Appeal Update

Well I got a letter from the benefits people at the Department for Works and Pensions. Short and sweet again but good news this time.

We have looked again at our decision.

You made an appeal against a decision about being placed in the Work Related Activity Group. We have looked again at the facts and evidence used to make our decision. As a result we have changed that decision.

What happens now.

Your appeals will not be sent to an independent tribunal as the decision has been changed in your favour. 

The latest letter was dated the 6th of January, so after waiting around 3 months total since I received the first results of my assessment in early October.

So for once good news for me. After the DWP decision maker decided in December that he/she would stand by their initial decision of placing me in the WRAG, it's been reversed by the higher level DWP before being passed along for the independent appeal. I know I got a letter less than a month ago from this benefits department who would review my original evidence provided with the ESA form as well as the points I raised on the letter I submitted in October after initially being put in the WRAG. With only my appeal letter and evidence given in my initial assessment claim I am being placed into the SG (Support Group) as I asked to be looked at for eligibility in my appeal letter in October stating why I thought I qualified for it, the DM in December stated I didn't provide enough evidence in my appeal letter and intial form for this and it was being passed onto the appeal process. Re-assessment by the DWP/Appeal section at DWP have decided that the evidence is enough to warrant my claim on SG.

So, for the moment I can breathe easier and concentrate on the therapy I am currently undergoing.

D-Day

Well D-Day - as in the day I've been dreading - is upon me.

Tomorrow first thing is my first WFI with my personal advisor who I only know by her first name supplied in my letter from the Job Center Plus.

I didn't manage to get my hair washed today as my mum's back was too painful and stiff to bend over.

If my hair looks too greasy I will resort to my emergency can of dry shampoo so I don't go out with greasy or dead and dull hair.

I sincerely hope that the advisor I've been given doesn't turn out to be one of those Stalin wannabes that I've heard about who ignore all evidence of illness or disability and steamroller you (and in some cases threaten or intimidate) those they are supposed to be simply providing options for their possible future possibilities into any scheme like workfare regardless of their medical and health at the time.

In some ways I just want this over and in others I don't want it to ever come around.

Quite frankly I'm a complete nervous wreck at the moment and expecting the worse starting by being forced to sit listening to a total stranger dictate my future while sitting in a uncomfortable plastic chair for an hour.

WFI Day Approaching

Well it's now Thursday 10th and another day closer to my first WFI (Work Focused Interview) at our local JCP (Job Centre Plus) which is this coming Monday (the 14th) at 9.45 am.

As well as struggling from the nearest disabled parking spot and the early time I'm not looking forward to this meeting at all. The form and initial phone call I received at the start of re assessment to move me over to ESA it was made clear I was unable to begin functioning before 11 at the earliest due to my diseases as well as my medications and they give me an interview over an hour earlier.

Also I can't manage to walk more than a dozen steps without stopping due to pain, fatigue or in most cases both. The nearest disabled parking is quite a distance for me although the shopping centre the JCP is housed in has a car park with disabled parking the hourly charge is too much for me on my limited income especially as this interview can take up to an hour plus the time it would take me to travel to and from my car could take be at least an hour combined for me to walk said distance.

Once I make it to the entry to the JCP I pray frantically that the lift is working OK and there isn't too long a queue to use it as it only holds 3 or 4 adults at a time and I can't walk up the 5 or 6 flights of stairs to the actual office.

Once I wait my turn I can look forward to up to 60 minutes sitting, or in my case moving painfully about in a chair when I am unable to sit for more than ten minutes at any given time in my own luxury padded leather chair at home.

The only light at the end of my tunnel is my cousin attends interviews with his advisor regularly and says although his letters mention an hour he is generally finished in about half an hour each time.

My assessment with my hospital therapists haven't come through yet but my check up with my specialist has for May 10th.

So I'll only be able to tell me advisor Marion about what the therapists said at the hospital last week, mentioning my injection and other concerns that my specialist and therapists had when attending.

Still no response to my appeal which I put in exactly two weeks ago yet but not so surprising given the backlog on appeals lodged so far. Another person who appealed on a board I belong to put in his almost two months ago and has also heard nothing back yet either.

I'm ready to call it a night now and try to get some sleep with try being the objective word here.