couple of hours but will check on your thread as soon as I return.

 

Hang in there.

 

Big hug,

 

DDx

[Desperate Daniella]

Really good advice, phillyg.

[Desperate Daniella]

Watchdog,

 

I am so concerned that we haven't heard from you all day.

 

Please let us know you are okay. I know we are only cyber-friends but that doesn't mean we don't worry about you.

 

We really do want to help you to get this sorted out.

 

DD

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi Watchdog,

 

I'm so pleased to hear from you this morning.

 

From what you have said I'm sure you should have passed the assessment, but ATOS are clearly there to get people working regardless of whether they are fit or not.

 

You must be very scared and frightened after your heart attacks. My mother had TIAs and she was terrified for months afterwards that anything she did might cause another one. It's hard to adapt to being a different person.

 

Don't worry about the food bank. It's a means to an end in an emergency.

 

Please ask for any help you need, and you can come online at any time even if it's only to let off steam because that can make people feel better too.

 

DDx

[Desperate Daniella]

Crisis loans from DWP were stopped earlier this year which I think is appalling. The local Councils are supposed to help people with short term emergency loans, but different local councils do different things, so it will depend where you live. Call your local town hall and ask what they are doing, or you could look at their website and see if there is anything there.

 

I don't know about the prescriptions. I've just called a friend and she said she gets sent a card once a year, so if you have got one of those I'd continue using it. I don't see why you shouldn't as you have an appeal in.

 

Sorry I can't advise on what you should do about the form, but I'm sure someone will come and advise you soon.

[Desperate Daniella]

I've just looked at the Portsmouth City Council website and they say that if you are waiting for benefits then you should apply to DWP for a crisis loan, now called a "short term advance" so I would call DWP and quote that information to them.

[Desperate Daniella]

South Hants may be different. That is part of the problem; there is no particular scheme in place for all the councils to adhere to.

 

Good for you. Some receptionists can be sweet but other treat patients as though they are a nuisance and that is not very kind, especially in a situation like this.

[Desperate Daniella]

As you say, "really helpful."

[Desperate Daniella]

That's good news, and something you don't have to worry about today. Let's hope, as HB says, you are on a roll now.

 

DDxx

[Desperate Daniella]

Sadly you really do have to send things in that way because otherwise they'll deny all knowledge of it. My friend returned forms in an envelope they had sent to her and they blamed her for sending the forms to the wrong address! She was then given a fax number, and when she chased up they said it was the wrong fax number and nothing to do with them, and finally they admitted that it was a temporary number in an adjoining office because their own had been broken at the time.

 

Desperately sad about that poor women in Wolverhampton. I haven't seen the story. They are a really rotten government. I met IDS years ago and I couldn't stand him. Everyone I knew thought he was a total plonker. Talk about a prime example of failing upwards. His safety net of course was his wife who has a rich father. (She is lovely; I can't imagine what she saw/sees in him.) The whole lot of them cause so much misery and they are completely oblivious to it. It's as if they live in a parallel universe.

[Desperate Daniella]

Their allowances are staggering. I can feed two of us on £72 a month if I have to, and I have had to. Fortunately I can cook from scratch and have an eye for a bargain and I never waste food.

 

I do hope your petition is approved. Never mind facebook and twitter, what about CAG?!!!! I'm sure you'd find a lot of people signing if you post the link.

[Desperate Daniella]

I'm so sorry. They all move so quickly to stop money but when it's due to someone they can drag it out forever.

 

I don't know about the Discretionary Housing Benefit, but on the Shelter website it says you may get a payment if you could become homeless and as the landlord is being difficult you could tell them that. Nystagmite could probably tell you more when she is next on.

[Desperate Daniella]

Update - ok not a good start so far. went to GP and no sick note has been issued. He is of course away today I also tried Honeybees link to Trussel Trust and it says No results for my area :/

 

There are other organizations who do this too. If you type in Foodbank and your nearest big town you might find something there.

[Desperate Daniella]

Is there the option of filling in the form online? This varies depending on the council. If you can it would save you the postage.

