Parkinsons and getting back into work.

Hi Zach. I'm havin another kick at the ball. I tweeted a link to this thread and Parkinsons uk got in touch. They're going to assist me to fill in a form or two and attempt a court appeal with the ESA.

Like you say, keep on trying however mundane and frustrating. it just seems odd to not be on either JSA or ESA with so much restriction on actually obtaining some sort of employment. oh i'd give something a go but i'm thinking how long would i be in employment before i get sacked for errors or not meeting deadlines. In the long term i'm thinking negatively again, laid off, back to filling in forms, square one... i know i can do things but am i employable, when there are so many qualified people out there needin a job.

keeping my ears n eyes open and if the chance arises i'd take a punt on getting some sort of interview, then i guess it's up to the employer to give me a trial. There are people with qualifications that put them ahead of others, yet some are in and out of a job because they want more, or the job is tedious or below their capabilities. Get me in a job and i'll make it mine.

We'll see.. but the ball is rollin, again.

Hi Zach. I'm havin another kick at the ball. I tweeted a link to this thread and Parkinsons uk got in touch. They're going to assist me to fill in a form or two and attempt a court appeal with the ESA.

 

Like you say, keep on trying however mundane and frustrating. it just seems odd to not be on either JSA or ESA with so much restriction on actually obtaining some sort of employment. oh i'd give something a go but i'm thinking how long would i be in employment before i get sacked for errors or not meeting deadlines. In the long term i'm thinking negatively again, laid off, back to filling in forms, square one... i know i can do things but am i employable, when there are so many qualified people out there needin a job.

 

keeping my ears n eyes open and if the chance arises i'd take a punt on getting some sort of interview, then i guess it's up to the employer to give me a trial. There are people with qualifications that put them ahead of others, yet some are in and out of a job because they want more, or the job is tedious or below their capabilities. Get me in a job and i'll make it mine.

 

We'll see.. but the ball is rollin, again.

Great, and good for you.

For the first year they gave me just over £60 per week. No prescription, rent or council tax help. As you can imagine, rent, CT and 3 prescriptions a month out of 240 quid doesn't quite go. I just accepted it as I thought it was right, It was ALL wrong! fortunately I got it sorted and back money was paid, which just came in time or I'd have been homeless.

I don't know how it all works with your partners money but from what you've said, it doesn't sound like it should make a world of difference.

Good luck with it and let us know how you get on either with ESA/JSA or the job hunt.

Keeping the thread updated... Parkinsons uk said give citizens advice another go. Although a refusal at the mandatory reconsideration stage has to be responded to within 30 days, there are exceptions where they will allow you up to 12 months to get a case together.

so off i went, stood in the snow for 40 mins to queue up.. and was told NO.. you didnt respond in 30 days.. they knew nothing of the 12 month thing. so they advised me to claim income support online and come back next week to discuss any problems i faced (it would be too late then cos i would either have filled in the form on not)... but they also said they cant understand why i'm not on one benefit or the other so they would help me write a letter to my M.P explaining the impossible scenario .. one where i cant afford to pay 8.50 per item on my prescription..!

P.uk did a home visit, bless em, and asked how i got on.. i had told them i've rarely had any positive results from our local c.a.b previously. Needless to say they were not impressed with my latest visit either. They offered to attend next weeks visit to the c.a.b with me to share their knowledge.. so there's a little hope in there somewhere.

I'm in a similar situation where seemingly the only way out is to put my home on the market , or risk getting it repossessed for my inability to pay the mortgage... Whereas if we were on Universal credit, we would have interest payments paid for a short while... now that would help, why cant we apply???

We're not in the catchment area to qualify.

As for my partners wage.. well i mentioned she was on a 12 hour contract. After snaffling a shift last week she came out with £101... Couples on the dole get more than that without getting out of bed. It's a strain on our relationship where she makes the effort and we end up far, far worse off.

I'll keep you all posted.

(hey, the sun's out)

Me and my ex wife learnt fairly quickly that if you only have £5 left, you can argue all day and night about it... you'll still only have £5 left!

The separation wasn't about money!

Joking aside. Dreading the next knock on the door or next brown envelope puts a strain on any relationship.

My knowledge on what you wrote above is that there isn't a 12 month period so you might need to start from scratch again, if you can. I really hope I'm wrong and you can carry on with your claim.

I have no suggestions Cloudsailors, just touched by your story. I really hope the Parkinson's society/CAB/MP or someone can make a difference and get you the financial support you so obviously need.

A candle in the tunnel comforts for as long as it takes us to see the light at the end... Thank you

Sadly, entertainer Neil Diamond has just announced that he has been forced to retire from touring because of his worsening condition.

Parkinsons takes no prisoners...

Well I went to the citizens’ advice for the meeting on Tuesday, after spending time filling in a 63 page online form for income support as they had suggested, then wasted my time and precious resources printing it out.

They spent time working out what extra additions and premiums I may get and I was beginning to think things were getting sorted until they actually rang Income support … They were told that I couldn’t claim income support on a disability, even though one of the premiums mentioned WAS a disability premium… and guess what? I had to appeal the ESA verdict that they told me I COULDN’T appeal last week.

Failing that I’d have to let 6 months lapse from the date of the last payment I had received before being forced to make a “fresh claim”… it’s all very well saying payments can be backdated… but having to suffer six months without payment is beyond a joke.

