Phone call from DWP, not the best news.

Hi Flower,

Thanks for your kinds words of empathy, sorry to hear also that you have ME too and the distress I know that must cause you. The DM sent me a copy of the letter [being sent to my GP] outlining five different areas in which I may score extra points. The way this illness makes you feel it really is the last thing you feel like doing: that is, trying to find new and creative ways to be honest about your illness. There's only so many ways you can say "I'm in tremendous pain and I need help." Despite explaining in almost redundant detail (on my ESA50) that I'm in near constant pain and crippling fatigue the medical assessor still apparently found me fit for 'some kind of work'.

That's nice. Back in Victorian (scrub that..medieval) Britain are we? In essence then, they're insinuating that I've been basically lying since my first application for benefits in 2004. And they're doing this to just about every claimant, or so it seems. Admittedly ME (in our case) is a fluctuating illness but for me, for you, and many more people with this illness, it fluctuates only between painful discomfort and unbearable hell. So the transitory periods of reduced symptoms are intended to be used not as recovery but to get back to work and further exacerbate symptoms? It makes me mad that this government treat the sick so disdainfully and I wonder how well they would, individually, cope were the roles reversed?!

I actually feel though, after speaking with the DM, that he genuinely wanted to help and most certainly sounded sympathetic, but it is a poorly designed system that sometimes, very good, and very sincere people are caught right in the middle of. Anyhow. Just wanted to say thanks Flower for your response, but also I guess I had to get some more off of my chest LOL. I do like your analogy I have to say of Psalm 27, apt! Take care Flower, I wish you a great week (and beyond), relatively speaking of course.

Matthew

The fact that the goal-posts have been moved in order to make it so difficult to get ESA does not mean that you were lying - not in 2004 nor now!

Hi Chris,

I couldn't agree more. As Mrs Hurtyback said, absolutely I would demand to see the same GP in future if at all possible. If I'd have know we could do this, as patients, I perhaps would have insisted myself. Too late now. Anyway, take care Chris. Wishing you good healing if at all possible...

I'm sorry for my short response but my personal battery just hiccoughed it's last! Time for a rest.

Matthew

That's true I guess Mrs Hurtyback!

I worked in a GP surgery for many years. You are perfectly entitled to try and see the same doctor each time. That might mean waiting longer for an appointment and, of course, you might need to see whoever is available in an urgent situation.

Hi Matthew. I am in exactly the same position as you with regards to my disease, limitations, appeals and benefits. Having filled in all the paperwork they throw at us, I have now been put in the WRAG and have absolutely no idea how I am supposed to even get to an interview, let alone work. I rarely see a doctor as its such a performance to keep an appointment. I do book appointments with the same doctor each time tho having found one who knows what I am talking about. I just wait until an appt. with her is available. I despair for the future as I also feel there is no fight left in me.