phone numbers

Hi, my friend is going through her esa 50 questionnaire, and she cannot deal with phone calls, where it says please provide phone numbers so the medical services can contact you, she wants to write underneath please correspond with me by written correspondence, as she suffers with bad paranoia with calls because of her mental illness of schizophrenia. I know they have a record of phone numbers, has anyone else done this? Her social worker advised to do that. She has got so anxious about it she can't look at the form at the moment because of this. It was one reason that put her in hospital earlier in the year is phonecalls. Has anyone else wondered had issues with this? Just want to help reassure her so that the form gets filled in. Last thing she needs is another hospital admission as she has only been out in the last 6 weeks. It is such a big deal for her this issue. Any thoughts would really help

paula wrote:

Hi, my friend is going through her esa 50 questionnaire, and she cannot deal with phone calls, where it says please provide phone numbers so the medical services can contact you, she wants to write underneath please correspond with me by written correspondence, as she suffers with bad paranoia with calls because of her mental illness of schizophrenia. I know they have a record of phone numbers, has anyone else done this? Her social worker advised to do that. She has got so anxious about it she can't look at the form at the moment because of this. It was one reason that put her in hospital earlier in the year is phonecalls. Has anyone else wondered had issues with this? Just want to help reassure her so that the form gets filled in. Last thing she needs is another hospital admission as she has only been out in the last 6 weeks. It is such a big deal for her this issue. Any thoughts would really help

Yes, it is acceptable to write that on the form.

Whether or not ATOS/DWP will take any notice of it is a different matter.

Pete

I put that on my ESA50 and it was ignored.... they still rang up and refused to speak to my husband I do not answer the phone and stress in all correspondance [sp sorry foggy] that if they must call they must speak to my husband otherwise the answer phone will be on.
Really stress that you can not talk on the phone and don't. If they try then write and complain.
good luck
linda

hi paula. when i sent my husband esa50 form back i put that he will not be able to take calls as in bed alot of the time and i put down that i would talk to them, he signed it. But so far we have not had any phone calls from them but i have phoned them a number of times and they have been fine about it and always talk to me about his claim. they do ask a few secrety questions first such as his date of birth insurance number ect.i always say to them that he is too ill to talk to them. hopes this helps your friend jackie

Thank you for all your replies, they are greatly appreciated. Will get her to do that, and ask for all correspondence to be in written form, there is space at the back for someone else to give a number and the reason why for contact so we will look at that too. Thanks again, good luck with it for all too.

I clearly wrote I have a phobia of phones - which I do - and do not answer any calls unless I recognise the number or the call has been arranged in advance. This is the same whether it be my mobile or home phone. If my children had answered such a call I would have cut them off - as that's how I deal with unexpected calls...They did send a reminder letter twice for the ESA50 to be filled in so I think they got the message.

I have mh problems too.