Received ESA Medical Report

Hi

Despite problems getting my report as detailed in another post it has suddenly turned up.

I am a bit shocked. I know people why have failed medical have reported errors and even lies. But they kept me in support group but I have seen errors as well. I won’t go as far as to say lies presumably in the rush to write up their reports maybe they are misremembering or getting confused themselves.

She has me saying things that I did not say, or has confused different responses from me, which you could argue has made me look worse than I would say I am. She says that I have blackout after getting angry and can’t remember afterwards. I don’t recall ever saying such a thing. Maybe I had a blackout after I said it!!!!!

Should I mention this to DWP or just accept it if it has gone in my favour?

Much of report is pretty accurate based on my responses but rather than saying verbatim my responses she has written them in her own words which I think is where the errors come from. Not just in my report but I expect others as well. Add to that the fact many of the assessors are not (to put it politely) native English speakers you can see how things get mixed up.

I don’t have a bus licence but she mentions that my bus licence was revoked. My car licence was revoked. There was an incident involving a bus.

Mark.

Thanks Gary.

I know I’m thinking (hopefully at least 18 months) ahead, I’m not sure if I’ll be a member then, but I was a bit lucky with it being telephone assessment as I would not have been prepared to go to the medical in person. Someone took me last time but I don’t have him any more as he changed jobs. And personally I just don’t want to go through it again. Plus part of me wants to move forward as I can’t stay on these benefits forever.

Now would it be in order for me to:

ESA: suggest on the review form to consider placing me LCW only without need for assessment in short to medium term as this would allow
me to engage with the jobcentre (a different one as I asked to be transferred a couple of years ago) without the stress, etc... of full on UC as there is no way I will be doing 35 hours of job search. When I was on JSA I didn’t do more than an hour or two. 35 hours is just crazy. Along with the threats of sanctions if you don’t do it. I’m wondering if DM looks at review esa first before it goes to assessor and if someone is asking to go from support group to LCM would they jump at that?

PIP: I get enhanced in both but I feel that this is stopping me from trying to get better. For example since DVLA revoked my licence I have got a disabled bus pass. But enhanced pip stops me from travelling on my own even though I feel I would like to sometimes. Only occasionally trip to nearby town to go to the library for example. Or save me walking to argos. This would be well under “half of the days” but if I did it on my own I’m concerned this violates my award. Similar issue with daily living. Now I wonder if I could suggest that I may benefit from being downgraded into standard in both? Again would they jump at the opportunity to do that?

Thanks.

Mark

Hi Mark, while I agree totally with Gary, my take on some assessors is this. I worked in a school where there were teachers with degrees in English who did not know the difference between effect and affect, and one who could not read the set texts aloud coherently. So I feel being qualified as a health professional is no guarantee of basic IQ or common sense. Many lacking in both will seek work as assessors out of a desire for cash without taking responsibility for the ethics or standards that should apply. But then I always was a cynic, thanks to school of daughter's 3 PIP claims.... Happy Christmas, Denby

Hi Gary

I think being on 12 points for planning a journey excludes travelling on my own. If you are saying that I can do this on my own as long as it is fewer than half the days then that’s okay.

I wouldn’t say there has been any improvement in my health since I claimed but I just feel concerned that travel on my own (even though there is still a risk) compromises my being placed in the enhanced category.

I appreciate that you can’t ask and expect them to say that’s okay. What I mean is if they saw a claimant who they realise would be happy to get a lower award, due to all the costs of assessment, MR, appeal, etc... would they see it as a benefit in placing someone in a lower award if they can see the claimant is likely to accept? This is not much different from the DWP contacting a claimant and offering them a lower award because they see it as beneficial to them for you to take it. So why can’t we do the same by giving them an indication that we are prepared to accept a lower award?