ESA Continued...

Okay, so it's been a few weeks now, but I thought I'd better update people on my experiences with ESA.

Just to recap; I've been put in the Work Focused Activity Group, meaning I was told I'd be expected to work. I was put in this group (I think) because I asked to be. Here's my earlier blog post on the first part of the process.

So, I attended the first interview I was obliged to as part of this process. We've all heard lots of heavy language about how WFAG means you'll have to go back to work; the letter I was sent clearly stated that I would be obliged to take steps back to work. Okay then. Let's do this. I was expecting fire and brimstone, and 20+ hours in the nearest Tesco.

Turns out, that interview was the only obligation. That first interview's purpose was to explain this process and confirm that I understood the above.

And then... nothing.

No further obligations, and no help either. My ESA payments have been renewed, they'll write to me in 2014 for another interview.

I was ready to take on this system. I was ready for them to prove to me what was possible, that these promises of getting disabled people back to work weren't empty.

I hope you can see my point here. Many disabled people live in fear that they will be made to do a job they are unable to do. I'm THROWING myself at the system, asking them to send me to work. I'm not well, but I'll give it my best shot. That doesn't matter though. They're not doing anything.

Many people live in fear of being forced to go to do work they cannot manage. Yet when challenged, it seems the system actually doesn't have answers for those of us who do feel able to do some work. Many people have told me via twitter that this isn't surprising. it would appear that if you voice the fact that you don't feel able to work, the DWP put the pressure on. Show ready and willing, and they seem to do nothing.

None of this takes away from the effects my CP has on me. I REALLY struggle a lot of the time, but I sincerely believe I'll be able to do something. It's my personal choice; I don't recommend anyone try and push themselves to do something they don't feel able to. This way of thinking is not for everyone.

To be fair, the advisor I saw was very kind and enthusiastic. Nevertheless, the system she is part of is broken.

The only advice she could offer was for someone with my skill set was to think about working for themselves. That makes a lot of sense. I'm going for it. I can work around my situation, and stick to what I'm good at. I can even earn up to a threshold and still claim ESA for 12 months under the Permitted Work rules, which will help. So, no; I'm not complaining. That works for me. It works for me because I have lots going on that I believe I can get paid for. Not everybody has these options, of course.

Only trouble is, that's me creating my own job if I want one. I don't HAVE to. I could just keep getting ESA until the next assessment. I'm certainly unwell enough, I just wanted to see what was possible.

I can't help feeling that all this talk of offering people "positive steps to the workplace" is the usual vacant rhetoric - when asked for help, they're stumped.

That's NOT a system helping me get back to work.

Having a dog and barking yourself springs to mind.

This is obviously not the case for many people though. It seems that people who live in fear of being made to work are often forced to, while those of us asking for help are getting nowhere. Anybody else? Is it just me? Has anybody had a positive experience with the Work Focused Activity Group so far?