I have been placed in the ESA Support Group - what happens next?

Scared45

Today I received a letter from the DWP stating that I was entitled to income-related ESA and was placed in the support group. What I wrote about my illnesses on the ESA50 was enough for them, precluding my having to attend a medical. The letter also says that I can volunteer to see a personal adviser (I might).

If I chose not to, though, will they basically leave me alone? Could I be called up for a medical at any time?

And, I really don't understand the amount of money I am awarded. Previously - from April - I was getting £96.35 a week. Now the letter says that I will be getting £113.90 a week from 12 August. Why is it more? I don't really need more.

Muttleythefrog

Scared45 wrote: »

Today I received a letter from the DWP stating that I was entitled to income-related ESA and was placed in the support group. What I wrote about my illnesses on the ESA50 was enough for them, precluding my having to attend a medical. The letter also says that I can volunteer to see a personal adviser (I might).

If I chose not to, though, will they basically leave me alone? Could I be called up for a medical at any time?

And, I really don't understand the amount of money I am awarded. Previously - from April - I was getting £96.35 a week. Now the letter says that I will be getting £113.90 a week from 12 August. Why is it more? I don't really need more.

They will basically leave you alone and they will typically carry out 'regular reviews'... i.e. look at your case again at intervals fitting in with any prognosis they have. When they do review, the chances are they'll resend the ESA50 to fill in again and then determine if you need a medical as part of that re-assessment of entitlement. That process will continue indefinitely.

The £113.90 will break down as basic rate ESA plus Support group ESA plus Enhanced Disability Premium (automatically added if you qualify for it).
£67.50 + £32.35 + £14.05.

Scared45

Thank you, yes, that is the breakdown as listed on my award letter.

I just don't understand why it's more than I was getting - surely they're trying to save money.

rogerblack

Scared45 wrote: »

Thank you, yes, that is the breakdown as listed on my award letter.

I just don't understand why it's more than I was getting - surely they're trying to save money.

Because these are the amounts set down in law.
They can't pay you more or less benefit than they have decided you're entitiled to.

Scared45

Ok, I understand that it's law, and that I shouldn't really complain, it's just that it's an 18% rise in my benefit that I wasn't really expecting.

Scared45

My money got stopped because I didn't attend a medical on 7/07/11 (which I wasn't told about).

I got on to the DWP and asked them how the hell they can send an award letter - stating that I was to be put into the Support group - but simultaneously have me down for a work capability assessment?

They didn't know, and it took over a week to get sorted out, they didn't even apologise, either.

Muttleythefrog

Scared45 wrote: »

My money got stopped because I didn't attend a medical on 7/07/11 (which I wasn't told about).

I got on to the DWP and asked them how the hell they can send an award letter - stating that I was to be put into the Support group - but simultaneously have me down for a work capability assessment?

They didn't know, and it took over a week to get sorted out, they didn't even apologise, either.

Huh? That is truly shocking.... you were placed in the Support Group according to their letter and yet a couple of weeks earlier they now claim you failed to attend the medical that was part of your WCA and so failed it... they start paying you support group rate and then 3 months later decide to stop paying you at all.

(don't get confused... you were subject to a WCA.. but that WCA it appears didn't include a face to face medical as enough information was available to make a WCA decision).

How many times on these threads on an almost daily basis do we see people's lives being seriously affected by maladminstration regarding ESA.

My advice is make a complaint. Get a photocopy of the letter awarding you support group and say you were never invited to a medical around the same time... and so on... and the total lack of any apology for what you've been though due to their incompetence....if you feel up to it. And copy in local MP.

So what has been resolved in the end... are they saying you are in the support group after all or are they saying you need to attend medical as part of your WCA and that will be rescheduled after accepting you didn't attend for good reason?.. or indeed have the DWP decided their martian office was at fault here for poor communications and that David Icke will soon be along to present you with your backdated cheque.

Scared45

They seeem to have had me down twice - once for the letter I did recieve, which told me I needn't attend a medical and would be put in the support group, and another time for a medical on 7/07 which they didn't tell me about, and then they sanctioned me.

I'm glad I got and held onto the award letter from 21/07. It's not even like my name is common and there could have been a mix-up with anyone else.

It's sorted now, though, I got the money they owed and I'm definitely in the support group -and I'm inclined to leave it alone.

Muttleythefrog

Scared45 wrote: »

It's sorted now, though, I got the money they owed and I'm definitely in the support group -and I'm inclined to leave it alone.

Probably best you do. In fact to be honest they probably think you've had good service since many don't get an award letter at all..lol. The fact you got 2 that contradicted one another they probably find funny like they seemed to find it funny I was sent a letter saying I'd failed the WCA before I was aware one had started. If this was a private organisation operating where customers could pick and choose.. it would long since have gone bankrupt. I've worked for organisations that had a customer experienced what you have... HR department would have been firing out P45s and nobody would have been in any mood to listen to excuses or explanations.

Hopefully they'll leave you alone until the next real WCA.

NASA_2

There are millions of benefit claimants - considering that fact there are comparitively few complaints on here and on other sites.

Where the DWP are at fault is that they have totally inflexible outdated processing systems which are a nightmare for a staff member to use in quite a few scenarios.

OP, glad it has been sorted for you, there were probably duplicate papers for your case and both were acted on. Only thing is I am not sure who you were expecting to apologise to you - the person who made the initial mistake is highly unlikely to be the person you spoke to. The office manager is probably unaware of what happened as due to the inflexible system this happens a few times a day (Probably).