ME Association and Carol Monaghan meeting with DWP Minister about benefits

https://www.meassociation.org.uk/20...are-benefits-for-people-with-me-26-june-2019/

Hopefully DWP will take on board the issues raised

 

No idea, but I suspect it helped my case that I had been through the local ME service process (even though it was 8 years ago and just a few home visits from an OT who had nothing to offer except stuff I already knew). That presumably meant they could tick that box. It could, I guess, also mean showing you have been in contact with your GP. My daughter had one of her benefits refused some years ago on the grounds that she hadn't seen any doctor for over a year.

 

I think that’s likely to be interpreted in practice as having gone through an NHS CFS clinic. ETA see @Trish already made that point. The powers that be can’t argue that there is anything that could “help” if you’ve already gone to the clinic and it hasn’t helped. It’s rather Russian roulette approach though because if you go to the CFS clinic not knowing that you need to be wary of their approach you are at risk of harm.

 

I sort of managed to get away with going to the CFS clinic although in retrospect I did end up increasing activity while I was doing the programme at least I knew enough not to try going for daily walks or anything like that. And at least it is on record that I’ve done that so I can’t have not doing it held against me.

 

This is a good point I’m not sure M.E. Association have fully taken on board the extent of the move away from CFS clinics and people being referred to generic community pain services instead.