Work Related Activity

Nearly everyone I know with M.E. started to panic when the Work Related Activity Group was introduced to them. The name isn't particularly misleading, but it does sound it. Most people don't hear "Work Related Activity" they hear "They're going to make me work when I can't." The government should perhaps have called it "Improvement Activity" or something similar. 

What is Work Related Activity?

Work Related Activity literally just means "Activity that leads you towards eventually returning to work." This can even include things like attending medical appointments that help to improve your condition, so that you will be able to return to work. (I cannot think how that example applies to M.E. or Fibro though).

How do I get out of it?

You don't! If you are genuinely too unwell to perform Work Related Activity then you should be in the Support Group. If you believe that you should be in the Support Group, but no one told you about it, and you find that your Appeal time limit has run out, go to the Citizen's Advice Bureau or DIAL for advice. Make your Job Centre Advisor aware of the situation too, so that sanctions are not imposed.

To avoid being asked to perform activity that is too much to you, you can get a fit note from your GP that outlines your capabilities. This should be built into your care plan.

I believe most people are expected to find their own Work Related Activity anyway, though, so you are unlikely to line yourself up for activity that you cannot cope with.

What activity can I do?

Here is a list of activities that you may be able to do as your Work Related Activity. Unfortunately, not all Job Centre Advisors are as lenient as others. The best you can do is make suggestions. If they don't like your suggestions, just take a deep breath, and take further suggestions to them next time.

• Stamps for charity: ask local businesses to put stamps through your letterbox, which you can cut out for charities to make money from. (If you can't find a charity that does this, contact our group and we'll help find you one).
• Foster animals for charity: animals charities, and vets often have animals handed in that they don't have space for. You can offer to care for them until they have a home. I advise against fostering baby animals, as they take a lot of effort.
• Volunteering in a charity shop: higher functioning people with M.E. or Fibro, may be able to offer an afternoon to a local charity shop.
• Making things for charity: knit, or crochet baby clothes or hammocks, make beaded jewellery etc for charity shops. (Problem here is it costs you money to buy the resources to make them with).
• Fill in surveys online: a quick Google will bring up sites you can sign up to for this. You can earn a few pennies this way too - not enough to breach your ESA contract though.
• Volunteer for a small business: if you know someone who's running a small business, who understands your condition, you may be allowed to offer them some hours.
• Take an online course: studying is usually considered to be moving you towards returning to work, though it may depend upon what the course is.
• Creative Writing: it may not go anywhere, but putting a set amount of hours into writing, with a product you can show your advisor at the end, can count as Work Related Activity.
• Taking minutes for church meetings
• Becoming a member of a school PTA or a school Governor.
• Become a member of a patient support group at your GP surgery.
• Stuff envelopes for charity.
• Become a Samaritan.
• Become a church counsellor.
• Be an Official Prison Visitor - or write letters to prisoners if you are unable to drive.
• Fundraising: partake in a sponsored activity that you are capable of (sponsored knitathon, for example) for a charity of your choice. Spend your Work Related Activity time creating awareness of the sponsored event.
• Gardening: volunteer to help in the gardens of an old people's home, church, school, or similar local body.
• Visit the elderly: a lot of elderly people just want someone to talk to one a regular basis, particularly those isolated in their own homes. Age Concern or your local church will gladly help you find people who'd appreciate visitors.
• Shop for the elderly: there are elderly people who'd appreciate someone doing their shopping for them, or accompany them to the super market. If it would take you the rest of the week to recover from doing this, then it is not for you.
• Become a Magistrate. www.magistrates.co.uk
• Volunteer for CAB or a similar organisation.
• Work at homeless shelters: preparing food, offering advice, or just talking with the homeless.
• Help in a hospital shop: can be handy to get a foot in the door at a hospital.
• Become a Hospital Ambulance Service: often there are people who cannot drive, but also cannot afford public transport, or are too ill to use it, who need someone to drive them to and from their appointments.
• Graffiti clearance: councils love people who volunteer for this!

If you've further ideas of activity, please let us know. You can contact us through the group, or leave a comment below.

Tidbits of ESA Advice

Over the years I've been doing this I've collected bits of advice various people have given, either to me or to other people publicly. You'll find those that don't fit in to any of the other posts here. It may be worth checking back frequently to see what else I've learnt.

1. Even though the DWP tell you that you do not require sick notes (fit notes) after you've had the Work Capability Assessment, it is a good idea to get one if you are placed in the Work Related Activity Group so that you can make it central to your Work Related Activity contract with your Job Centre Advisor.
2. The NICE guidelines state that you should have a plan which is co-ordinated by a medical profssional with knowledge of M.E., including any plan for occupational support. A job centre or work programme advisor is not qualified to make a plan for your Work Related Activity, or to make you do anything that is not in your plan. If you encounter problems in relation to this, it is worth showing them a copy of the NICE guidelines. (Obviously I'll need to find these for you).
3. If you indicate on your ESA50 that your condition is variable, but the health professional who assesses you at the Work Capability Assessment does not address this, it is grounds to challenge the reliability of their report.
4. If you are going to be facing a tribunal panel for your ESA application, something that can be very useful is to get a copy of everything that will go before the tribunal panel; this doesn't just include the evidence you've submitted, but any notes and computer records held on you throughout your application, too. Something useful to you often crops up in these materials. In order to get a copy of these, you need to make a Subject Access Request for the ESA85. They have 40 days to comply with your request. As such it's best to make the request at the same time as you request an appeal.
5. Income Related ESA will come under Universal Credit when it comes into practice. (Contributions Based ESA will not). Under Universal Credit it will be Regulations 25 and 31 that are used in place of Regulations of 29 and 35, for Support Group (Special Circumstances).
6. If your benefit is sanctioned (JSA or ESA) for any reason, you can apply for hardship payments, you should also notify Housing Benefit that you have been sanctioned and effectively have nil income or hardship payments only. Otherwise they may cease your Housing Benefits and Concil Tax Benefit. This can happen months later, when it is harder to prove you had the sanction in place, and can cause all sorts of problems.