prolasped disc benefits stoped

Jamie

I have beeen off work now for one year. I was on SSP until November 2011 where i was then made unemployed due to medical reasons, a prolasped disc.

I found it difficult to get benifits to start with as I own my flat. I am now on the lower benifit and on the 28 March I have go to the medical centre to be assessed. I have been told that I could be able to work 16hrs a week. I will know more after the 28th.

I am a litle puzzled as I have been told I could work 16hrs even though the surgent has told me that I can not and I have to have an opperation to fix the disc.

I am still waiting on the date for this.

I will keep you posted on my outcome.I have been told that it is normal for the ESA to not pay out.

;0)

Mini

mi mini,

Thanx for your reply.

sorry to hear about your back I know its a nightmare, ive been off work for over a year now, self employed electrician so not had a pay check for a long time.

The misus works full time so not entitled to any other benifits so stopping my esa will sure to cripple us.

Ive sent off my appeal forms so just waiting for the out come.

check out this site called http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/ they are really helpfull on how to prepare you, they give free advice for the first week but really helpfull.

Im having my coccyx injection on the 5th april then hopefully an op.ill keep you posted.

hi mini, just woundering how your medical assessment went. i hope you went on the link i sent you. I found out that most of these assesors are not medically trained in this country and even if they are they are more than likely ex nurses that are paid penuts to cut cost. they also ask you questions like so do you watch tv and do you like soaps and what soaps do you watch. you think this is friendly talk but these questions have a hidden agenda. they can now say that because you can watch a soap that is on for up to half an hour this must meen that you can sit comfortably for reasonable amounts of time giving you 0 points. every bit of friendly chit chat they give you they have been trained on to gain info against you.

all the best

Hi All

As well as having 4 prolapsed discs I also suffer from Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and I know what it is like doing form filling as I used to work for an Independent Charity which is like the Citizens Advice.

When u are filling in the forms believe me you have to focus on your bad days and on average if you have 5 out of 7 bad days a week you are half way there for claiming DLA and ESA. Also your wording on the forms are very important as well as if you say that you are in pain the assessors presume you can take a painkiller, you have to use words like extreme discomfort and focus on the bad days when filling in the forms.

Also if you are called for a medical most places have cctv outside and you are being recorded from the moment you get out of your car and in the waiting room and when you have your medical so if you have said on your form that you can't sit comfortably in a chair for no more than 10 minutes then move about and change positions in the chair very often. Its also a good idea to take a photocopy of the form that you have filled in and refresh your memory before your medical.

I know this probably sounds like its cheating the benefit system but if you are a genuine person and you are in genuine pain and you have all letters from gp's, consultants then you have nothing to worry about because you are telling the truth about the bad days that you have and then the time-wasters who have been in the benefit system for years and are not supposed to work who you then see driving a taxi or working in the local supermarket will finally get what they deserve as everybody who is on benefit is and will be assessed on the new ESA system.

Good luck and message me if you need any advice

Good advice thanks .

I would just like to let you know of my latest experience so no one else falls for what I fell for.

I had my medical in February and it wasn’t till march that I received a letter saying that I failed and my benefit had stopped. Then late march I received a phone call asking whether I wanted to appeal and carry on claiming esa at assessment rate or claim jsa. Being unfit to work I opted to appeal. 3 days after this phone call I received a letter stating that I have received esa for 365 days and I am no longer entitled to claim. So this has left me in limbo because even though I’m still appealing I am not getting paid a single penny and ive heard that these appeal processes take 10 months or so. If I knew they were to do this I would have claimed jsa

Also I have been scheduled in for a op in 4 weeks’ time, so with all the evidence I have sent away from my gps and specialists you would think this would be enough for my decision to be over turned........still nothing

The social have just put me through hell over my Esa also, spent months gathering what I can, during the 8 months after I sent in my appeal to the tribunal I suffered carpal tunnel syndrome in my right hand to which turned out to be same symptoms I had 4 yrs previous in my left (bare in mind the docs blame my left hand on a bulging disc in my neck for this)(I also suffer with my back L4/L5 region rubs nerves to my legs, migraines, IBS & more) I had nerve conduction studies done on both wrists to which they found I actual have it in BOTH wrists meaning I had been misdiagnosed 4 yrs ago... talk about neglect, I have been fobbed off repeatedly for months over my tablets and for my depression and just had carpal release surgery on my right hand and soon will be having it done on my left and I just also damaged my Coccyx, my hand also got infected with my depression being so bad my immune system is very low but the docs dismissed it again just last week stating I am depressed coz my hand is "flat" maybe if they spent less time thinking about what money they could save them, we wouldn't be in this mess...... Anyway I attended the tribunal last week after the social screwed the week before making out they already went behind my back which they didn't, the stupid idiots stuck my NI number on some one else's claim and sent me the results the day I had my surgery, just what I needed when I am supposed to be resting, Like I said I attended the tribunal, all worked up, depressed coz I suffer with depression, in pain of course as I suffer total agony plus my hand is wrapped up in bandages as I still have my stitches in until Monday 1st July 2013, by time I came out of there I had to sit in car for at least 10 mins I was so broken hearted, I told them everything, what I been through, what I felt, why I felt it, etc etc etc. The following Thurs later just a few days ago, I got a letter off the tribunal, I won the case under regulation 29, exceptional rules think its part b but I am stuck on the work related activity group which sucks... just waiting now for social back date the whole claim now to the date of my appeal and I am sorted. takes up to 6 weeks they said, also the social aint allowed to review me for 18 months according to the tribunals letter so its all good that way:D

Hope that helps you lovey