Permitted work and ESA?

Hi there, staying with the ESA50 which I'm at present completing. My daughter's overall medical diagnosis/condition which affects her both physically and mentally has resulted in her taking medication for a mental illness.

A side affect of this affects her physically, for example dizziness, balance and excessive sleepiness.

My question is: can these side affects which affect her physically count for ESA purposes considering they are a result of her mental illness? I think they should - because she has an overall medical diagnosis which encompases other seperate diagnosis's.

I hope I have explained this well enough. Also, physical functions descriptor 7.

My daughter is partially sighted and dosn't wear glasses as they make no difference to her visual impairment. She does have an aid which is a hand held magnifyer for putting other text which helps her to read.

She can only use this on a flat surface and ideally when seated. The descriptor asks about understanding a simple message from other people by reading. My query here is: would she be expected to use her magnifyer aid whilst out and about to help her read things like the location of a fire escape?

Also, I remember reading something about being able to read size 16 print or not, but now I can't seem to find this in the ESA50 descriptors. I have read through your ESA guides briefly and will be working from them properly tommorow whilst completing the ESA50, however, there dosn't seem to be a great deal on sight impairment.

Therefore, I was wondering if you had any specific tips regarding answering any of the descriptors with sight problems in mind. Thank you very much in advance.

Buster

buster wrote: Hi there, staying with the ESA50 which I'm at present completing. My daughter's overall medical diagnosis/condition which affects her both physically and mentally has resulted in her taking medication for a mental illness.

A side affect of this affects her physically, for example dizziness, balance and excessive sleepiness.

My question is: can these side affects which affect her physically count for ESA purposes considering they are a result of her mental illness? I think they should - because she has an overall medical diagnosis which encompases other seperate diagnosis's.

I hope I have explained this well enough. Also, physical functions descriptor 7.

My daughter is partially sighted and dosn't wear glasses as they make no difference to her visual impairment. She does have an aid which is a hand held magnifyer for putting other text which helps her to read.

She can only use this on a flat surface and ideally when seated. The descriptor asks about understanding a simple message from other people by reading. My query here is: would she be expected to use her magnifyer aid whilst out and about to help her read things like the location of a fire escape?

Also, I remember reading something about being able to read size 16 print or not, but now I can't seem to find this in the ESA50 descriptors. I have read through your ESA guides briefly and will be working from them properly tommorow whilst completing the ESA50, however, there dosn't seem to be a great deal on sight impairment.

Therefore, I was wondering if you had any specific tips regarding answering any of the descriptors with sight problems in mind. Thank you very much in advance.

Buster

Hi B,

I have edited your post into paragraphs. Please try to do this in future, as solid blocks of text are most difficult to read. Especially when they contain more than one query.

It is stated that limitations caused as a result of Physical Conditions will only be considered against the Physical Actvities/Descriptors, likewise with limitations caused by Mental Health conditions and The MH Activities/Descriptors.

However, I would record all and any limitations suffered in whichever section of The ESA50 that you think they may relate to.

It will then be up to The DWP DM to decide. If you omit any information it cannot possibly be taken into account, so you have all to gain and nothing to lose.

The same would go for limitations caused by the side effects of having to take medication.

With respect to Activity 7 of :

The WRAG (LCW)Schedule 2 Descriptors

&

The SG (LCWRA)Schedule 3 Descriptors

This is to do with :

"7. Understanding communication by:

(i) verbal means (such as hearing or lip reading) alone;

(ii) non-verbal means (such as reading 16 point print or Braille) alone;

or

(iii) a combination of sub-paragraphs (i) and (ii),
using any aid that is normally, or could reasonably, be used unaided by another person."

So it is understanding "communication" from others, (it is not just reading) taking into account any aids, such as spectacles or a hearing aid that could reasonably be used

This activity, as many of The ESA activities are, is related to the work place.

It is covered in our :

"Employment and Support Allowance claims on physical health grounds: a guide to the work capability assessment.
This is a fully comprehensive guide to the assessment procedure for the work-related activity group and the support group on physical grounds."


3rd Link down this page :

ESA Claims Guides

Under this heading "How to explain problems with: 7. Other people
communicating with you"

From page 50 onwards.

Again, if you fail to include anything that you think may be applicable in The ESA50, it cannot possibly be taken into account.

bro58

Hi B,

With respect to your query regarding "Actiivity 7", your visually impaired daughter, and her having to use a "hand held magnifier", I have found further advice on The RNIB Website :

"If you have difficulty in understanding a message written in 16-point text, you should score points for this. It is a test of your ability to read a “simple message”, not sustained reading over a long period. If you can successfully read 16-point text with a hand-held magnifier you may score fewer points, but you should explain why it might not be “reasonable” to use a magnifier in certain circumstances. You should also explain any difficulties you have due to poor contrast, distortion or flashes of light.

NB The section about this activity in the ESA50 form, under the title “making self understood”, merely asks whether you can understand other people without any difficulty and does not specifically ask about reading 16-point text. Make sure on the ESA50 form you explain any difficulties you have with reading 16-point text.

Please contact us if you have problems reading 16-point text and do not receive any points under this descriptor at a medical examination."

From Page 11 of : This RNIB ESA Factsheet

Obtainable from the RNIB website : Here

bro58