From IB to ESA

Hello, i am new to the forums and would v much like some help please.

I am on IB and have recv'd ESA50 to complete. I have suffered with debilitating pain in both feet upon walking and standing, for 30 years. I also suffer chronic upper and lower back pain for 22ish years, and had to stop working due to these problems about 20 years ago.

After filling in the IB50 form in the late 1990's, my claim was rejected (i don't think i was scored any points) despite being unable to sit for more than a few minutes and i had to go to a tribunal. At said tribunal, my claim was allowed on evidence from my psychiatrist. (I also suffer depression and chronic anxiety).

The psychiatrists i used to see have retired (one works privately and the other is in a different setting), and last saw one around 2 years ago i think. The last couple of years i have seen psychology counsellers (3 x courses of treatment). I live my life around my conditions, and my mental state, though already very troubled is being made worse by the stress of this benefit change.

My conditions remain as debilitating as before, my lower back is in a worse state and it is physically difficult to type much or to get form filled in with upper back pain, so please excuse any abbreviationsor delay in replies.

My questions are 1) is my claim on physical grounds likely to be rejected as it was before with IB50?

2) Should i use an old evidence letter (from 1998 tribunal) from my psychiatrist or a later one (2002) which both state that my condition is severe and ongoing/should i get a new referral from my GP for another assessment with another psych iatrist - which could take months/should i ask for a letter from the psychology counsellers (one of which has now retired) whom i have seen this year?

Thanking you in advance for any advice. confusedwoman.

confusedwoman wrote: Hello, i am new to the forums and would v much like some help please.

I am on IB and have recv'd ESA50 to complete. I have suffered with debilitating pain in both feet upon walking and standing, for 30 years. I also suffer chronic upper and lower back pain for 22ish years, and had to stop working due to these problems about 20 years ago.

After filling in the IB50 form in the late 1990's, my claim was rejected (i don't think i was scored any points) despite being unable to sit for more than a few minutes and i had to go to a tribunal. At said tribunal, my claim was allowed on evidence from my psychiatrist. (I also suffer depression and chronic anxiety).

The psychiatrists i used to see have retired (one works privately and the other is in a different setting), and last saw one around 2 years ago i think. The last couple of years i have seen psychology counsellers (3 x courses of treatment). I live my life around my conditions, and my mental state, though already very troubled is being made worse by the stress of this benefit change.

My conditions remain as debilitating as before, my lower back is in a worse state and it is physically difficult to type much or to get form filled in with upper back pain, so please excuse any abbreviationsor delay in replies.

My questions are 1) is my claim on physical grounds likely to be rejected as it was before with IB50?

2) Should i use an old evidence letter (from 1998 tribunal) from my psychiatrist or a later one (2002) which both state that my condition is severe and ongoing/should i get a new referral from my GP for another assessment with another psych iatrist - which could take months/should i ask for a letter from the psychology counsellers (one of which has now retired) whom i have seen this year?

Thanking you in advance for any advice. confusedwoman.

Hi cw,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

As you may have gathered, the ESA50 is very different to the IB50, so is the ESA WCA criteria.

Whereas it was a "Walking" test with IB, it is now a "Mobilising" test for ESA. This test not only includes walking aided or unaided, but also includes the use of a manual wheelchair unaided, (in that you can self propel it, without someone pushing you) even if you have never had or used a manual wheelchair.

My best advice would be to first read through our :

"Being transferred from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance. A 22 page guide to the transfer process." Document

At the top of this page :

ESA Claims Guides

As you have now received the ESA50 Questionnaire, you must fill it in and return it to ATOS by the deadline given.

You may wish to consider :

Using The PDF Version Of The ESA50 Questionnaire

Whilst referring to the ESA Claims Guides under the heading :

"New ESA50 form"

On the same : ESA Claims Guides page, as above.

See also :

How long do I have to complete the ESA50?

ESA50 too big for the envelope

&

Sending Documents to the DWP or ATOS

You should fill in any of the questions that you feel apply to your limitations. All this is explained in our guides.

You can use older evidence to show that your conditions are long standing an progressive. If possible you should also try and obtain more up to date evidence. This could include letters of support from your G.P. or other treating HCP's and even people that know how your limitations affect you on a day to day basis.

The important issue is to try and tie in the limitations that you suffer as a result of your medical conditions with the qualifying WRAG/SG descriptors.

This is more important than the existing medical conditions themselves, even though documented proof of these will obviously help.

Do not assume that ATOS/DWP will have any knowledge of your existing medical conditions, treat it as starting from scratch.

It may also help, if you read through our :

IB, IS, SDA, Migration to ESA FAQ’s

And our :

ESA FAQ’s

You might wish to Favourite/Bookmark this page, so that you can revisit it easily.

You can then pose any further queries by replying to this topic.

bro58

Thank u Gordon and bro58 4 your replies.

I did loads of reading before i posted and am trying to trawl through everything.I am so depressed tho and can only do a bit at a time. Also back pain makes typing/writing/sitting so hard and i will have to cite these as reasons when i probably get my form back late.

I am still not sure about what letters to try and get , I have to massively pace myself as i'm sure lots of others do, but i am doing this alone and it is incredilbly stressful. cw

Hello

i I have just returned from my GPs where i was supposed to be picking up an evidence letter. I looked at it before i payed any money (which my GP did not tell me about when i saw her last week) and it is of no use except it mentions 3 of my conditions. Some of the things she has put are just plain wrong - for instance i do not suffer from shoulder pain.

I told the receptionist all this and i wrote on the bottom of this letter asking my gp politely to make it more accurate and to maybe mentiion my limitations with sitting. I have to ring on Monday to see if my GP has done another reasonably accurate letter.

I am just about to send my completed ESA form off so can't delay it. But would it be better just to cancel this GP letter?