Esa support group review??

marie-20

Hi guys,

My husband had been claiming IB until around March when he was switched over to esa. In June we got a form to fill out and a few weeks later he received a letter to say that he'd been placed in a support group so all was good.

Fast forward to today and we've received the same form again that we've to fill in and send back within 4 weeks and states that he may require a medical etc (standard letter I think) - my question is why???

I spoke to esa who said that they will 'review' the entitlement often which seems rather pointless and stressful!

Fingers crossed it goes as smoothly this time however I have a feeling it won't - I'm concerned that as we didn't make a note of what we wrote and therefore I will word things differently that that will go against us.



Thanks,

Marie

rogerblack

You can in principle request a copy of your earlier form.
And yes, people on ESA, even in the support group are regularly reassessed, even when many people would consider the condition unlikely to have improved.
It's worth reading the criteria - http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/m-06-11.pdf

nannytone_2

ypu say people are reassessed even if the condition is 'unlikely' to have improved.
what if an improvement is impossible?

marie-20

I just think that 4.5 months is excessive. If his condition (and 100's of thousands like him) is considered by DLA as expected to last for 2 years or more with no improvement then how on earth do Esa expect it after such a short period of time?

Well we will fill out the form and see what happens - hopefully I'm just worrying for no reason.

Elle7

I have a letter stating improvement is impossible.

It makes no difference. Every 6 months or so I get the form, half the time I have to attend a medical.

It doesn't seem to matter that its stressful - they have boxes to tick, and they stop your benefit if you don't comply.

I hope your husband does okay.

amus

Your husband will have been placed in the support group for 6 months. People who have been examined can be called for medicals every 3,6,12,18,24,36 months depending on what the prognosis was when your husband was originally placed in the support group. Filling in the ESA50 differently will not go against you, conditions can fluctuate, all that matters is you answer honestly.

mealone

My friends huband is very, very ill yet gets ESA50s ever 6 months, he can not get any better (mutipul organ failure!) yet he is being harassed with forms and medicals every other form even though the forms are filled in the same each time with the only changes being his deteriation since the last form.

This is wrong, very wrong.

Some people get better and they should be monitered and not left on benefits for life as in with IB but something as serious as mutipul organ failure dont improve, in fact he is terminal but its only seen as terminal to the DWP if its under 6 months.

Mupette

my assesment early this year, the report said i would improve within 6 months...

I have MS.

But when i saw an advisor today at the job centre, she said it would be interpreted at i could get worse or get better in the 6 months..

amus

mealone wrote: »

My friends huband is very, very ill yet gets ESA50s ever 6 months, he can not get any better (mutipul organ failure!) yet he is being harassed with forms and medicals every other form even though the forms are filled in the same each time with the only changes being his deteriation since the last form.

This is wrong, very wrong.

Some people get better and they should be monitered and not left on benefits for life as in with IB but something as serious as mutipul organ failure dont improve, in fact he is terminal but its only seen as terminal to the DWP if its under 6 months.

If this is the case I would advise him to submit a DS1500 the next time he submits his ESA50. Its not guaranteed but usually when a person is terminally ill they will put them in the support group for the maximum 3 years.

cit_k

amus wrote: »

Your husband will have been placed in the support group for 6 months. People who have been examined can be called for medicals every 3,6,12,18,24,36 months depending on what the prognosis was when your husband was originally placed in the support group. Filling in the ESA50 differently will not go against you, conditions can fluctuate, all that matters is you answer honestly.

Filling in the ESA form can go against you.

I have proof the assessor used the form as evidence against me.

The decision maker wanted clarification on some points, and sent report back to atos for rework or clarification of the points.

The reply - they used the fact I had submitted the form (with plenty of evidence and extra sheets etc) as evidence that I did not satisfy some mental health problems.


Its a witch trial, dont fill in the form in sufficient detail - they have nothing to go on, so you will fail (been there done that) - fill in the form in great detail (even though it took weeks etc) and you fail for being able to do that.