Your medication and other treatment

This advice applies to Wales. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) wants to know about your medication and any treatment you’re having - it’ll help them get a better picture of your situation.

This question is on page 7 of the form - see what it looks like

Your medication

You should list the tablets and any other medication you’re taking. Make sure you include:

  • anything you’ve been prescribed

  • anything you buy yourself, such as painkillers like paracetamol

You should also include:

  • the dosage (how much you take, for example 350mg) and how often you take it (such as 3 times a day)

  • any side effects you have (for example if a particular pill makes you feel sick) - and what you do about them

  • any tablets or other medication you’re not taking yet, but will be taking in the future

  • anything you’ve stopped taking because it didn't work or made you worse (make sure you explain this on the form)

You can get a list of all your current prescriptions from your doctor or your pharmacist if you need it.

Treatment you’re having

Make sure you include:

  • the treatment you’re having, for example dialysis - include hospital and clinic treatment

  • where you go for it, for example the name of the hospital

  • how often you go, for example weekly

  • if you’re having treatment as an inpatient, how often you stay for

You should also include:

  • any regular check-ups you have, and why you have them - for example to review your medication and possibly change the dosage

  • any surgery you’ve had for the conditions causing you difficulty

  • any injections you’ve needed

  • any therapy you’re having, for example cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or acupuncture

  • how you’ve responded to treatment, the date of any future procedures or investigation - for example if you didn’t respond well to a spine operation, so and you’re due to have a scan in the next 2 weeks

Even if you're not sure whether the treatment you've had is relevant, you should include it on the form. It's better to give extra information than to miss out something important.

Overnight stays and residential rehabilitation

These are simple questions - tick the boxes if:

  • you’re having or waiting for any treatment where you’ll be staying somewhere overnight or longer

  • you’re in or due to start a residential rehabilitation scheme

Next steps

Question 1 - moving around and using steps

Back to Help filling in your ESA form

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