ESA work focused interviews

Horseunderwater

mightyroyals wrote: »

My other half had to goto one the other day and they just gave her information on the help they could provide her finding work and to update information held.
So i should think it would be the same though i am on IR ESA WRAG but i think for partners it would be the same info given.
Which is your local jobcentre out of interest as i am in the same area as you?
Hope this helps

It may. We are near to Ely 12 miles away, so they may ask him to go there, but Mildenhall was where we always claimed JSA in past. And there is also Cambridge benefit office where ATOS reside as well. Should think it would be Ely.
What I needed to know was if they would force him to seek work at the 26 week point as he has some MH problems himself, although he does not claim ESA in his own right. But that was part of the reason why he lost his job last year. I was hoping that we would be able to get some self employment going after start of tax year 13/14 and go from there, which will be around the time of WFI if I have my weeks worked out right. I just feel that he needs this time to get his MH problems sorted out, so that he is able to do some work of some sort in the future. If all they do is update info and help him with a CV that could be helpful I guess. I also saw when skimming through some DWP PDF's books that people in support group with non working partners do not get sanctioned but those in same situ in wrag do? They may lose 20% of the £71/week? But it was not terribly clear as original doc was dated 2003 and had many updates and appendices on it. So hard to find the correct info.
So if there is anyone on here that is on IR ESA in Support group with a non working partner who has been told to go to a WFI and what happened after this - that is what I am after.

Richie-from-the-Boro

Richie-from-the-Boro wrote: »

- per #19
- the new Jobseeker’s Allowance [Sanctions][Amendment Regulations 2012 coming into effect October this year ~ snip ~

- that my friends is [STRIKE]workfare[/STRIKE] by any name you call it !

Now dovetailed as I predicted into UC, the JSA Sanctions 2013 are here for anyone who wants them. you can now see the old, pre-PIP pre-UC JSA sanctions regimes are now now aligned with those for Universal Credit. An essential precursor if the JC and other DWP staff are to 'transition' claimants into the new Universal Credit as part of the overall welfare Reform Bill.

Horseunderwater

Need ESA info not JSA. Has anyone been in my situation and if so what happened to non work partner at a WFI at the 26 weeks point when I (claimant) is in support group on IR ESA.
I am assuming I will not be able to go with him to this? Hence why I need to know. We need to be prepared.

nannytone_2

it will be an informal chat.
they will ask what work experience he has had, and what kind of work he may be interested in in the future.
they may also offer courses/training.

i understabd that as you are in the support group, you are definately not fit for work, but if his entitlement to ESA is solely because of you, thetre is no reason why he shouldnt be preparing himself for a return to work at some point

Own_My_Own

My son is in the work placement group. He has aspergers and has had no problems what so ever.
He is not incapable of working, but just needs help in finding a suitable job.
He was supposed to go to a meeting last week, but was taken ill and ended up in hospital. I phoned them and they were great. They didn't ask for proof, just wished him well and asked me to keep them updated with his progress.

They are going to help him get the card needed to work on building sites and get training in bricklaying.

He feels at ease going they be himself, which for me means they are doing something right.

Horseunderwater

nannytone wrote: »

it will be an informal chat.
they will ask what work experience he has had, and what kind of work he may be interested in in the future.
they may also offer courses/training.

i understabd that as you are in the support group, you are definately not fit for work, but if his entitlement to ESA is solely because of you, thetre is no reason why he shouldnt be preparing himself for a return to work at some point

Hi NT

Thanks for that. I am wondering if they will want to know the details of why he lost his last job as he signed a confidentiality agreement, which means that we are not meant to talk about it to anyone. And I do not want the DWP ringing them up and asking questions etc.
Suffice it to say - a lot of stress and anxiety and other mental health issues were/are involved and I feel it will be very difficult for him to get another job at the moment. He is under treatment from our GP and is on a high dose of medication to help with his MH problems but the tablets do not always work as they are meant to.
Is the ESA claimant allowed to attend with him - purely to listen and witness?
I keep thinking that he should perhaps try and claim ESA in his own right, but can a couple get 2 lots of ESA? Obviously we would lose some of our current benefit level as it is IR. But if he could get into WRAG - they would surely help him in some way, or is it just better to wait and see what happens in April 13.

