Benefits

[[SundayGirl]]

I'm now sure where to post this so please move it if it's in the wrong place.
Basically I work part time but I'm struggling, my jobs at risk due to my sickness rate (my sickness is due to MH reasons but the work situation is complicated).

I was diagnosed with border line personality disorder last week & I've been diagnosed with an eating disorder for 9 years.
I've been advised by my therapist to leave work as as much as I love my job it's preventing me recovering & I'm not stable enough to work much anyway (if I do make it into work I'm usually sent home due to anxiety attacks).
I live with my parents & they agree with my therapist. I'm 22 & struggling with what's the right decision tho.

I've been told that I'd go on to ESA. But it's more than likely that after 6 weeks I'd be thrown back to work. My brother works for a company that helps people off ESA into work/training. He said that a lot if the people are very ill but the government have targets & don't look at individual cases even tho they say they do. He said that hes put cancer patients to work etc.

So, had anybody claimed ESA for bpd recently and know if what I'm being told is true? I'd have psyc letters backing my claim up aswell.

[not_so_insig]

I haven't got bpd but I am on ESA. I am in the enhanced group which means that I don't have to do anything work related. I do have mh issues though.

It's great that you have psych letters, and when sending the form in it's best to send them along too. If you are deemed work capable then you can always appeal. Most appeals are successful, according to my cpn. If you have a cpn then getting them to write a letter too is a good thing.

[MissAnonymous]

If your therapist is willing to say that she feels work is making you worse and less able to recover and that you are unable to fulfill the demands of even part time work [16 hours], then that would help any claim.

ESA is a complicated system to navigate but if you give me your email address I can send you a guide on how to make a good claim for ESA, and you can look through it and see what points you would need to get to be entitled. If when looking at it, you can see you would fit the descriptors, or wouldnt, legally speaking, you'll know if you should be fighting to get ESA or not.

I would be prepared to have a medical, and be prepared that you may go through the assessment phase for a long time whilst they make a final decision you are happy with.

At the end though, if you are legally entitled to it, and your therapist thinks it is a good idea, you should make a claim.

[sherlock holmes]

You should claim, it's great you have the backing of your therapist, but you will be likely to have an independent medical assessment also.

[Fire Fly]

Hiya,
I'm claiming ESA for bpd and have been put into the work related group. However I've been saying I'm too ill to attend these workshops and they have been fine with it. My partner was on ESA for the support group for also bpd and they never bothered him at all and never even assessed him. I guess it depends on how you write your form x

[[SundayGirl]]

Thanks for all ya advice guys I think I need to leave my job anyway so I suppose I'll see what happens.
It's just a very scary situation I wish I wasn't in