Is this correct ?

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi, my husband had a triple heart by pass 2 weeks ago, Friday 11th March 2016.  He is still poorly but 100 times better than he was, surgeon said it would take approx 3 months for his chest wound to recover. He has a 3 month sick note from doctors and registered this with DWP, he's received two payments then was told to needed to attend a medical with them, prior to his operation.  We then received a letter to say they work on a points system now and he a score of zero, he would be taken off sick pay and put on job seekers allowance ! (Who would employ a man that was waiting to have a triple by pass). He has appealed against this but a month later we still have heard nothing.  As he is a contractor he receives no pay when he is not at work, I put a prescription in at the chemist today but had to pay as the girl behind the counter said he may not be entitled to free prescriptions.  Can any one please point me in the right direction for help, we have tried out local MP to no a avail ?.

0 likes, 13 replies

13 Replies

  • Posted

    Hi there,

    I don't want to make you feel worse, but from what I learned from a friend who also had heart surgery. As far as the DWP are concerned, your husbands heart is now fixed, and unless you can prove otherwise they will not budge on this.

    It just doesn't seem fair, does it? My late mother had a triple bypass years ago, and never got a penny. And that was before all these horrible cut backs. 

    Someone else may have better news for you.....I do hope so.

    • Posted

      Thanks Sasha it does seem so unfair but hey hoy .... Thanks for reply much appreciated ................
  • Posted

    Hi, i might be wrong but under their discriptors to qualify you have to have been ill for 3 consecutive months and are expected to be ill for at least the next 9-12 months. but don't quote me on that.. 

    could be the score of zero was given because the sick note only expected a 3 month recovery. it is very unfair.

     

    • Posted

      It's is ......... Very, but thank you for taking the time to comment, we ll get there am sure, just seems so unfair that you have paid into the system all your life and now at your time of need you get nothing back 
    • Posted

      It is unfair, completely unfair, and I genuinely feel sorry for your husband. 

      Our goverment can afford to help anyone but our own who have worked hard and paid into the system. My dad served in the Royal Navy during and after WW2, he was wounded, twice. After he left the RN he worked full time as an engineer until he retired. He did get a small war pension when he retired because of his injuries. When he died they had paid him one months pension up front, they wrote to my mother and asked for the one week they had over oaid him to be paid back to them, I hate them with a passion for that. 

    • Posted

      Absolutely shocking what kind of a country do we live in now, makes you ashamed to be British at times ! 
  • Posted

    Hi, i"m disgusted with the DWP. You sure don"t need this extra worry at this time. There is no brains built in to the system, they seem to act like programed robots. Give them all the hell you can ( without blowing your"e own fuse )
  • Posted

    Hi Welder15154,

    If I've said it once etc etc, We are just numbers to the DWP. How else would they cope, imagine working there and taking each phone call with a concience and a heart.

    I remember a call way back, I had been waiting monthsfor a transition from ESA to PC. After going tbrough the identityprocess and conversing for about 20 minutes they kept asking for information which I knew they already had. I was then told that all of my life was in front of her on the computer screen but she could not divulge any of it because of client confidentiallity. Not robo

    ts, not machines but automatons. Still a job I wouldn't want in a million years.

  • Posted

    Hi Welder

    Are you awaiting the result of the mandatory reconsideration? If so what did you say in support of the MR?

    If your husband is claiming JSA then he should be entitled to free prescriptions providing he doesn't have savings of more than £16000. You should apply for a Health Certificate you can download copies or get them from GP surgeries

    • Posted

      Hi Anthony, he appealed against the dicission to take him off  ESA about 4 weeks ago now but haven't heard anything to date, he isn't getting any benefits whatsoever including free prescriptions and being on 5 tablets a day amounts to quite a bit. It just seems so unfair when you have wiorked all your life and paid into the system to be treated like this, he is quite prepared when fit enough to resume full time employment but this doesn't help the situation at the moment. 
    • Posted

      Hi again Welder

      Reading your opening post again I note that your husband attended a medical before his operation and scored zero points (which I find amazing considering his known condition).

      He has now had heart surgery which by definition means he is unfit for work for at least the 3 months as directed by his surgeon and would fit multiple descriptors on the Work Capability Assessment.

      Generally a mandatory reconsideration takes about 1 month to process so you should hear soon, if not then start chasing them (stressful I know but those who shout loudest). You can claim Job Seekers Allowance in the meantime and get it backdated 4 weeks. If I were you I would make a claim today and ask for the claim to be backdated whilst you await the outcome of the MR.

      As stated before you can apply for a Health Certificate which will give you access to free prescriptions.

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