Have MS, in WRAG, shouldnt I be in support?

I have multiple sclerosis and been placed in WRAG group. If that's what they want then I don't object to this per se, but I am painfully aware that this will only last for 1 or 2 years. What will happen then?

So I am appealing. I've just received a copy of the ESA85 form and in the "Prognosis" section the doctor says "Functional Problems: I advise that a return to work is unlikely for at least 2 years" and "The history and examination indicates that the client is unlikely to return to work in the longer term".

However, in the limited capability for Work-Related Activity section the doctor has indicated that I do not meet any of the descriptors. In my opinion this is because they are so specific, and none of them cover my specific disablities, apart from one minor one, i.e. when having a relapse I cannot pick up and move a 0.5 litre carton full of liquid, but only because I am likely to drop it.

I feel I should respond to this ESA85 form, but not sure how I can. Although it is obvious that I am very unlikely to get better and therefore my ESA should not be limited to 12 or 18 months, I don't seem to be able to score any points on the limited capability for work-related activity descriptors.

Is it worth me continuing with this appeal to get into the support group?

Thanks for your reply Gordon.
The 12/18 months I referred to should have been 12/24 months, and I did mean the proposed time limiting.

So I have checked the links you posted, and if I don't get into the support group at this time then I hope to god that the amended legislation is passed, because if it is the original legislation then after 12 months not only will I no longer be eligible for ESA, but if (or shouldn't that be "when", given that MS is progressive) my condition deteriorates I will not even be able to be placed in the support group as I will no longer have any entitlement to ESA!!!!!

This situation is even worse than I first thought

An amendment to the Bill (proposed in the Lords by Lord Freud, so I assume this means it gets through) is that, if you use up your year in the the WRAG but later worsen, you can then go into the SG - as I read it, you do have to carry on claiming ESA in the interim though.

Personally I can't imagine anything more likely to cause my health to deteriorate than the stress of forms/medicals/appeals/tribunals without getting any money...

I haven't been following the Commons today, maybe the time limit has been abolished (in my dreams).

Elaine, I noticed that amendment by the government too. As you say, it is going to be a tough decision to work out whether to keep on jumping through the hoops in case one needs the support group at a later stage especially for people who, like me, have enough NI contributions for pension entitlement.

Unfortunately, the Commons voted against the Lords amendments yesterday. A lot of them argued that people with longterm and/or progressive conditions would be in the support group anyway - which just goes to show their ignorance in this matter

Did the commons vote against every single amendment? How can I find out what exactly this means for those of us with long-term illnesses who are placed in the support group? Will we not be able to move into the Support group if our condition deteriorates further in the future?

When I told my MS nurse that I was in the WRAG group she didn't think it would be too much of a problem - many of her MS patients are in that group and she says that they haven't reported any major problems, they have occasional meetings with employment support advisors and have not been forced to into unsuitable work.

She did not know that they would be kicked off ESA after one year! And so I presume that she also wouldn't know that they wouldn't be able to move into the support group in the future.

If the health professionals are not being advised, what hope is there for their patients until it is too late.