CFS moving from IB to ESA

bro58 wrote:

greeneyedlad wrote:

i have me/cfs also. download & read all the guides in the members section. its a lot of reading but well worth it. it took me nearly a month 2 read & fill it all in. u can download a digital version of the ESA form & type ur answers & then print it out. that helped me with space etc or add extra pages. romour has it that its best to state some1 filled the form in for u or helped u as they r suspioious of any1 who is well enough 2 fill it in themselves, but thats just my opinion. i was placed in2 the WRAG group without having a medical so i was pleased, but am considering appealing 2 b placed in2 the support group, not sure what 2 do to be honest. good luck, hope this helps.

martin

Hi GEL,

I don't know where you have heard the rumours regarding filling in one's own form.

I would always advise a claimant to fill their own forms in, unless their limitations prevented this.

It would obviously go against a claimant if they stated that they had problems using a keyboard, or pen, and then went on to fill the form in themselves.

If a claimant has any limitations with respect to filling in their own forms they should go into detail, such as how long it took, and the difficulties that they had.

cheers

bro58

I can see where GEL is coming from. As far as mental health problems are concerned - fill in your own form and you are considered by Atos to have excellent concentration and motivation. You could potentially lose points for learning tasks, sustaining personal action and coping with change.

To be honest, my form 'said' a lot about my mental health...not good!

Derek4 wrote:

bro58 wrote:

greeneyedlad wrote:

i have me/cfs also. download & read all the guides in the members section. its a lot of reading but well worth it. it took me nearly a month 2 read & fill it all in. u can download a digital version of the ESA form & type ur answers & then print it out. that helped me with space etc or add extra pages. romour has it that its best to state some1 filled the form in for u or helped u as they r suspioious of any1 who is well enough 2 fill it in themselves, but thats just my opinion. i was placed in2 the WRAG group without having a medical so i was pleased, but am considering appealing 2 b placed in2 the support group, not sure what 2 do to be honest. good luck, hope this helps.

martin

Hi GEL,

I don't know where you have heard the rumours regarding filling in one's own form.

I would always advise a claimant to fill their own forms in, unless their limitations prevented this.

It would obviously go against a claimant if they stated that they had problems using a keyboard, or pen, and then went on to fill the form in themselves.

If a claimant has any limitations with respect to filling in their own forms they should go into detail, such as how long it took, and the difficulties that they had.

cheers

bro58

I can see where GEL is coming from. As far as mental health problems are concerned - fill in your own form and you are considered by Atos to have excellent concentration and motivation. You could potentially lose points for learning tasks, sustaining personal action and coping with change.

Hi Derek,

I thought I'd said that?

I suppose we'll have to agree to agree.

cheers

bro58

bro58 wrote:

greeneyedlad wrote:

i have me/cfs also.
Rumour has it that its best to state some1 filled the form in for u or helped u as they r suspioious of any1 who is well enough 2 fill it in themselves, but thats just my opinion.

Hi GEL,

I don't know where you have heard the rumours regarding filling in one's own form.

I would always advise a claimant to fill their own forms in, unless their limitations prevented this.

It would obviously go against a claimant if they stated that they had problems using a keyboard, or pen, and then went on to fill the form in themselves.

If a claimant has any limitations with respect to filling in their own forms they should go into detail, such as how long it took, and the difficulties that they had.

cheers

bro58

Last couple of times I filled in DLA forms I got help from the CAB (probably impossible in current climate).

The person there filled in the form with me telling her what the answers to the questions were, and her turning that into something short enough to do the job on the form.

They had helped me with an earlier appeal, and I think the CAB decided that when I filled in the form myself that I shot myself in the foot with my own mouth - if you see what I mean.

Anyway, next time they decided that my prose needed heavy pruning - you can, it seems, say too much.

Anyhow, the point of the anecdote is that they had no problems filling in the forms, turning my rambling into DWP-speak, and filling in the form as we went along. This could have been justified by my inability to write clearly enough, but no one raised the question.

So if you do get help on what to say from a Welfare Rights Officer (or similar) then I think they can do the actual writing for you. You will still have to know what the answers must be