Living With Ataxia - Online Support Group

I am on higher rate DLA, my head spins most of the time, I can walk, but my balance is so bad that quite often I need to know a friend is nearby that I can grab, handwriting is very slow and uncomfortable, my speech is slurred and can be quite difficult for strangers to understand me, I cannot hold long convoluted phone calls, quite often small menial tasks end with me being physically sick, and I am very tired all the time.  Yet despite all this the DWP want me to attend an interview, with the threat of my benefits ceasing if I don't.
I am a lone parent of a 7 year old, I have no money, my ex-husband pays me maintenence of which I see £20 a month.  I have a mortgage, the threat of losing benefits is very frightening, especially when the letter has been rubber stamped in red ink to confirm this.  My family, who are very supportive are all at work, so when I am home alone getting this letter I am very distressed.  I want to sort it out as soon as possible, but I can't I have to wait for help, which further distresses me.
They have copies of gp's notes, previous interviews, etc etc.  Why don't these different departments communicate with each other??

Views: 9

Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

This must be for the new ESA benefit? I live on own too and it is scary when people send you letters saying they gonna cut off your benefits or electric and come around with police (as happened to me once).

If you have family member or friend who can help you attend it or can phone on your behalf for you and explain your difficulties?

I haven't had this letter yet so they must be starting to work their way through transferring everybody from IB to the new ESA. You can email the DWP direct on their site so could send this message to them too? or Citizens Advice Bureau?
My Uncle will be around later today and will help - it's just not nice!

Kati said:
This must be for the new ESA benefit? I live on own too and it is scary when people send you letters saying they gonna cut off your benefits or electric and come around with police (as happened to me once).

If you have family member or friend who can help you attend it or can phone on your behalf for you and explain your difficulties?

I haven't had this letter yet so they must be starting to work their way through transferring everybody from IB to the new ESA. You can email the DWP direct on their site so could send this message to them too? or Citizens Advice Bureau?
which part of the benefit do you get the higher rate for? mobility or care? one of them has 3 levels and other only has two i can't remember right now which is which.

Apparently according to stuff on internet under the new tighter PCA rules for the ESA people who were exempt from working on Incapacity benefit are no longer automatically exempt under the new rules.
Hi Jeanette
I hope you are recovering from your nasty shock. It is horrible to receive nasty letters. I hate the post especially brown envelopes. Also I used to receive acrimonious letters from my ex husbands solicitor which frightened me on numerous occasions and I am an outgoing confident person. It is so much worse if you receive such a letter on your own. If youb are anything like me my imagination goes haywire and I start seeing the most awful scenarios. This happened recently when I had to report my condition to the DVLA. In my imaginatin I was going for an assessment and beinfg so nervous that I failed the test and my license was taken away.Every day I dread the post.
If we talk to others we can get the problem into pperspective. You have beenI asked to attend an interview. They haven't cut your benefits yet nor are they likely to when they see the nature of your difficulties. Perhaps they can suggest some jobs for which don't involve using the phone,speaking , writing or general mobility and which employer is likely to hand you a bucket when you are sick.You are quite naturally panicking but take one step at a tim e .Get a friend to help you prepare for the interview and go with you.They are trying to cut down on fraud which is absolutely the right thing to do.So you just have to show them you have a gen uine case and you will be ok.They are not my fav people at the moment but they are caught up in a faulty system and are just doing their job.In time the shock will wear off and you will feel better. While you r recovering just think of nice things and keep your mind on doing what you can do.I go woozy whenever I stand up and try to walk.Please excuse the typos but you know what its like.
Don't panic
Marie
Thank you - have calmed down a lot. This is not an interview to determine that I'm fit for work, but to sit and patronise me and tell me how to write a cv, and tbh if they want to waste more time and money doing this then fine!

Marie Turner said:
Hi Jeanette
I hope you are recovering from your nasty shock. It is horrible to receive nasty letters. I hate the post especially brown envelopes. Also I used to receive acrimonious letters from my ex husbands solicitor which frightened me on numerous occasions and I am an outgoing confident person. It is so much worse if you receive such a letter on your own. If youb are anything like me my imagination goes haywire and I start seeing the most awful scenarios. This happened recently when I had to report my condition to the DVLA. In my imaginatin I was going for an assessment and beinfg so nervous that I failed the test and my license was taken away.Every day I dread the post.
If we talk to others we can get the problem into pperspective. You have beenI asked to attend an interview. They haven't cut your benefits yet nor are they likely to when they see the nature of your difficulties. Perhaps they can suggest some jobs for which don't involve using the phone,speaking , writing or general mobility and which employer is likely to hand you a bucket when you are sick.You are quite naturally panicking but take one step at a tim e .Get a friend to help you prepare for the interview and go with you.They are trying to cut down on fraud which is absolutely the right thing to do.So you just have to show them you have a gen uine case and you will be ok.They are not my fav people at the moment but they are caught up in a faulty system and are just doing their job.In time the shock will wear off and you will feel better. While you r recovering just think of nice things and keep your mind on doing what you can do.I go woozy whenever I stand up and try to walk.Please excuse the typos but you know what its like.
Don't panic
Marie
Oh I see .One of those interviews Good luck.

Jeannette Hill said:
Thank you - have calmed down a lot. This is not an interview to determine that I'm fit for work, but to sit and patronise me and tell me how to write a cv, and tbh if they want to waste more time and money doing this then fine!

Marie Turner said:
Hi Jeanette
I hope you are recovering from your nasty shock. It is horrible to receive nasty letters. I hate the post especially brown envelopes. Also I used to receive acrimonious letters from my ex husbands solicitor which frightened me on numerous occasions and I am an outgoing confident person. It is so much worse if you receive such a letter on your own. If youb are anything like me my imagination goes haywire and I start seeing the most awful scenarios. This happened recently when I had to report my condition to the DVLA. In my imaginatin I was going for an assessment and beinfg so nervous that I failed the test and my license was taken away.Every day I dread the post.
If we talk to others we can get the problem into pperspective. You have beenI asked to attend an interview. They haven't cut your benefits yet nor are they likely to when they see the nature of your difficulties. Perhaps they can suggest some jobs for which don't involve using the phone,speaking , writing or general mobility and which employer is likely to hand you a bucket when you are sick.You are quite naturally panicking but take one step at a tim e .Get a friend to help you prepare for the interview and go with you.They are trying to cut down on fraud which is absolutely the right thing to do.So you just have to show them you have a gen uine case and you will be ok.They are not my fav people at the moment but they are caught up in a faulty system and are just doing their job.In time the shock will wear off and you will feel better. While you r recovering just think of nice things and keep your mind on doing what you can do.I go woozy whenever I stand up and try to walk.Please excuse the typos but you know what its like.
Don't panic
Marie
Apparently, according to one site, if you are in receipt of the higher level of DLA Care (doesn't apply to mobility part) you are automatically exempt from this process of assessment for work on the new ESA.

Reply to Discussion

RSS

Please Like Us On Facebook and Follow Ben's Friends on Tumblr and Twitter

To Support LivingwithAtaxia.org, Click an Ad. Or Two.

Advertise With Us

© 2012   Created by Ben Munoz.

Badges  |  Report an Issue  |  Terms of Service