nannytone_2

i'm registered blind and my PA comes to interviews with me ( havent has one in months as they dont seem to know what to do with me)
they did ask when was the last time i worked, but didnt want any further detail.
the reason for leaving a job isn't/shouldnt be of any importance with regards to ESA, as unlike JSA. sanctions arent imposed for leaving a job.
his entitlement to ESA ( even though you are the claimant) means that he isnt expected to be working, just taking steps to make himself ready for work

TOBRUK

In October last year I was transferred from IB to ESA and after the form filling I was placed in the 'work focused support group' which I was very worried about as it is highly unlikely to ever be fit to work.

I requested a copy of the 'Medical Report' as I was not called for a medical which they kindly sent me. With a number of flaws in the report (which was done by a nurse) showing a lack of knowledge regarding what the prescribed drugs were for and the affects of the illness/condition, I decided to request a reconsideration - to be placed in the 'support group'. It did state at the bottom of the report that they did not expect any improvement in my condition for at least 2 years! I am yet to hear from the DWP regarding this.

I was contacted by the job centre in December to attend interview on 2/1/13. I attended the interview for the work focused group and I was told not to worry too much about the interview but I was there because I had requested a reconsideration. The disablement employment advisor who interviewed me was ever so nice and he told me early on that they wouldn't expect me to look for work - he could see the difficulty I had immediately. He also told me that there were a high volume of people requesting appeals and that many had won their appeal.

After attending the work focused support group interiew I felt a lot more relaxed (perhaps wrongly) with regard being placed on the 'work focused support group'.

I attended a GP appointment recently and mentioned the ESA situation - he said that he had received a form regarding this and had sent it back, he told me what he had written. I said to my GP that I wasn't sure how I would manage to work, he looked at me, shook his head saying no. He told me that if I didn't win my appeal to go to the 'citizen's advice' as they dealt with these matters all the time.

The work focused support group isn't as scary as I had imagined but I suppose it depends on the person who will be interviewing you at the job centre as they obviously make a report. The chap who interviewed me said he was making notes at the interview - he was typing away.

Also the interviews are expected to be approx 2 a year, however, I don't believe that this is doable when you think about the volume of people in the work focused support group as well as the cuts that are being made in the public sector - many at the job centres!

The job centre employees it seems are totally stretched and are finding it difficult to fulfill all these interviews already. I can only imagine the chaos that will happen when (if) they place everyone on the 'universal benefit'!

barney2k

Tobruk

Thanks for your post, I have my first interview tomorrow and was about to post and ask what to expect. ESA is new to me and it is some years since I last claimed JSA and was unsure if there was a difference.

The comment I found most interesting was about the two years. I have received my medical report from ATOS and have the same comment, "I advise that work is unlikely within 2 years " and goes further saying "the available evidence suggests improvement in the longer term is unlikely".

I am also about to appeal and not looking forward to the process, but would ask why we are having to do so when they make comments like this?

TOBRUK

barney2k wrote: »

Tobruk

Thanks for your post, I have my first interview tomorrow and was about to post and ask what to expect. ESA is new to me and it is some years since I last claimed JSA and was unsure if there was a difference.

The comment I found most interesting was about the two years. I have received my medical report from ATOS and have the same comment, "I advise that work is unlikely within 2 years " and goes further saying "the available evidence suggests improvement in the longer term is unlikely".

I am also about to appeal and not looking forward to the process, but would ask why we are having to do so when they make comments like this?

Barney2k, just wondering how you got on yesterday at the interview. ESA is also new to me (as many others) and that wording on your medical report is the exact comment I had.

I asked them to reconsider their decision and appealed, I think it was end of October (if I remember correctly without looking it up!) and I still haven't heard anything. I believe though that they were waiting until they got comments from my interview on 2nd January before taking it further. Also, I was told at the interview that there are a lot of people appealing and I don't think they are coping with the volume!

What on earth are they going to do when they start dealing with DLA changes?! It is going to be mayhem and a lot more appeals which is going to be very costly.