A YOUNG man approached Fermanagh Citizens Advice Bureau requesting help with his appeal for the Employment and Support Allowance.
This local man, who wants to remain anonymous, had worked for several years, but had had to stop two years previously when he began to experience psychotic symptoms following a harrowing family trauma.
The CAB client had actually been an in-patient of the intensive care ward of Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital for several months due to this illness.
It transpired that following discharge from the hospital after several months treatment, he was called to a medical examination conducted by a nurse acting as a health professional employed by ATOS.
The man was subsequently deemed that he had been found fit to work. However, CAB assisted him through the appeal process and on reading the client’s appeal papers, in particular the health professional’s medical report, CAB claimed that he had not been properly examined for this benefit.
It is believed that the health professional failed to note that he had been in-patient for several months in the intensive care ward of a psychiatric hospital saying that “she totally ignored his mental health illness”.
The young man was left very distressed and Fermanagh CAB sought medical evidence from health professionals who had treated him including his own GP.
His appeal was subsequently allowed with 39 points being awarded while he only needed 15 points to qualify for Employment and Support Allowance.
The young man stated he hoped to be well enough in the future to return to his work which he said he misses greatly and added: “This will tie me over in the meantime and help me to recover from my serious illness.”
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