Permitted Work caused me to have another breakdown

Hi all, this is my first post here so hope I get it right!

After being put in the WRAG for depression and anxiety and being hounded to try voluntary work, I eventually tried care work for 9 months for which I was paid under the Permitted Work rules, working around 12 hours a week. I was totally new to care work having previously always worked in admin.

Unfortunately I had to give up the job as I felt myself heading towards another mental breakdown and knew I had to leave quickly. Three weeks after I left I still feel extremely anxious and didn't feel the sense of relief I thought I would.

I have just received the dreaded ESA50 form. My heart literally sank. I have been to see my doctor as I feel so bad at the moment. She has increased the dosage of my anti-depressant and given me some information on counselling, which she thinks I need.

I am so scared that as I have worked under Permitted Work rules that this will go against me and I will be found 'fit for work' when at the moment I don't even feel fit to be a human being.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have just over two weeks to return the form and I can't even bring myself to look at it at the moment!

Hi MAndy and Welcome to the forum, you might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explain where everything is

Welcome to Benefits and Work

I'm sorry that you are so unwell at the moment

I think you can use your Permitted Work experience as a positive as you can relate how difficult it has been and how unwell it made you.

Please try to complete the form as comprehensively as you can. I know that having to look closely at our problems can be very upsetting but you really want to try and get the correct decision from the start. Our ESA guide will help you through the process.

ESA claims and appeals

May I suggest that you bookmark/favourite this on your web browser now so that you can find it easily in future. This will allow you to return along the way with further questions or comments about your ESA. It helps us enormously when everything relating to the same claim is kept in one topic - and I hope you will find it useful too

Thank you for your positive replies. I seem to only be able to see the negatives at the moment. I suppose that's how depression effects you. I see what you are saying Gordon. I could use this experience to my advantage as if I'm taken off ESA and put on JSA I know I will be hounded to take another care job and be straight back to the doctors with another breakdown.

I have printed off the guide for mental health claims and am reading thro this. Altho I must admit I don't feel much like reading at the moment either.

A family member is going to help me with the ESA50 form. But then it's the even more dreaded face-to-face assessment. The thought of that is almost pushing me over the edge.

Thank you again Mrs Hurtyback and Gordon for making me see some light at the end of a very dark tunnel.