Moving to Invalidity Pension - Medical Report

PeadarB

My wife was awarded a small Disablement Pension last year after an accident at work. As part of her recovery she tried to get back into the workforce by way of an exemption from DSFA to work for a few hours per week, in a rehabilitative capacity. It helped her mental wellbeing but failed to enable her re-integrate.

The exemption and Illness Benefit have now come to an end and my wife was advised by her GP to apply for Invalidity Pension. She sent her application off to Longford and received a medical report form to be completed by her GP from Sligo. This will be sent back within the 21 days allowed. My question is - will any better purpose be served if my wife submits her latest medical reports from her GP and Consultant to co-incide with the submission of the medical report or should she send them separately, and to where. Longford, Sligo or Dublin? Please help.

mp22

Invalidity Pension Section

Social Welfare Services Office
Government Buildings
Ballinalee Road
Longford
Ireland

All correspondence regarding invalidly pension should be sent to the above address.
All reports would be helpful but make sure you get something back inside the 21 days.It is wise to copy all doc's before you send them,also if you can afford it send them by registered post.(if not get proof of postage)

PeadarB

mp22 many thanks for your quick reply. There appears to be some separation of function in this process. There are so many horror stories about lost forms, savage delays etc. God knows i guess you develop a sort of resigned patience when dealing with DSFA and the requirement for repeated medicals and reports to get what is due you. It is good to get worthwhile direction on this forum.

skippy2

Having gone through the process i would suggest you send an email with scanned copies of everything also as they have a habit of saying things have been lost or not received in the post. So send a hard copy and email with attachments. So they have no excuses put a read and delivery receipt on the email also. This happened me and they tried to say the docs had not been received when they had after a little looking on their part. I now send email and Post hard copies as well. Since then nothing had gone missing

PeadarB

Thanks skippy2. She sent off her medical report to Longford under registered post. The L... O... N... G... wait begins all over again.

I found out today that the missus' employer paid employer's PRSI contributions for the past eighteen months while she availed of an exemption allowing her to work in a rehabilitative capacity while getting illness benefit. Mind you she would have been better not to have gone back to work at all as her condition has been exacerbated now by osteo-arthritis and a recurrance of a spinal condition that had settled. Both her Illness Benefit and her rehabilitative exemption have now finished.

If her Invalidity Pension application is refused I wonder is she entitled to apply for any other benefit?, i.e., jobseekers benefit, on the strength of her continued employer's PRSI contributions while she was on the exemption.

She will qualify for the transitionary pension next year in any case but the lack of income will certainly leave us in a pickle with mortgage repayments etc.

PeadarB

That didn't take long. She can take cold comfort that she has good company in the 553 other applicants out of the 944 who applied in April 2012 who were disallowed. In her case because the Medical Advisor/Assessor was of the opinion that she was not permanently incapable of work. This despite proven medical complications in her case, attested to by various doctors and consultants who say she will never work again on account of her current medical condition. I know that the fact that she will reach pension age in less than eighteen months has nothing to do with this decision.

rosehip

Peadar,

They turn nearly everybody down. Appeal - Fight it. Just resubmit everything. you have 21 days. It could take 18 months BUT i think they have to give her some other payment while it's happening - especially if her stamps are up to date.

Contact your citizen's advice. Or someone more knowledgeable will be along here later - Eastbono? (hope i have that name right )

If she hasn't the required stamps, you may be means tested but you may be eligible for something from the community welfare officer system.

All the best,
Rose

PeadarB

Thanks rosehip. She will request a review ASAP but we won't hold breath. It was a serious struggle for her to take part in rehabilitative work but that set her back even though her doctor thought it should have helped. She did built up stamps though. Old symptoms have flared up along with new problems, psychological now as well as physical. The anxiety and stress has us both frazzled. The lack of info from the DFA is astounding.

rosehip

I know but don't lose hope.

I think it's like everything in life - until you need a system/service, you think it all works and once you're in it you are so disappointed at the lack of help/commonsense that you get disillusioned as you realise it's another fight to get what you feel you're entitled to - what should be so simple.

All the best,
Rose

PeadarB

That's the review request away now. What next I wonder? No doubt she'll be turned down after being left hanging in limbo for another long nerve jangling wait.

I wonder what happens in the review process. Does the Deciding Officer take another look at the file or does the Medical assesser do it. Or do they just wait for another long period before telling her to produce more medical reports. Very stressfull and so unfair being left like this especially after suffering a nasty injury with unexpected consequences.

I wonder would a TD or councillor help the situation? The staff in Longford must be run off their feet.

skippy2

I think the review may be refused also, was in my case then you have to appeal the decision. I think everything is just refused until you get to appeal stage. Best of luck

PaddyJules

PaedarB just wondering when did you originally submitted your Invalidity Pension application and then when did you get your refusal letter. I submitted an application in March and have not had any letter or correspondence from them. Have phoned them and they say that my application is with the medical assessors. I kinda know that I am going to be refused, but I need it it writing in order to apply for other SW benefit so it is so frustrating waiting for 5 months for a rejection letter. Did you have to wait as long as this?

PeadarB

PaddyJules wrote: »

PaedarB just wondering when did you originally submitted your Invalidity Pension application and then when did you get your refusal letter.

PaddyJules it was the wifes application. It went in sometime in April or May as she was advised that her Illness Benefit was about to end.

The application wasn't checked until the IB finished at the end of June or so. The rejection was back within a couple of weeks. No call for a medical. Just turned down apparantly based on the Medical Officers advice after s/he checked the GP report for the application. Wife had sent in various supporting medical reports but I don't think they were even looked at.

It looks as if they are turning practically every other application down without what would normally be due consideration.

PeadarB

Does anyone have any idea how long it takes for the Invalidity Pension review process?

The wife finally submitted her request for a review but is despairing of getting her side of the story across to the Deciding Officer. Her condition has deteriorated a lot since her initial application went in over four months ago but her consultant has advised her to wait until appeal stage to send in further medical reports.

Catch 22 situation where the department decide that she is fit to work, but her doctor and consultant say she is not.

Amazing that you spend 38 years paying in to a PRSI system that can't even look after you when it's most needed. The options for persons who seek benefits rather than allowances are nil when current benefits run out. Your left with nothing for long periods of time except anger, frustration and debilitating anxiety and stress thay affects everyone in the home.

It seems from the posts here that most people claiming benefits like Invalidity Pension are left in the same terrible situation where thay can't even resort to the CWO for financial assistance while a review or appeal goes through that tortous process.

fiona5

hi i have been waiting 14 mths on my appeal.i have rang a million times,reqested to see them to prove i'm truthful.but they did not want to no.they will probably deny me so i'll have to appeal the appeal.they just want people to go away.its awful that people pay years of stamps and when we get sick this happends.and if you send in new evidence through out the appeal process you go back to bottom of pile,what a joke