Benefits: the fear of form filling

03 June 2011 | 12:00 PM
Lynne
Topics: Someone who has experienced mental illness, Carers, Family and friends, Work and money

My partner, who has schizophrenia, received a letter from the Benefits Agency three weeks ago advising him of a change to his benefits i.e a limited Work Capability Assessment (WCA). He was advised that he would be receiving a claim form within the next couple of days and that he should get in touch as soon as he received it.

Three days later, he received a phone call from the Benefits Agency at tea time to say his form would be with him in the next couple of weeks. My partner did not eat his tea that day - he therefore had nothing all day as he only eats once usually. That was day one.

It has now been two weeks since we received the Limited Capability for Work Assessment form. My partner is incapable of dealing with anything as stressful as that and so it falls to me - also a mental health service user – to deal with it. The form itself took two hours of intense thought, stress and exhaustion to get half of it done. It is very specific on physical limitations but is somewhat less so on the mental health aspects.

There is nothing as devastating as having to go through the horror of your symptoms for the benefit of an official form, through a second party (albeit someone who loves you) and know that the person who will be actually assessing you probably doesn’t understand or care.

We took the form, as far as we could complete it to a Benefits Adviser today to be told that in the time we had received it, the ‘descriptors’ had been changed. In other words, the DWP had moved the goalposts and made it much more difficult to gain the necessary points to be in the supported group. We have completed and sent off the form today, with the help of the benefits adviser and with a covering letter from my partner’s CPN (Community Psychiatric Nurse). Done and dusted for the moment.

Now – here’s what they don’t care about. As a carer, I have to watch my partner change from a loving, caring, reasonable man into a suspicious, paranoid, verbally abusive person I don’t recognise. I have to listen as he tries to reason with his voices and talks gibberish with no way to talk him out of it. I have to reassure him that he is not the only one this is happening to. I have to reassure him and listen to him for hours while he justifies his existence to himself. I have to prevent him from self-harm - and myself from his frustration and anger.

We saw my partner’s psychiatrist today who told him not to get stressed and then informs him that the Government wants everybody to work. Hey, don’t worry. At the moment I am sitting with my partner and he is winding up. He is going into worst case scenario: It’s going to be a long night.

That’s just getting the form sent off.

Comments

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1. At 06:07 PM on 09 April 2012 Pat Fisher wrote:

Just sent off my form!

It has taken me four weeks to try to fill in this stupid form, which has not only spoiled my 20th wedding anniversary, but Easter as well. I have not been dressed for 3 days because the stress is killing me. Why I have even been asked beats me. I have suffered with severe depression since my six year old daughter was murdered and it doesn't get any better with time, believe it or not. Being asked for information they surely have already, has brought back all the memories I would rather forget, just to exist from day to day. I not only suffer with depression, but I also have osteo-arthritis and epilepsy. I am also 60 in June! Perhaps they will want me to retrain as a mountain climber...that's how stupid and angry it makes me feel. When they already have the information, why ask for it again, and again, and again? I have already signed a form to say any changes will be reported. Well there haven't been any - except for the worse - so why hassle people who are struggling? Why are we treated like criminals...sorry criminals get treated better than this!! My daughter's murderer got off easy...he was 'out' after 9 years with a nice fat bank balance. I am still serving a life sentence without my child and trying to live on a pittance. I am not trying to avoid work...I started work when I was 13 and worked all my adult life to try to give my children a good life. I would love to be able to be fit enough, but nothing would work except a magic wand! If I could manage without the government's money I would surely tell them where to stick it...along with their form!!!
2. At 11:05 AM on 15 July 2011 mandy russell wrote:

fear of form filling

the whole experience of form filling and waiting to hear from the esa is a a nightmare,its bad enough knowing in my own mind what im feeling, i carry the guilt of knowing how hard i was on co-workers, how i have driven my poor husband to despair to the point where he offered to end his own life with me , the longer i wait to hear from atos about an assessment the more anxious i become,i have had many jobs in my life and messed them all up, but instead of seeking help went out and got another job, mostly menial jobs where i knew they wouldent want refs etc, and now have applied for contribution based esa, and you know what....i already know in my head that because ive fought this bipolar on my own for so long that they are going to say....fit for work....keep taking the quetiapine and citalapram and get on with it....
3. At 02:13 PM on 08 June 2011 debbie wrote:

the fear of form filling

i have only just been diognosed shyzoaffective with major depression and have just recovering from phycosis. i have been on ESA for the past two months and am looking into DLA. i am worried as you all about all the form filling required just to try and get by...yesterday my daughter was giving some money to her sister so i said jokingly! " leave me some" she replied " why should i leave you some ? you not worked for it" this is her oppinion on mental health and benefits, also for the mentally ill as is it with the govenment...we need to liscen to rethink and take there advice and write to your MP...instead or discussing this between our selfs of which i am pleased we do as i have found so much support with it to know i am not the only one but we really do need to shout to get heard!...i have always said you have to reach the top to get heard and the only way to change policy is to get involved with it...every vote counts.
4. At 08:26 PM on 03 June 2011 MystyMary wrote:

