Disabled couple - ESA stopped for both of us!!!

Thanks for the help with my name appearing Gordon. I'm out of touch with the internet these days - used to be an avid forum user. I need to get up to speed quickly.

I applied for ESA in February 2015. Asked for telephone appointments with my Advisor at the Jobcentre and finally got them after a few visits. Every time I asked for news of when my assessment would occur, every time I was told there was a delay and that I just needed to wait. My first contact from the Assessment Agency was around January this year I think. I'm sorry, I'm sketchy on details - used to run a tight ship with paperwork when I was dealing with my wife's disability (with help from this site) three years ago - but my illness has had an impact on everything. They offered an appointment at our Jobcentre - on the first floor - and with support from my GP I finally got them to agree on a home visit. They called me again last week, made an offer to pay for a taxi if I could come in to see them as the waiting list for home visits is currently six months, but I refused. So they asked me to contact my GP and ask him to send more info about my condition - said it might be enough to convince them to place me in the support group without the need of an assessment.

When my wife was told there was a problem with her pension details and that her payments would be stopped whilst they investigated, she asked if she could just go back to CB - but the gentleman on the phone refused to answer and just continued to insist she send in her pension details.

I know I should be calling them back and fighting our case, but it's so difficult to focus on what they are saying over the phone. I've never been good at telephone conversations and my illness has only made it worse. These days I'm never sure if I'm even talking to the right department due to their infuriating menu system. By the time I eventually get through to talk to a real person my nerves are frazzled and I can't concentrate.

But I'll try to get through to someone - wish me luck!

Hi Gordon,

My wife's transition from employment to retired on ill-health was a complete mess. Neither of us understood the benefit system or that she should have received ESA the moment her SSP ran out. I believe our confusion at the time may have led to this discrepancy with her pension details now. But she has been on ESA(CB) for about three years. She was placed directly into the support group when we finally submitted her ESA application.

Hi all,

Sorry - we've been off-line for a few days. My wife's health has taken a nose dive since my last message - which impacts on me greatly over the weekend as there is only me around to care for her. I had an appointment with my Consultant on Monday which added to my exhaustion, so I've been unable to give you guys an update until now.

Gordon, I've followed your advice and found the councils Benefit Advice line. A lovely woman replied to my email instantly and we even managed to talk it through on the phone the next day. Turns out the advice I received from the Jobcentre was a complete red herring - the link I was sent by the Job Coach didn't even refer to Pension Credits and I'm not eligible for them anyway as I'm only 57.

The lady says she can see no reason for us not to get ESA - once they have completed their recalculation. We just need to wait it out, as she says they can take up to four weeks to do that. She's also helped us find a local drop-in charity who will help with an overpayment issue we've been trying to resolve with the Tax Credit people for a year or more. So we just need to get well enough to start that process.

I've also written to our MP to see if she can help discover where our lives went so very wrong during the last year or so. She's responded the next day too - so we might have a clearer picture sooner rather than later.

One little matter that may surprise some of you out there - the lady at the council Advice Line is on her own. A city the size of Coventry and she's dealing with it single-handedly due to the cuts. It's a crazy world for sure.

Anyway, just wanted to give you all an update.