IB to ESA

I'm transferring from IB to ESA, sent my form back December 13, wondered how long it takes, the anxiety is getting to me! I have memory, concentration and hazard problems, through a severe head injury (lucky to be alive type) as a teenager, which have been made worse when they discovered I had sleep apnoea under anesthetic, (have severe OSA and a touch of central). Worked in law but in my 30's realised I was starting to have effects from my injury and took a job typesetting until the operation in 2000 when I couldn't remember how to do my job, had black outs (these are not epileptic but because I am unconscious I stop breathing and suffer from hypoxia and therefore it takes me a few minutes to work out where I am, these can happen on a daily basis) at work and had to leave.

What my question is, is about the descriptors about danger to self or others in the work place, (can be a danger to myself in the home sometimes, set the fire alarm off when cooking and burns on my arm well enough said), as I have not had a decision I take it I will be assessed on the new descriptors and am totally confused. At my last PCA in 2007 the doctor told me there was no way I could work and he would write it on my file so they would leave me alone, will they also take this into account or not?

Hi Mags,

You are correct in thinking that you will be assesed according to the new rules (unless a decision has already been made). I am afraid that comments made at your previous PCA will not carry any weight now as the ESA descriptors are very different from those for IB.

There is no defined length of time for a decision to be made but I would expect it to be a while yet before you hear anything.

How long until they make a decision?

Hi Mrs Hurtyback

Thanks for the reply, will have to just wait and hope for the best, just can I say this site is excellent, and helped me enormously with the form, my CAB was too busy and only just read through the form for me after I had filled it in using your information guides, they are brilliant.

Many thanks