What constitutes a change in circumstance?

Hello.Had a clinic visit yesterday and the consultant said my tests are showing as normal which with my illness they can do and the illness can still be there presenting all the symptoms as usual .So as I am now going to ask my Gp for a second opinion which I am entitled to do does this constitute a change in circumstances ? I also presented with some new symptoms of very painful chest pains which I was given medication for and we think it is pleurisy which can be caused by my illness .
As of yet I haven't heard back from submitting my newest esa50 form back in December last year so what do I do.I still have the illness but it's just that ,as is common with this one,it's not showing on tests.
On my easy form I also stated other illness's and they too are still there.Bit confused really so any help would be great.Thanks.

883cc wrote: Hello.Had a clinic visit yesterday and the consultant said my tests are showing as normal which with my illness they can do and the illness can still be there presenting all the symptoms as usual .So as I am now going to ask my Gp for a second opinion which I am entitled to do does this constitute a change in circumstances ? I also presented with some new symptoms of very painful chest pains which I was given medication for and we think it is pleurisy which can be caused by my illness .
As of yet I haven't heard back from submitting my newest esa50 form back in December last year so what do I do.I still have the illness but it's just that ,as is common with this one,it's not showing on tests.
On my easy form I also stated other illness's and they too are still there.Bit confused really so any help would be great.Thanks.

Hi 883,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

Several medical conditions can result in variable (positive/negative) blood tests. (such as SLE. Lupus)

The fact that a blood test has come back negative is not a Change of Circumstances (C of C) in itself.

With ESA it is the limitations caused by any medical condition that are more important than the medical condition itself.

Therefore, if your limitations have not changed, increased, or diminished in any way this would not be classed as a C of C.

Some examples of where a C of C may need to be reported would be, if an operative/surgical procedure was carried out, or if your medications were changed, and either of these resulted in a change in your resulting limitations for better or worse.

As pleurisy should be a temporary condition, cured by medication, this would not be classed as a C of C, unless it left you with different/increased limitations as a result of the condition.

I hope this clarifies this matter for you.

bro58

Hello bro58. Thank you for that quick reply . Yes that does help as I just didn't know if I should have to do anything.The thing with my illness, sarcoidosis, is its very variable in how it manifests itself in every sufferer and some have it far worse than others,some do not present symptoms but may indeed have it. Its a nightmare of a thing to have.I have had a range of tests and it doesn't appear to show much on any of them ,which again a lot of suffers do not present on any tests, but as you say with ESA it's more about the limitations of the illness which are and have been the same since I first got it nearly 20 years ago. So I don't have to report a C of C as a result so that puts my mind at rest on that just got to get past the esa50 wait and see now to see if I remain in the support group.fingers croossed double on that one.
As for the pleurisy yes it should indeed clear in time with medication so really it's just another thing I have at the moment.Thanks for you help bro58.

883cc wrote: Hello bro58. Thank you for that quick reply . Yes that does help as I just didn't know if I should have to do anything.The thing with my illness, sarcoidosis, is its very variable in how it manifests itself in every sufferer and some have it far worse than others,some do not present symptoms but may indeed have it. Its a nightmare of a thing to have.I have had a range of tests and it doesn't appear to show much on any of them ,which again a lot of suffers do not present on any tests, but as you say with ESA it's more about the limitations of the illness which are and have been the same since I first got it nearly 20 years ago. So I don't have to report a C of C as a result so that puts my mind at rest on that just got to get past the esa50 wait and see now to see if I remain in the support group.fingers croossed double on that one.
As for the pleurisy yes it should indeed clear in time with medication so really it's just another thing I have at the moment.Thanks for you help bro58.

Hi 833,

Here is hoping for a further SG award on your reassessment !!

Please keep us updated.

bro58

Hello.Well how timely is this.i just received a letter tonight...from the dwp. It's an ESA 72 form which I have never had before.It gives info on both wrap and the support group and at first I thought I was in the wrag group for the first time but noticed the tick box didn't have a X in it so turns the pages over and noticed the support group box did and it seems I am now in the support group with a review date of May 2017 so that's the maximum 3 years and with no F2F.
It did use all the guides agin for this site which was once again invaluable so thanks for that
However i am still rather worried about C of C but as my condition has not improved in terms of daily pain,mobility etc even though the tests,blood and scans are near to normal but it's not unusual at all with this very variable multi organ condition and there is no change in the limitations of my day to day life.Of course as I understand it if I have significant improvement( oh how I wish) then that would be a C of C.
If anyone gets this rather grey ESA 72 though please do look which box has the X in it as this is the catagory you will be in.thanks.

883cc wrote: Hello.Well how timely is this.i just received a letter tonight...from the dwp. It's an ESA 72 form which I have never had before.It gives info on both wrap and the support group and at first I thought I was in the wrag group for the first time but noticed the tick box didn't have a X in it so turns the pages over and noticed the support group box did and it seems I am now in the support group with a review date of May 2017 so that's the maximum 3 years and with no F2F.
It did use all the guides agin for this site which was once again invaluable so thanks for that
However i am still rather worried about C of C but as my condition has not improved in terms of daily pain,mobility etc even though the tests,blood and scans are near to normal but it's not unusual at all with this very variable multi organ condition and there is no change in the limitations of my day to day life.Of course as I understand it if I have significant improvement( oh how I wish) then that would be a C of C.
If anyone gets this rather grey ESA 72 though please do look which box has the X in it as this is the catagory you will be in.thanks.

Hi 883,

Congratulations on The SG award with a 3 year review date !!!

We have a few members who have received an ESA72 Form in the past, but they are in the minority.

See : ESA72 Form

The one that you have received may be a more current version.

Thanks for the update.

bro58