More ESA help

AlisonHarrison

I am in the process of appealling against an ESA decision. I have asked twice for the papers. The first time I asked was two months ago. On average how long does it take for the papers to come through? Has anyone got any experience.
I was helping a friend a few months ago, and she got her papers within a couple of weeks without even requesting them.
Second question.
I am sometimes too poorly to get out of bed. Sometimes for days on end. What would happen if, on the date of the tribunal, I was too poorly? Could my husband go instead?

salau2

If you are not likely to be able to attend in the reasonably near future, the appeal can be heard without you. If you would like to be present, but are unlikely to be well enough to travel in the reasonably near future, you may ask the Tribunal to visit you to consider your case. If you want the Tribunal to consider a request to visit your home, you should write a letter to the Tribunal service, setting out why you want to have a visit and why you cannot travel to the hearing of your appeal. I would include medical evidence i.e. a letter from your doctor. There may also be a medical certificate that will need completing for this, contact the tribunal service and ask. Receiving the ‘written statement of reasons’ can sometimes take some time. However, it should only be a reasonable time as you have to prepare for your appeal. Therefore, contact them again and ask for this to be sent as you wish to prepare for the appeal and it is taking an unreasonable time. Have you go someone representing you? I.e. CAB or welfare rights? If not you should consider this.

rogerblack

In addition, you can request all the data they hold about you.
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/privacy-policy/data-protection/
This takes around a month, though it varies.
I'd recommend doing this every year, as they destroy old information, and it can be useful to refer to it.