Moving from ESA to JSA

geministar2008

Hello,

I am due to have my Employment Support Medical Assessment in Jan. Firstly if when i have had this assessment and they put you into one of 2 groups, do you have to continue to submit medical certificates from your GP? I ask as my surgery currently issues my medical certificate monthly, and i have had nothing but issues with the whole process. I send my medical certificate on time each month via recorded delivery, the medical certificate has got lost, even got signed for at its destination and lost internally within their office, only for me to discover no money had gone into my account. What i'm trying to say is the whole system to me has been a nightmare i suffer with anxiety and depression and all this does not help my condition.

My second question is how smoothly can you transfer from ESA to JSA? and if you feel you are ready to go on JSA can you automatically apply for JSA yourself? Just before the current medical certificate runs out? Are there waiting days or does it all just flow easily, the payments are the same each fortnight.

I look forward to someones thoughts on this.

Thanks.

shinobikai

I am in the same boat, certificates lost-money delayed - it's a nightmare. Apparantly the switch is seamless and should happen very quickly, or so I am told. However, I was originally on JSA and switched the other way due to emergency surgery and it took nearly 2 months! Bottom line is don't trust them and make sure that you have enough funds to carry you over for about 2 weeks to a month with no income - just to be on the safe side. If it goes through quickly as they state then its a bonus!

fatou256

I had the sme problem with the ESA they kep loosing my sick note and everytime i had to beg my doctor to reissue a new one cso i could get the money . this system is really frustratring and very badly administered. they have lost twice my ESA50 questionnaire .. I still do not know who has access to my file ( !!! they still hvent said if they have found it) and i have received no apology from them either !now i have to attend a second medical ...... soemtiems i wonder if i should be better off on to JSA as this systeme make me more ill with all the stress and worries thye inflict upon you.

geministar2008

Thanks for responses guys, at least others are in the same boat although this doesnt actually help us get our money and so on.

What i do not understand, is how do they lose medical certificates internally. This sounds a little suspicious what with ID theft and the recent problems with Child benefit details being stolen.

When i am off the ESA system i would like to know who to complain to? So if anyone has a contact for this, please let me know?

What they have to realise is this system is for people who are actually ill. I have considered ending my life over the issues they have inflicted upon me! How do they think people are going to get better and possibly move back into work! ITS A JOKE.

Chin up people, try and have a nice Xmas!

fatou256

geministar2008 wrote: »

What i do not understand, is how do they lose medical certificates internally. This sounds a little suspicious what with ID theft and the recent problems with Child benefit details being stolen.

What they have to realise is this system is for people who are actually ill. I have considered ending my life over the issues they have inflicted upon me! How do they think people are going to get better and possibly move back into work! ITS A JOKE.

Chin up people, try and have a nice Xmas!

this is what worries me the most too about loss of file and it doesnt help my paranoia ... like you i have mental health issue and one of them is agarophobia , i had lot of trouble becasue they refuse to carry out a home visit , even though they have consultant psychaitric letter , it is on my ESA 50 etc.. ( bit every time i send one it is lost !) this is a joke right now i ma stressing like hell at the though of going out .....

i am supposed to start an outpatient program next year i probably be wont able to do it because they want me to come off ESA ... unbeleivable we are unable to get ill nowadays!

healy

geministar2008 wrote: »

Hello,

I am due to have my Employment Support Medical Assessment in Jan. Firstly if when i have had this assessment and they put you into one of 2 groups, do you have to continue to submit medical certificates from your GP? I ask as my surgery currently issues my medical certificate monthly, and i have had nothing but issues with the whole process. I send my medical certificate on time each month via recorded delivery, the medical certificate has got lost, even got signed for at its destination and lost internally within their office, only for me to discover no money had gone into my account. What i'm trying to say is the whole system to me has been a nightmare i suffer with anxiety and depression and all this does not help my condition.

My second question is how smoothly can you transfer from ESA to JSA? and if you feel you are ready to go on JSA can you automatically apply for JSA yourself? Just before the current medical certificate runs out? Are there waiting days or does it all just flow easily, the payments are the same each fortnight.

I look forward to someones thoughts on this.

Thanks.

If you pass the medical you do not have to submit any more medical certificates.

It should not be a problem to stop claiming ESA and claim JSA but it may take a few weeks. If you want you can stop your ESA claim and apply for JSA yourself. There would not be any waiting days if there is no gap between the claims.

jennilb

Hi



The CAB issued a report about how the process is screwed up, if you want to have documentary evidence that its not just your sick notes being lost / phone calls being ignored:
http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/index/campaigns/policy_campaign_publications/evidence_reports/er_benefitsandtaxcredits/limited_capability_3

I really thing the OP needs to focus on preparing for the medical. Lots of people who are very very sick indeed are still being found 'fit' at the medical and forced to appeal / go on JSA or have no income.

I know we're all on very low incomes, but I'd recommend spending £20 on a years membership of benefitsandwork.co.uk and / or setting up camp in your local CAB. There's lots of useful information on there. I should add that all the evidence suggests that people like us with MH problems are much less likely to pass the medical, and it seems to me like the government is banking on a lot of us being so brow beaten by the process that we give up, don't appeal and claim JSA instead, even though meeting JSA requirements to apply for jobs etc might be against medical advice.

Hope some of this helps you. The little rant helped me

Jenni

fatou256

healy wrote: »

If you pass the medical you do not have to submit any more medical certificates.

It should not be a problem to stop claiming ESA and claim JSA but it may take a few weeks. If you want you can stop your ESA claim and apply for JSA yourself. There would not be any waiting days if there is no gap between the claims.

the issue is far beyond this... it seem that file being lost is a regular occurence from ATOS and DWP ! until you have been through this system you cannot understand how stressfull it is !

healy

fatou256 wrote: »

the issue is far beyond this... it seem that file being lost is a regular occurence from ATOS and DWP ! until you have been through this system you cannot understand how stressfull it is !

I was just answering the OPs questions, I do not know anything about lost files.

System

healy wrote: »

If you pass the medical you do not have to submit any more medical certificates.

It should not be a problem to stop claiming ESA and claim JSA but it may take a few weeks. If you want you can stop your ESA claim and apply for JSA yourself. There would not be any waiting days if there is no gap between the claims.

Is this for definate? As i was put in the support group at least a few months ago now but have just had a letter saying my current med cert is running out and that i need to send another asap (which i will by special deleivery-i never use the enveloped they send as they are prepaid 2nd class).

healy

xXMessedUpXx wrote: »

Is this for definate? As i was put in the support group at least a few months ago now but have just had a letter saying my current med cert is running out and that i need to send another asap (which i will by special deleivery-i never use the enveloped they send as they are prepaid 2nd class).

Yes it is definite. You do not need to send in medical certificates once you have passed the WCA, it sounds like they have made a mistake.