Atos/WCA documentary's

Goatworshiper said:

I know in another thread you mentioned that you have AS and Crohns. But you were rejected for Crohns alone, did you ever submit a claim under the old system which included both lots of circumstances?

No, I was only diagnosed with AS about 2 years ago - not only after ESA was introduced, but also after I successfully appealed the initial rejection of my ESA claim (which was based on Crohn's alone - I didn't get a diagnosis of AS until after the appeal in fact).

When I tried claiming IB I didn't even get as far as an assessment, and it was clear, or at seemed clear to me at the time, that appealing that decision would have been utterly pointless.

I can see how someone who succefully claimed IB pre-ESA might see the new system as worse, however ESA seems a much better system than IB, if, like me, you had been stuck on the other side of the 'fit-for-work' fence, getting more and more depressed because the system simply refused to acknowledge your need for support, whilst simultaneously putting you under more and more pressure (despite it being known that Crohn's is made worse by stress) to meet their demands.

Goatworshiper said:

I know in another thread you mentioned that you have AS and Crohns. But you were rejected for Crohns alone, did you ever submit a claim under the old system which included both lots of circumstances?

No, I was only diagnosed with AS about 2 years ago - not only after ESA was introduced, but also after I successfully appealed the initial rejection of my ESA claim (which was based on Crohn's alone - I didn't get a diagnosis of AS until after the appeal in fact).

When I tried claiming IB I didn't even get as far as an assessment, and it was clear, or at seemed clear to me at the time, that appealing that decision would have been utterly pointless.

I can see how someone who succefully claimed IB pre-ESA might see the new system as worse, however ESA seems a much better system than IB, if, like me, you had been stuck on the other side of the 'fit-for-work' fence, getting more and more depressed because the system simply refused to acknowledge your need for support, whilst simultaneously putting you under more and more pressure (despite it being known that Crohn's is made worse by stress) to meet their demands.