benefits: the fear of form filling

am speechless as to what to say - feel helpless - just want to send empathy and best wishes to Lynne's partner and Lynne
5. At 07:04 PM on 03 June 2011 Jen D wrote:

the fear of form filling

I too am dreading the form and the phone call. I watch the postman coming to my house each day and literally shake with anxiety as I see the post come through the box. I suffer from depression and anxiety, have a very poor work record and like so many other people, my condition changes from day to day, week to week. I'm not sure how I am going to cope, IF I'm going to cope but this hangs over my head every minute of every day. take care.
6. At 05:35 PM on 03 June 2011 Abigail - Rethink wrote:

Take action!

I'd encourage you to take action: tell your MP how the Government's position on this is affecting you, and what you think needs to be changed. Check on our website how to find and contact your local MP with your concerns about changes to benefits - and ask for them to be raised with the Minister for Employment, Chris Grayling: http://bit.ly/mo8ZSc Abi, from Rethink.
7. At 05:34 PM on 03 June 2011 carol lightfoot wrote:

form filling

i am so dreading the letter or phone call when im to start do my form , ive no idea how to it, as i was reading your blog , iwas getting so anxious and stressed, and thats just reading your experience. i do hope and pray for you that all will be right for you......god bless x
8. At 04:16 PM on 03 June 2011 nicola wrote:

im intensely worried also and share your fears

not only knowing that like your other posters, i have BPD and flip over what on one day i can manage sublimely to be then accosted by "myself" on another occasion....to be extreme and detrimental. i cant live with ME like this, i couldnt expect anyone else to, and i too get in a state, i try and i try not to, but even so it will mean extreme angst, no sleep, agitation, worry over believing badly about myself, or if i have correctly filled in, its an absolute collosal impact, on myself and on my husband who is also carer. he then has to take himself off, in order to protect himself, from my agitation and unreasonability - i see this reaction as rejection and BANG we are in yet another situation with only a negative end result. MH professionals, GP and others are not there when you fill in the form, the form filling is something that wont go away, you know its an assessment, you are going to be judged and it becomes an over-riding situation akin to a tidal wave. then if at the end you are assessed incorrectly, the whole process either starts again or continues in another vein, or you need to take medication to be able to fill in the form.....MENTAL HEALTH is never best shown on FORM FILLING and for anyone whose situation is as dire, you would not be able to work anyway....its a bloody bureacratic time wasting money exhausting and energy inefficient bungled exercise
9. At 03:47 PM on 03 June 2011 Mark Caudery wrote:

Assessing benefits for people with mental illness

As someone with a history of depression and anxiety and poor employment record, I can only imagine how stressful it must be to have electability for Incapacity Benefit being assessed in this way. There must be better ways for these assessments to be done, ways that better suit people who's mental health issues leave them particularly vulnerable to such a stressful process.
10. At 02:37 PM on 03 June 2011 s wrote:

total empathy

How right you are and how devastatingly sad, and soul destroying this process is - I am in exactly the samsituation as you and have had a similar experiance. This is driving my husband over the edge and all I can do is love him, whilst sitting and watching him unravel - I will pray for you both and for others in the same situation - LETS MAKE SOME NOISE ABOUT THIS!!!! s
11. At 02:36 PM on 03 June 2011 SD wrote:

the fear of form filling

as some one with bi polar and BPD i can relate to all of this. my cpn has been helping me fill in the form iv no idea if we've done it properly concerning the discriptors etc. its inhumane what they are subjecting us to, its torture, its unbearable, my moods are changing by the hour now due to other stress im havin to deal with iv not slept 4 days, literally iv had no sleep. why are the y doing this to us please make them stop its torture.
12. At 02:22 PM on 03 June 2011 helen wrote:

The fear of form filling

My heart goes out to you, my circumstances are not as severe as yours - but I am sick and tired of this attitude whereby if you dont tick the boxes you have to get a job. It's not that i believe doing nothing is a better option, but for some people, in order to feel better about themselves, they need to be placed in an environment where they will feel, comfortable, fulfilled and valued. Not judged, criticized or ridiculed. I sincerely believe the Govt are not listening, mental health is not profitable and they will stick to their own agenda and make their own narrow minded conclusions. I also believe there are many people living and working around mental health who do not truly understand the entireity of the impact it has. As individuals the best we can do is offer support to each other, offer support to the charities and shout as loud as possible in order to be heard. It is difficult, it is scary but in our hearts we know it doesnt have to be this way. I hope you continue to find the strength to fight for your futures and your health. Best wishes.

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