DLA transfer to PIP

Posted my PIP form. Special delivery, will arrive tomorrow.

Made a start on ESA, copied what I wrote before to a new document, ready to update. I'll read the guides tomorrow I think. Rest up today.

I saw in the PIP guide about overlaps, so that's a good head start, I can copy what I just wrote for PIP as part of the update.

Anyway, just wanted to check in. I've done it! Phew!

I was so exhausted, I fell asleep on the sofa during the evening news and slept for 10 hours. Didn't even eat.

I noticed while I was working on the form, it was ruining my eyes, so I kept taking breaks to help. But I worked intensively on it to meet the deadline, and today, my eyes are absolutely ruined. I don't think they have ever been this bad. I'm so upset. I put in the form what it was doing to me, but obviously, they won't have this detail.

So I was planning to read the ESA guide today, but I think I should probably take a day out, rest up. Frustrating, not to mention worrying. How long will it be before I can see properly. Who knows.

I'm sure the DWP have their little spies watching us, if not in the forum then looking at my browser history and snooping from there. (IP bill) Well, hello from me, how you doing

It's taken all this time for my eyes to start to feel better. I have never known them to be this bad. I put it in my PIP form, that I never use my computer this intensively. The last day I was working on it, I could barely see! I was worried that was my new normal.

My eyes aren't better yet, but I'm thinking I should start reading the ESA guides. Make a start anyway. Then see what I can copy over from what I just wrote, because that's the update. Hopefully, I shouldn't have to do more. ??

I am aiming to finish by the end of next week, maybe post on the 17th. Then I still have the weekend and Monday and Tuesday if I need to take days recovering in the meantime, which for PIP was pretty much every other day.

Is it still the case you only pass if you show you are worse? Last time, I was told if you have a long term chronic fluctuating condition, if nothing has changed, you fail. Is this true? Fibromyalgia and Hypermobility aren't officially progressive, but I can put where and how I am worse, eg now including my eyes!

Ah the joys of ESA lol it's like dealing with the mafia

I found the bit I was referring to:
"During the assessment phase, if you are getting ESA (or ESA and UC together) you will normally be paid benefit, at the ‘assessment rate’ while you are waiting for a decision on your capability for work. The main exception is if you have previously been found fit for work and have not been successful in getting that decision reversed, unless you can show that you have a new condition or your previous condition has worsened."

So last time, I was being 'transferred' from IB to ESA, which went badly and resulted in a fail. I had to wait a certain amount of time before I could apply again, and DWP staff advised me I only could if I was worse, which is where I got that information from.

I had to get a lot of fit notes, because there's a process with those, it's not just the one. They need them at certain intervals until eventually you are allowed to stop sending them.

So that was for a fresh, new application, where I was treated as if I had just become sick/disabled. DWP disregarded my previous 14-15 year history with them. (mafia!)

Eventually, I passed. It was for a certain amount of time, but because of delays, it has taken the DWP till now to get round to reassessing me.

I can't find any advice in the guide for reassessment. Unless I can't see for looking? Or my eyes are playing up. What page do I look at?

I am guessing I won't need to send a fit note, as I have not been failed by the DWP yet and found fit for work. I am being reassessed from the ESA support group as a matter of routine.

Phew! Thought I'd clarify to help get my head straight, and to save you the typing. Gordon.