[Desperate Daniella]

Daniella LOOK! Oh JOY!!! just had this from East Hants cos I found a strange payment on my bank statement when I went online to look at what they wanted - " I can confirm that having checked with the Department for Works and Pensions, you are still in receipt of employment and support allowance, therefore I have reinstated your claim." YAY!!!

 

As you say,

 

I am so pleased for you.

[Desperate Daniella]

quickly followed by - "Your e-petition "Stop Benefits Discrimination and remove ATOS!" has now been published. You can view your e-petition at: http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/51836" YAY clearly a rollercoaster day but its getting good

 

That is excellent news too. I shall definitely sign.

 

If you start a new thread called 'E Petition - Stop etc, and put the link there I'm sure people will sign.

 

I'm so glad some good things are happening for you today.

[Desperate Daniella]

I think so. If they want it somewhere else they can move it.

 

I am sooo happy that you have had some good news today and that they worked so quickly to reinstate your claim. I was really worried for you as my friend's claim for her disabled son really did take six months because of their staggering incompetence.

[Desperate Daniella]

It took me about a week to work out how to post a thread at all. I am worse than useless.

 

Hit the triangle and ask the site team what to do. You don't have to use it only to report abuse.

 

It's probably a good idea to chase them on when the payment will actually come through, hopefully it will be there sooner rather than later!

[Desperate Daniella]

What a bl**dy cheek. Did you get her name? I would ring back and ask to speak to a supervisor. You are asking a perfectly reasonable question. You have your rent to pay.

[Desperate Daniella]

Good for you. I was only thinking about our MPs this morning and remembering the days when they actually represented their constituents, rather than entering politics as a means to an end like Blair, Cameron and Clegg, etc., for whom it is all just a stepping stone to a very lucrative career.

 

I can't stand ours. She is a patronising ***. You should have seen the letter she sent me when I wrote to her about the proposed rise in fuel duty last year. It was awful, explaining how it had to be done and of course she appreciated the effects, etc., and it really was inevitable. I laughed my socks off when Osborne cancelled it. She was equally useless when I contacted her about my friend's son's ESA. I had a real go at her assistant. He told me they had written on her behalf, and I asked for the name of the person she had apparently written to and he replied, "the Correspondence Department." Do we really believe a Cabinet Minister couldn't get a name if they wanted to be bothered?

[Desperate Daniella]

They are all absolutely horrible people.

 

I'm beginning to think the French in 1789 had the right idea!

[Desperate Daniella]

oh DD this situation would be laughable if it wasnt so darned awful - latest report I had was a guy in a wheelchair attended his ATOS assessment in Leicester. His wife took him up to 1st floor and left him waiting whilst she went to book him in. A member of staff ordered them to leave immediately as he was a fire risk!! Hells bells has this country gone mad???

 

Hi Watchdog,

 

I think it went completely bonkers several years ago.

 

A friend of mine was suicidal last year, for many reasons but particularly due to a bereavement. She was made redundant during the time she was away from work for a month, as they'd realised they actually didn't "need someone doing [her] job". That of course made things even worse. She had worked for 40 years and never needed to claim anything before. Her doctor said there was no way she was fit for work but the woman at ATOS said, "you might not be fit to do the job you are used to doing but I think you could be capable of doing something else." What a way to treat someone. She appealed with the help of her doctor and they backed down, but that stupid woman could actually have driven her over the edge. :mad2:

[Desperate Daniella]

Hi Watchdog,

 

She is doing better now, thank you.

 

You are totally right. They are completely out of touch with the real world. He won't be getting your vote at the next election then?

 

DD

[Desperate Daniella]

Oh watchdog, I am so sorry to hear that.

 

I've just seen both your posts.

 

I can't believe your GP did not reply to the questionnaire and crossed through it.

 

If you haven't already taken this up with him you should and it should be in writing.

 

I can't believe they "lost" the evidence and form too.

 

As you say, what a totally screwed up system.

[Desperate Daniella]

The reason this system is so screwed up, like so many other systems nowadays, is that no-one is ever responsible for a particular case or job. It's all on computerised systems and you have to deal with the next available person. Years ago you had a name and a telephone number if you had a problem and if 'Susie Smith' got your case she saw it through to the end. These call centre systems mean that no-one is ever taken to task for incompetence, no-one is ever blamed, and screw the client/customer.