ESA50 Wording

Hi WF2K,
Firstly, to answer about your zoning out. Yes definitely mention this. Explain what happens, and how often. Do you know how long these 'black outs' last for? Make sure you explain as fully as possible.
My advice is to put everything down. DWP are often reluctant to award points. If you can show you need points on loads if sections it is much more likely that somewhere DWP will award sufficient points to allow you to qualify you for your benefit. This is why you need to fill out all the sections that apply. Don't worry about repetition, if you end up saying the same thing 20 times, it doesn't matter!
You ask about coping with changes, yes put this in too. However as with all of the descriptors explain, explain, explain and use examples. You have stated you struggle with planned changes, explain why, maybe it causes a panic attack, perhaps you become aggressive or maybe you have to hide away and stay in your room? Whatever happens it is really important to explain what happens, the struggles you have, the effect on the next day or days etc.
Really nothing is off limits, I appreciate you may feel embarrassed to mention things or you might feel that it is so stupid ir careless. Again don't worry firstly it is really important to explain everything and secondly problems such as incontinence while being embarrassing comprise easy points for UC or ESA, and therefore should always be noted on claim forms.
I hope this helps.
LL26

Hi W2FK,
The coping with change paragraph is good, but give more explanation about the level of anxiety and stomach pains, and how long these last. What is the anxiety like, any physical symptoms etc explain these. Have you got specific examples of delaying a GP visit, which has then meant that your health has seriously deteriorated due to lack of treatment, eg an abscess that burst, or something that needed hospital treatment, which could have been avoided? Or it could be that you have sat at home in serious pain to avoid the GP?
Saying things like 'often' eg often put off appointments is vague and DWP will dismiss this as often is imprecise. Say things like eg 'I have cancelled 4 appointments for the GP this month due to severe anxiety. I did manage to get to the GP last week, as I had chest pain. I also cancelled at least 3 appointments last month...'
For coping with change - do you get upset/anxious if someone moves stuff in your home? Think about how you like food, what if there was no Heinz baked beans on the shelf, and this is your favourite brand, would it bother you, would you get anxious etc? If you were going on a journey to visit a friend and there was an accident ahead and you couldn't get through, and traffic was diverted, how would this make you feel? These sorts of things are all things that you might want to consider under this section.
If you had medical reports for PIP send these. (They won't get sent automatically to UC/ ESA department of DWP) Even a somewhat old medical report can be helpful, especially if it explains your condition. Yes, a statement from your son as carer would be good too. Also from GP if you can get it. GP would surely know that you are anxious, cancel appointments and can of course confirm diagnosis and medications.
Including about your medications, general background is also good.
To clarify - regulations 29 and 35 are similar worded regulations - the first applies to having limited capability for work, and reg 35 is a limited capability for work related activity.
You can use these when you don't score 15 points and hence otherwise wouldn't be able to get UC/ESA. (The descriptors are exactly the same for both benefits.)
Basically 29/35 regulations say that there would be a substantial risk to your physical/mental health, (or the health of another person) if you were found capable of work (reg29) or work related activity (35). So, for example if the stress of attending work, the journey there and back, or even things like attending an interview, makes you so anxious that you become very ill for several days means these regulations could apply. In one case a lady had a serious latex allergy, and since a lot of office equipment contained latex she succeeded in arguing reg 29/35. other examples include very volatile behaviour leading violence to others. So there is scope to argue various things as long there is a substantial risk, which can't be mitigated by some 'reasonable adjustment' in the workplace.
I hope this helps.
LL26