Face to face and capita

Hi, I am a newbie too, I have been on Incapacity benefit and DLA for almost 20 years!!!
Now the powers that be changed me to PIP and kindly reduced my benefit to £100 less per month. Then I was told that i had to change from Incapacity benefit to ESA. Then i was told that i had to fill an ES500 form in and that got lost so I sent them a copy back in August and have been waiting for a reply, which came the week before last and I have now got to attend a face to face assessment next week which i am absolutely wetting myself about!!! I have mobility problems, bowel problems including incontinence and heart disease none of which are going to improve! They also put me in the support group and i recently found out due to a lovely fine, that i no longer qualify for free dental and glasses help!! I also suffer with depression and all this stress is not helping me. I have looked through some of your articles and i am very impressed so far. I would appreciate any help or advice than anyone can give me. Thanks
Oh and one other thing, does anyone know if you are on benefits and reach retirement age do you just get the pension and nothing else?? Thanks againx

I, too, was transferred from IB to ESA Contribution-Based Support Group

I can't recall how I found out about it, but there is 'Help with Healthcare Costs' if income is low enough (remember, PIP is not a means-tested benefit).

There is an application form, HC1 (available from Job Centre Plus, some doctors, or direct from NHS Low Income Scheme) which is probably the least arduous form I've ever completed with regard to social security benefits. The turnaround time is usually about 4 weeks. If successful, you are awarded an HC2 Certificate entitling the holder to free prescriptions, sight tests, help with cost of spectacles and dental treatment. If you look on the back of a prescription, this form of exemption has its own tick-box.

If I can post a link, here it is:

www.nhs.uk/NHSEngland/Healthcosts/Pages/...w-income-scheme.aspx

Anjie Jermy wrote: Hi, I am a newbie too, I have been on Incapacity benefit and DLA for almost 20 years!!!
Now the powers that be changed me to PIP and kindly reduced my benefit to £100 less per month. Then I was told that i had to change from Incapacity benefit to ESA. Then i was told that i had to fill an ES500 form in and that got lost so I sent them a copy back in August and have been waiting for a reply, which came the week before last and I have now got to attend a face to face assessment next week which i am absolutely wetting myself about!!! I have mobility problems, bowel problems including incontinence and heart disease none of which are going to improve! They also put me in the support group and i recently found out due to a lovely fine, that i no longer qualify for free dental and glasses help!! I also suffer with depression and all this stress is not helping me. I have looked through some of your articles and i am very impressed so far. I would appreciate any help or advice than anyone can give me. Thanks
Oh and one other thing, does anyone know if you are on benefits and reach retirement age do you just get the pension and nothing else?? Thanks againx

.As long as you meet the criteria for a PIP award you will continue to receive it even into retirement. If you get the mobility component this cannot be change upwards after retirement and cannot be awarded if you don't receive it even if your needs change

Thanks a lot ivyfox. David I do get higher mobility on PIP, so does that mean I should still get it into retirement as well as a state pension? Is that what you are saying?
Thanks for your responses and apologies for late reply.
Anjie