the "do you want to work?" question at ESA medical

What happens if you say you don't want to work at your medical. Do they decide that the reason you're on sickness benefits is because you're feckless and workshy?

At the moment, if I was being 100% honest, I would have to say that I don't want to work because I tried volunteering and it made me more poorly.

We can't advise on what words you as an individual should use, but I would always be wary of starting to reply with a phrase that is then qualified (e.g. I don't want to work because it will make me ill) because it would be easy for an assessor to cut you short before you'd finished what you were saying.

Are you sure that "want" is the right word for what you think/feel, as opposed to not thinking it wise or having learnt that it would make you poorly etc?

The main problem is understanding the question.

Does it mean 'do you want to be well enough to work?' or 'do you want to work even though you are not well enough to work?' ?.

Or perhaps an assumption has already been made that you are well enough to work?

I would try to clarify the question and give a detailed explanation. It's a question that you wouldn't want to give a simple yes or no and leave it at that.

Unless I'm an exception, I would have thought that for most IB or ESA claimants it's a frequently asked question!

Personally, I would LOVE to get back to work. I could do something useful and earn some sensible money.

HOWEVER I can't because my illness prevents it.

Simples.

I would answer same Andy

I would always come back to capability for work.