ESA reassessment feeling overwhelmed.

Hi Student,

Your aim is to provide information about how/why you meet the descriptors in order to gain an award of ESA. I don't see any merit in holding back information that might be helpful to you claim.

Mrs Hurtyback wrote: Hi Student,

Your aim is to provide information about how/why you meet the descriptors in order to gain an award of ESA. I don't see any merit in holding back information that might be helpful to you claim.

Thank you for your reply. This might sound stupid but I guess I’m just scared. In a way, I’m more used to the mental health section and this is the first time I need to consider the criteria on the physical health section because it’s the first time I’ve been reassessed since this neuro pain started 2 years ago.

I’m using the guides, but keep second guessing whether I’m answering the questions right, which means my additional pages, just seems to get longer. I also don’t do very well at this time of year, mental health wise and so every little thing feels overwhelming, then I cry, then I get dark thoughts and then I repeat that cycle. I just want to give myself the best chance I guess, like anyone else here.

Thank you again.

Hello,

Sorry to bother you again, but I need some advice, please.

When going through my medical letters, regarding my mental health, I realised I don’t have any up to date clinic letters from the psychiatrists. This is because since the consultant left, only locums have been in place for a few months at a time before being replaced by another. I’ve been asking for my clinic letters for months now (the consultant always used to send me a copy), well before the ESA50 came for reassessment. So, I asked my CPN again last week and she informed me that because it has been locums they’ve just left a note on system one, to the effect of I attended a clinic that day etc. But no clinic letter has been written, and my GP confirmed to me that he hasn’t received one in a while either.

So in terms of supporting evidence, my therapist, GP and CPN have all written supporting letters. My CPN updated my care and crisis plan too, to give me. I have hospital letters for my somatic pain. But, I was wondering, should I include past psychiatrist letters? And how far back in terms of date should I go? I don’t see the psychiatrist often, partly because I see my CPN very frequently and if she feels I need a sooner appointment she will book me in for one. Also, even though psychiatrists review my mental health, they don’t review medication because I tried every group, including antidepressants, mood stabilisers and antipsychotics, but I didn’t respond to any and only suffered with side effects. So they stopped prescribing medication when it became clear I had exhausted all they could give me and medication wasn’t going to help my mental health. Therefore since the point I was weaned off my last antidepressant, my psychiatrist appointments are now less frequent.

I’m just worried I don’t have enough supporting evidence.

Thanks.

Hi Student,

If you think any of the older letters add any worthwhile information then send (copies of) them.

You can't send what you haven't got! But please try not to worry, it sounds as if you have quite a lot of supporting documentation anyway.

Mrs Hurtyback wrote: Hi Student,

If you think any of the older letters add any worthwhile information then send (copies of) them.

You can't send what you haven't got! But please try not to worry, it sounds as if you have quite a lot of supporting documentation anyway.

Thank you.

Hi,

I just wanted to leave an update about my ESA reassessment. Today I received a benefits letter from the DWP informing me what my benefit amount would be, and I haven’t received one of these for awhile. So, I called them and asked about my assessment, because I received the ESA50 around November 2016, which I then returned early December 2016. The lady told me my claim had been successful and I’d been placed straight into the support group, without needing to go for an assessment!!! Thank you so so much for all the help I’ve had either via the guides or the moderators patiently answering all my questions, it really did help me survive this process.