Spitting Feathers

Sadly you are not the only ones in this position. I have a friend who works for Citizens' Advice and most of their clients lately are people who have had their ESA rejected. You need to use the right words apparently in order to score and they are very happy to help with the forms or appeals.
Here's hoping it sorts itself out for you both and the powers-that-be are made to realise what a cock-up they've made and put it right.

My sympathies HopeHope. Have been in a similar situation several times. The latest was when I applied for DH's PIP to be increased from standard to higher rate. Was turned down after reassessment so I appealed and got a letter from my GP to support this. It worked! Terrible that you have to fight for these things when you already have enough stress in your lives. It makes me angry when I see other people get everything to them on a plate with no problem at all!

My sympathies to you and all the others in the same situation.

A system that is humiliating and dehumanising has no place in a civilised society. As usual government has created a sledgehammer to crack a nut. They probably do not save any real money either as cost of appeals and running the ridiculous job centre charade is probably equal to the money lost to the small number of fraudulent claims. The system is like a bad teacher keeping a whole class in detention because 2 misbehaved!

I had to go for an assessment even though they had evidence to say that I would not be able to cope and would need a home visit. My guess is they hoped that I'd be a no show so that they could stop my PIP but somehow I managed to get there. Unfortunately or fortunately depending on how you look at it once there the panic attack that I had been desperately trying to control turned into a massive attack. One of the worst I've ever had. Two assessors saw it and both reported that I shouldn't have been made to come there. I got my PIP but at serious damage to my MH. I was ill for weeks afterwards.

They will do anything to try to get you off sickness and disability benefits.

Good luck with the appeal. I hope the stress doesn't get to you and your DH.

l'm so sorry you're having this to deal with. My best friend had a deep stroke last year, when he was 49. He's improving, but still not brilliant - his speech is stilted, his procedural memory (how you'd carry out something, like say baking a cake) is affected, and his right hand is far from back to normal. He's still having speech therapy and physiotherapy.
He had a face to face 'fitness for work' assessment in February. He was passed as fit for work.
He's a highly skilled cabinet maker. He's done that job since he was 17.
He was told to sign on for jobseekers. His GP was furious. She wrote an amazing letter saying that she was astounded that the assessor could have possibly come to the conclusion that he was fit for any kind of work. He's also a single parent, and his eldest daughter (who is 17) also wrote a supporting letter.
Fortunately within a couple of weeks, he got a response saying the 'fitness to work' ruling had been overturned. But he really didn't need the stress and upset.
Please take any help and support you can get, and fight the ruling. There's a very useful group on Facebook called "esa dla/pip info/support group (friendly)" which can give you lots of advice.
Best of luck x

Thanks all,
Sorry to hear about your Friend kathcraigs, and your fiasco too VPQueen, the more I hear the angrier I get.

I spent about three hours doing the MR letter, took so long as was re reading the assessment form over again to make sure nothing was missed out. I also did a letter of complaint to the assessor department.

If anyone who reads it has even half an ounce of sense they wil see the truth. The Guy has contradicted himself all through the assessment. It is there in black and white!.

Anyway we shall see :-) Fir the time being the money is stopped. DH said he will only go to the jobcentre if they handcuff him and drag him there , can't say I blame him really.