ESA - been placed in WRAG, not sure if happy...

This is all very worrying. I have a condition which is very distressing and painful. I have extensive nerve damage from throat to toes. It has also affected my heart, bladder, bowel, BP, lungs etc as well as being very painful. I also have ME, anxiety and lower spine degeneration. I wrote in detail about my condition on the limited capability for work form. I rarely leave the house and can only go outside when someone is there to support me. I had been on permitted work for a few years, but I've been unable to paint much or generate much in the way of sales. I overdid it over the summer and I got that ill I had to have a paramedic out. I KNOW that I cannot work because of the complexity of my physical and mental health and I have also been put in the WRAG.

I have just sent in my appeal form and was also shocked to hear that they are time-limiting the ESA to 12 months! www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/esa-changes-q-and-a.pdf

What will they pay us after that? I spend most of my benefit on nerve repairing supplements, that I cannot get on the NHS. What happens now?

It is extremely sad to hear of so many cases where people with complex illnesses who were expecting to be placed in the support group are ending up in WRAG, many without a medical.

It really is appalling to subject people to the stress of an appeal. So much is at stake financially, particularly for those in low income families but not entitled to means tested ESA

Who apart from MPs should people be contacting to address this issue? I have alerted Mind and would certainly recommend members contacting support organisations.

Best wishes

Hi Catherine

I totally agree that this is an appalling state of affairs for people with physical and mental illness to be caught up in. Life is hard enough. I intend to write to my MP, the PM and relevant government ministers. I will also write to the newspapers, as I think there has been some bad press about people on disability benefits, namely the exposing of the 'benefit cheats', which has tarred everyone with the same brush.

In the past when there has been revisions in benefits etc...there has been a 75% success rate where appeals are concerned and people have got their benefits back after medicals/appeals etc. This time, I have never known such drastic and unfair rulings regarding this benefit shake-up. Many people are finding their illnesses and disabilities being ignored and then virtually forced to try to get back into work.

If anyone knows of a way we can try to overturn these appalling changes...then let me know!

bro58 wrote:

As you may know passing "on scrutiny" means that the decision of ESA award was made on the written evidence that the DM had at his disposal, without the need of a face to face assessment.

If an appeal is lodged, it is possible that you may be required to attend a face to face assessment, to gain further evidence in reconsidering your award.

bro58

Hi, bro58,

Do you have any stats (from the appeals info you collected, for example) to indicate how many WRAG>Support Group apellants who got into the WRAG "on scrutiny" were subsequently called to face-to-face medicals?

Mark Sutton wrote:

bro58 wrote:

As you may know passing "on scrutiny" means that the decision of ESA award was made on the written evidence that the DM had at his disposal, without the need of a face to face assessment.

If an appeal is lodged, it is possible that you may be required to attend a face to face assessment, to gain further evidence in reconsidering your award.

bro58

Hi, bro58,

Do you have any stats (from the appeals info you collected, for example) to indicate how many WRAG>Support Group apellants who got into the WRAG "on scrutiny" were subsequently called to face-to-face medicals?

Hi MS,

I'm afraid that I don't have such stats.

bro58

bro58 wrote:

Mark Sutton wrote:

bro58 wrote:

As you may know passing "on scrutiny" means that the decision of ESA award was made on the written evidence that the DM had at his disposal, without the need of a face to face assessment.

If an appeal is lodged, it is possible that you may be required to attend a face to face assessment, to gain further evidence in reconsidering your award.

bro58

Hi, bro58,

Do you have any stats (from the appeals info you collected, for example) to indicate how many WRAG>Support Group apellants who got into the WRAG "on scrutiny" were subsequently called to face-to-face medicals?

Hi MS,

I'm afraid that I don't have such stats.

bro58

That's a shame.

This is a most important factor that has to be considered before launching a WRAG>Support Group appeal as the medicals seem to be something of a lottery and one could end up even worse off.