So that’s yet another appointment for next Tuesday… and they reckon you only get thirty days to appeal unless you can give good reason why you haven’t managed to do so in the allotted time scale…

Waiting a week for an appointment, then finding out even the C.A.B needs advising.. and then consequently having to wait another week for another appointment…. Those 30 days soon get swallowed up.. add that to the inability to fill in forms in one go and having to allow for my tremor and anxiety to subside… 30 days is a joke.

The same can be said of the jsa/ esa scenario .. you have to book an appointment with one, then they turn you down so you have to book an appointment with the other and hope you’re feeling well enough to sit in a tiny room for two hours being fed the wrong info…

C.A.B did say they would help me write a letter to the local M.P detailing the confusion within the benefits system and pointing out the grey areas where some people fail to fall into any group and duly get overlooked or pin-balled around the system.

I guess one good point to observe here is that if the c.a.b can get confused to a point where I’m advising them… then what chance has the average joe got of knowing what help is actually out there?

This is really disgraceful, but unfortunately, not all that uncommon.

Never mind writing to your MP, do that, but go and see him/her as well. They should have a local surgery at least once a month. Take with you copies of any doctors / consultants reports, and all the paperwork you have accumulated. Impress on them that you are ill and all this stress is making you worse. You really need an advocate.

The benefit system is in such a mess and changing so often that, as you have found, nobody seems to know how it works and you will get contradictory answers every time. You might even try a solicitor's appointment (you can get free advice at some, although they will not take on the case.) They might be able to point you in the right direction. There are even Personal Benefits Consultants out there who know the law and will take on your case on for a fee, but be wary - some of them are sharks.

If you have to wait and then submit a new claim, always get proper help in filling in the initial form, there is a definite art to avoiding the traps and pitfalls that will let them dismiss your claim, you have to be very careful how you word things.

Personally, I'd even think about going to a newspaper for publicity. People neeed to know what is going on. Have you seen 'Daniel Blake?'

What a pity that all this is necessary just to be able to live, the system is designed to grind you down. And when you are unwell it's the last thing you need. Don't give up. Keep us updated. Best wishes to you.

Just wondered, how you were getting on and if you had any better luck.

I reckon i should have started a blog about all this, if only for others in a similar predicament to peruse and hopefully find a few pointers to follow. Thanks for all the ongoing interest, surely we must have reached the brow of the hill by now?

An appeal letter was sent to the ESA, albeit a late one.. but as I had been informed by Parkinsons uk, it IS true that a person can be given upto 12 months to make an appeal IF the reason for the tardiness is a genuine one. I have had an interim letter in response from HM courts & tribunals. Basically saying “we’ve received your appeal.. and.. because it’s a late appeal the ESA has the chance to challenge your reasons for the late reply.”

My “reasons” Having Parkinsons is one.. the stress, anxiety, confusion,.. the wobbly hand!!. Others include the ambiguity of the DWP departments, for which I had to book appointments 7-10 days in advance, same with the C.A.B, they can’t deal with things on the day you “drop-in”

So we’ll see.

Anyhoo, an email has been sent to the local M.P. but I don’t hold out any hope there personally, I’ve never had a reply from my M.P before. I just want to highlight the problems of certain people who seem to tumble through the net of the benefits system, qualifying for nothing or very little. Emphasis too has to be placed on the unknown.. what I mean here is the average joe can be unaware of the correct benefits to claim for. All too often I’m hearing, “why aren’t you claiming for this” or “you could be claiming for that”.

For a solid 8 weeks, maybe longer, I wasn’t taking any medication.. they all ran out and I was left cold turkey purely because ESA was sending me to JSA and they were sending me back again. I wasn’t on a benefit that would qualify me for NHS treatment. Sure, the C.A.B said “just tick the box on the prescription”.. eh?…Pretend I’m on benefits?.. oh right, and line myself up for a fraud case as well.

No, if there’s one thing I am, it’s as honest as the day’s long. Yes the appeal could have been sorted by the time anyone looked twice at my prescription but.. it wasn’t and still isn’t. Going back to an earlier point, I was told I could apply for help with my NHS costs by filling in a “Low Income” form. Yeah ANOTHER damn form.. but Parkinsons UK did all the filling in for me and I just had to make a mess where the signature should be. So now I’ve got my coloured sweeties, 6 times a day with food…lol I rarely accrue over 1200 calories a day.. which in itself doesn’t help my wobbly hands either but… neither do the tablets. With valentines day looming and my fiancees birthday on the horizon, being skint is not where I want to be. She deserves something to smile about, heaven knows I love her to bits but I’m burdening her with all this mess…

On a day to day basis, I feel like the last carp in an overgrown forgotten pond, or a struck once golf ball left in the rough waiting for another go.. y’know? The plus side being I have got P.UK on my side who have helped me spark off another appeal. Looking forward, either the appeal goes through or I need an understanding future employer.

Heaven knows you have enough to put up with. It sounds absolutely soul destroying. I'm glad P. UK have been a good help.

Have they told you to keep all receipts for your paid prescriptions because I'm pretty sure you might be able to claim them back.

I hope that things start to look up soon.

Try not to let it get you in to a state of depression, which I realise is easier said than done, but your partner chose you for good reason, you obviously still have a lot to offer and it IS the thought that counts - the little things, not lavish gifts - any buffoon can give those!