Brown envelope syndrome — Scope | Disability forum
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Brown envelope syndrome

whistles
whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
I didn't think I was a sufferer. 

But an unexpected dwp letter has arrived and its being left until Tuesday.
Any issues I can't ring them over Easter and yes it's computer generated, but I can't help think that button gets passed to arrive on a weekend or Bank Holiday! 

It's probably a letter telling me my ESA amount is xxx. I already know this  because they wrote and told me they were taking the sdp from xx date.

It's thin anyone else got a thin one.

Oh any virtual tonics for this syndrome appreciated.
Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
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Comments

  • ash5896
    ash5896 Community member Posts: 141 Pioneering
    I received one on Monday and it was just telling me about the ESA amount. I hate those brown envelopes myself so can see where your coming from
    Ash 
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    It is probably the annual update letter

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
    It's not messing up my Easter.  :)
    Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
  • janejr
    janejr Community member Posts: 149 Pioneering
    I had one and the dog shredded it before I could read it. Then had to explain to them on the phone so I could get a new one. Was only an update but glad as it informed me I'm on IR ESA so I can go the dentist
  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
    I expect is just the annual ESA. But they did inform me of that change already. 
    Left it and forgotten about it.
    Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
  • Norton2018
    Norton2018 Community member Posts: 19 Connected
    Yeah.. I suffer from.. The Brown Envelope Syndrome...
  • sandyp196
    sandyp196 Community member Posts: 142 Pioneering
    From what I can remember I don't think award letters are thin. They come with some explanation and a breakdown if your awarded. I too think it's an update.  I was freaked out last week as I had a letter from the es saying my rate of payment would change in October.  This coincides with the end of my pip. I haven't had a decision on the pip yet so I assumed the esa knew something I didn't. But my support worker said esa were making a calculation on the official end date of pip award and if I get a new award they will send me another letter which takes the pip into account. 
    I hope that's true anyway. I'm still suspicious though. 
  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
    I am trying to read through the front.

    It starts "We are"  :)
    Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
  • sandyp196
    sandyp196 Community member Posts: 142 Pioneering
    edited March 2018
    We Are.... pleased to write with the good news you deserve. You will recieve high rate everything. We have paid the money into your bank today and the mobility car you need will be delivered in the morning. It was a pleasure to meet you. We wish you good health and a happy easter. From us all at the DWP, 
     but seriously I'd have to open that letter. If it's bad news you have us all here and a few days to plan your phone call.  If it's good news you can have a relieved and peaceful weekend and a good nights sleep. 
    The contents of the letter are not going to change and will be the same if you open it now or Tuesday. 
    It's terrible what this brown letter does to us mentally.  
  • sleepy1
    sleepy1 Community member Posts: 297 Pioneering
    @sandyp196, @whistles. Very funny.

    If I received a letter like that from DWP someone would probably have to call 999


     
  • wilko
    wilko Community member Posts: 2,458 Disability Gamechanger
    Mine was just information about the ESA increase coming into effect next month. Plus the next lottery winning numbers which I want to share with you all my new friends, they are.   # # # # # # good luck and a happy Easter 
  • Waylay
    Waylay Community member, Scope Member Posts: 973 Pioneering
    I don't receive much post, so any letter freaks me out nowadays. :/
  • romatarot
    romatarot Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    The thin one could be about a cold weather payment.
  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
    I opened it.
    Sense of humour required. 
    It was to tell me that reduced award they had given me was going up in April. 
    It sort of bridges the void! 
    Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
  • susan48
    susan48 Community member Posts: 2,221 Disability Gamechanger
    @whistles,
    at least you’v opened it, it’s taken a while but you’v done it  :)
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    I don’t deal with any envelopes very well. It causes my anxiety to increase. A regular one is from child maintainence service almost every Saturday morning. We are sorry you won’t receive the payment. As if I don’t know this year in year out. The DWP ones freak me out even more as I get a lot of them working part time on jcp. Even though I work the same hours every week, I get a letter every fortnight after signing on telling me the amount. I suppose I shouldn’t complain as they are doing their job but it makes me anxious. Other letters make me anxious because they are bills and I have problems making sense of letters like that a lot of the time. I also worry that I can’t pay them on time. I have mostly direct debits but sometimes the dates get muddled or one slips through the cracks and I get super freaked out. I would really like a p o box so I could physically stop letters coming in. I think it’s also contributed to by my agoraphobia and avoidance issues as I see my home as my safe place and my letterbox is my enemy lol. Maybe I was a dog in a past life. 
  • whistles
    whistles Community member Posts: 1,583 Disability Gamechanger
    Expected letters are fine. This wasn't because I already had the break down of changes from ESA.
    But this is good, it's an extra £1.75  :) 
    Do not follow me, I don't know where I am going.
  • sandyp196
    sandyp196 Community member Posts: 142 Pioneering
    I am exactly the same. I cant cope with the post as my agarophonia includes the post or he phone. (Outside in and all that). However, i did once get in loads of trouble for not opening my mail. In one week i had bailiffs turn up, real nasty ones, i got evicted and i got arrrested and taken to court for council tax arrears. How i ever survived that week i dont kmow. But with help i put a system in place to make sure that never happens again. I keep all my mail unopened during the week until sunday evening. My brother comes over and i open the whole lot in one go. Then with my brothers help we work out who needs paying and if there is anyone who needs ringing. The onky exception to the sunday night rule is dwp letters. I open them as soon as they arrive. I have learnt my lesson on that score! Its like ripping a plaster off opening the dwp letters. I couod not leave them until sunday as the stress would kill me. Plus they have a nasty habit of not giving yoj much if any notice about changes. But in general opening my letters once a week takes so much anxiety off me during the week. It works for me. Plus i will often buy a few cheap items online so there are nice things coming through my letterbox as well. debbiedo49 said:
    I don’t deal with any envelopes very well. It causes my anxiety to increase. A regular one is from child maintainence service almost every Saturday morning. We are sorry you won’t receive the payment. As if I don’t know this year in year out. The DWP ones freak me out even more as I get a lot of them working part time on jcp. Even though I work the same hours every week, I get a letter every fortnight after signing on telling me the amount. I suppose I shouldn’t complain as they are doing their job but it makes me anxious. Other letters make me anxious because they are bills and I have problems making sense of letters like that a lot of the time. I also worry that I can’t pay them on time. I have mostly direct debits but sometimes the dates get muddled or one slips through the cracks and I get super freaked out. I would really like a p o box so I could physically stop letters coming in. I think it’s also contributed to by my agoraphobia and avoidance issues as I see my home as my safe place and my letterbox is my enemy lol. Maybe I was a dog in a past life. 

  • Markinsutton
    Markinsutton Community member Posts: 83 Pioneering
    I have a camera at my front door and if I get notifications to say the postman has arrived and its a brown envelope it makes it really hard to carry on working knowing that I have to go home and open it. I have been quite lucky that most of my brown envelopes have been good news but then when I get another one I am like OMG what now, the latest was losing my ESA... I wonder what it would be like us disabled people not to keep having to worry about this stuff.?
  • charlene
    charlene Community member Posts: 555 Pioneering
    I tend to put all envelops on a self in the porch, deal with them once a week.  A habit I got into whilst caring for my husband.  Since receiving the brown ones, I tend to pull them out and deal with them more promptly.

    Recently noticed some envelopes, I had left for quiet a while.  Opened one and there was a cheque for a good amount of money, a rebate from my water company.  Will I open envelopes more quickly now , no I doubt it.
    When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

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