contrib based ESA 12 months

Hi Graham
Ihave just read your post and compleatly agree with you I two im in the same poisition as your self I had to give my job up which I loved due to illness which after nearly two years turned out to be firbo and RA every day is a battle and I know I would have given up without help and care from my family I two worked payed tax and NI for 32 years and now feel well very down trodding like my contribution into this country means nothing my husband will have to keep me when the new rule comes in its vey unfair I have always paid my owen way I could have given up six years ago when I had a brain hemoridge but with support I got myself back after six months off had to take a side step but I mananged but this time I dont have the same strength for years and even now we keep helping others which I dont mind but there are a lot of people who need help here two
cheers jellybean

I like the post "if they take by benefit, they can take my disability too" I would be at the front of the line for that one, most people have a grumble about work but at least there was a pupose and also the friendship of collegues which i miss. The governemnt have got to think again about the one year rule, what else are we supposed to do? I wish I had the energy to bang it out with the prime mimister!

I agree with what everyone says, its ridiculous expecting everyone on contributions based to be recovered within 12 months and fit for work, what about those with progressive illness's?

Jellybean I am in an almost identical situation to you In 2005 I had neurosurgery on three brain anuerysms (two seperate admissions to hospital) and like you I recovered to return to my job of 15 years even though I needed to side step a little. 2008 I developed RA and Fibro and that floored me,I couldnt carry on at work,my employer gave me a year to get fit enough to work, but it just wasnt going to happen, all my doctors recommended I leave, so I was medically retired on a small pension.
Despite the fact I was in the middle of my worst flare ever when I had my ESA medical I just scraped through (Atos got
many of the tick boxes wrong) and was put in the limited capability for work section. I went on the DWP condition management programme, their idea being if I managed things better I could return to work. I improved a little but
no where near what would be necessary to meet the demands of an average employer.
When asked my Pathways to work if there was anything they could do to help I said well find a cure for RA, I explained that there is no cure for RA, and it tends to be progressive and at the end of the day, no matter how hard I tried to improve, I would always have RA. Now at 56 having worked and paid NI
since I was 16 I am faced with having my contributions based ESA cut because I havent got over RA in a year!, none of it makes sense and I dont think the government has thought things through. I am going to have a go at writing to my MP not sure if it will do any good but its worth a try.

Lizzie

XFACTOR wrote:

we will have to watch and wait. I can see the point about making sickness benefits harder to stay on, it saves money but it also acts as an incenctive to work, but there's something unfair about hitting people who have had a contrib based medically proven entitlement and yet having no time limit on those without a parner at work or savings etc, it somehow penalises thrift and saving for rainy day, and threatens relationships too.

In my humble opinion, a simple realistic and robust medical test is all thats needed, as well as a dole regime that doesnt make the sickness benefits in any way attractive

In the meantime, the assessment tyranny goes on and on

Am I right in thinking if you live on your own, have no partner, no savings,your ESA is not time limited ?

Gordon wrote:

Tommo wrote:

Am I right in thinking if you live on your own, have no partner, no savings,your ESA is not time limited ?

Contribution Based ESA will be limited to one year for members of the WRAG (but not the Support Group), after this, subject to a claimant meeting the requirements of a means test, they should be eligible to receive Income Related ESA.

Providing they met the means test conditions, they would continue to receive ESA(IR) as long as they were found to have Limited Capability for Work.

Gordon

Thanks Gorden but I'm still confused ... whats the difference between CB esa and IR esa... ??