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© Charlotte Walker and purplepersuasion, 2013. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Charlotte Walker and purplepersuasion with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.Archives
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Tag Archives: ESA
On having a “carer”
By now I am a veteran at completing application/review forms for Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP). ESA is for people who are too sick to work, while PIP is to cover extra expenses associated with … Continue reading
Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Crisis care, Depression, Employment and benefits, GP, Medication, Mental health, Mental health services, Mood disorder, NHS services, Rapid cycling, Suicidal thought, Treatment planning, Uncategorized
Tagged Anxiety, Benefits, Benzodiazepines, Bipolar, Carer, Community Psychiatric Nurse, Crisis Team, Depression, ESA, GPs, PIP, Suicidal thoughts
Zero hours
So next week I have to go to the GP to ask for an extension to my sick note. After initially signing me off for six weeks they gave me another certificate for four weeks, but this time I have … Continue reading
Posted in Bipolar, Crisis care, Employment and benefits, Mood disorder, NHS services, Primary care, Self-management, Uncategorized
Tagged Benefits, Bipolar, Bipolar affective disorder, Bipolar disorder, Bipolar mood disorder, Employment, ESA, ESA Employment and Support Allowance, Fitness for work, GP, Personal Independence Payment, PIP, Primary care, State benefits
Hi ho, hi ho, it’s off to work I – oh :(
Recently I decided that I was ready to get a job. Aside from the freelance stuff I did a couple of years ago, I haven’t worked for a long time. The last time I worked for an employer was in … Continue reading
Posted in Anxiety, Bipolar, Employment and benefits, GP, Mental health, Mood disorder, NHS services, Primary care, Recovery, Stress, Uncategorized
Tagged Anxiety, Benzodiazepines, Bipolar, Bipolar affective disorder, Bipolar mood disorder, Disability, Employment, ESA, ESA Employment and Support Allowance, Mental health, Mental illness, Obsessional thinking, Stress, Work, Workplace
Fitness for work – the real life questions the system never asks
So I filled in an ESA50 last week and was reminded afresh what a terrible form it is. Yes, we all know it’s terrible, a terrible form for a terrible benefit in a terrible system. It’s not designed to be … Continue reading
Posted in Employment and benefits, Mental health, mental health debate, Mood disorder, Politics and current affairs, Stigma and discrimination, Uncategorized
Tagged Benefits, Benefits system, Bipolar, Department for Work and Pensions, DWP, Employment, Employment Support Allowance, ESA, ESA50, Fitness for work, Fluctuating conditions, Lifelong disability, Long term sickness, self-employment, State benefits, Welfare, Work, Work capability, Work Capability Assessment
It’s official – the WCA is unfair
Today, three judges at a tribunal equivalent to the High Court ruled that certain aspects of the process of applying for ESA (Employment and Support Allowance), including attendance at the WCA (Work Capability Assessment), were unfair to people with serious … Continue reading
I appealed – and I won!
Apparently, I did it! I challenged Atos’ decision that I merited nil points at Work Capability Assessment and I won. The information provided has apparently taken me from the zero points awarded by the Health Care Professional (HCP) and the decision … Continue reading
Posted in Mental health, Politics and current affairs
Tagged ATOS, Benefits appeal, Bipolar disorder, Bipolar I, Department for Work and Pensions, DWP, Employment and Support Allowance, ESA, Fluctuating conditions, Hypomania, Mental health, Mood disorder, Royal College of Psychiatrists, WCA, Work Capability Assessment
16 Comments
One degree of separation – there is no “them” and “us”
103,545 people on Facebook like “I hate benefit scrounging work shy bastards.” What separates them from benefit claimants? One event beyond their control. One departmental downsizing One ruptured blood vessel One car accident that you couldn’t prevent One expected baby … Continue reading
Posted in Mental health, Politics and current affairs
Tagged Accidental injury, Benefit fraud, Benefit scroungers, Carer's allowance, Department for Work and Pensions, Disability, Disability Living Allowance, DLA, DWP, Employment and Support Allowance, ESA, Jobseekers Allowance, JSA, Mental health, State benefits, Welfare state
48 Comments
What rabbit hole have we fallen down? My experiences of Atos Work Capability Assessment
Ever since claiming Employment and Support Allowance, I’ve worried about being called to a Work Capability Assessment. A few weeks ago, a letter marked “Atos” dropped through my door. As I’d feared, it instructed me to attend for WCA at … Continue reading
