lifelong illness..

Chris

There is very little overlap between the DLA criteria and those for ESA, although there are some important ones. However, the intention of DLA and ESA is very different so I am afraid the the fact that you are receiving DLA or were medically retired will have little or no bearing on your eligibility for ESA.

With regard to your transfusions, the legislation recognises;

- regular weekly treatment by way of haemodialysis for chronic renal failure, and

- treatment by way of plasmapheresis or by way of radiotherapy

but as far as I can tell your treatment does not fall under these criteria.

It's not clear from your post what the effects of these transfusion is, do you have a recovery time following a transfusion and for how long? Are you effected at other times by you illness and would this be reason for you to meet one or more of the ESA criteria?

To meet the Exceptional Circumstances criteria you need to show;

(a) the claimant is suffering from a life threatening disease in relation to which—
(i) there is medical evidence that the disease is uncontrollable, or uncontrolled, by a recognised therapeutic procedure; and
(ii) in the case of a disease that is uncontrolled, there is a reasonable cause for it not to be controlled by a recognised therapeutic procedure; or
(b) the claimant suffers from some specific disease or bodily or mental disablement and, by reasons of such disease or disablement, there would be a substantial risk to the mental or physical health of any person if the claimant were found not to have limited capability for work.

If you believe you meet these requirements then you should argue this case.

Gordon