Incapacity to ESA letter

John_Clark

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

My advice would be to email ATOS HC and you should get a pretty swift reply as to status. I imagine that by now they'll have completed what they need to do although they could be delayed. But normally by now they'll have arranged a medical or decided one isn't necessary. Ensure you give your NiNo for ID purposes. Simply ask them for an update on your case... say you're anxious as to whether you'll need to attend a medical.
[EMAIL="customer-relations@atoshealthcare.com"]customer[/EMAIL][EMAIL="customer-relations@atoshealthcare.com"]-relations@atoshealthcare.com[/EMAIL]

If they confirm they've closed your file then you could attempt to get a copy of the ESA85A ATOS report from the DWP... that should be highly revealing and likely determine the DWP decision.

Thanks for your helpful reply. I emailed ATOS, got a reply next day saying .... your questionnaire was received and reviewed by an Atos Healthcare Professional, who provided advice to the DWP Decision Maker on 1st October 2012, so you have not been required to attend for a face to face assessment.....
It goes on to suggest I call a local Jobcentre Plus 0845 number, which I did, twice, and just got the 'press a lot of buttons' then 'we are busy ... music' routine. As it was an 0845 number I hung up after a couple of minutes of music. Since I am none the wiser I would like to see the ESA85A as you suggest, but am having nightmares of an interminable phone call at 0845 call charges :eek:
Might try again later

Muttleythefrog

John_Clark wrote: »

Thanks for your helpful reply. I emailed ATOS, got a reply next day saying .... your questionnaire was received and reviewed by an Atos Healthcare Professional, who provided advice to the DWP Decision Maker on 1st October 2012, so you have not been required to attend for a face to face assessment.....
It goes on to suggest I call a local Jobcentre Plus 0845 number, which I did, twice, and just got the 'press a lot of buttons' then 'we are busy ... music' routine. As it was an 0845 number I hung up after a couple of minutes of music. Since I am none the wiser I would like to see the ESA85A as you suggest, but am having nightmares of an interminable phone call at 0845 call charges :eek:
Might try again later

This is good news... you cannot be found fit for work without a medical unless you fail to comply with requests to attend such. So the advice contained within the ESA85A should be recommending WRAG or Support group.

Unfortunately to get a copy of this ESA85A (which the DWP may hold for many weeks before taking a decision that in all probability simply reflects the contents of that report) you'll either need to contact the DWP via the tel number or address on your DWP ESA letters.. quite probably you have been given a suitable number to call but as you point out these calls can take a long time and cost plenty. It's not uncommon for people reporting having to wait 30 minutes to get to speak to someone. If you do contact the DWP i none way or another make sure to ask if a decision has been made too.. it is entirely possible a decision has been made without any communication to the customer.

But at least you do have some reassurance now that you'll be found to qualify for ESA and your case is another example of why contacting ATOS via email after returning the ESA50 until you either get a medical appointment or they close their file (pass their advice to DWP) is helpful.

epitome

The DWP have your ESA55 (ATOS file) and they will process it in line with all the others they have and when yours is processed they will write you a letter. There is no timescale that can be given, anyone giving you a timescale will be guessing. As they have had it more than 2 months now they must be near to your file.

Don't be in any hurry to get this done, because as soon as you go in the WRAG the clock starts ticking on your 365 days entitlement to ESA C payments and then you may or may not get the ESA IR.

I would wait until you receive your letter....or until your "pay day" changes by one day later. When you go onto ESA you will receive your pay one working day later than you do now.

Solitaires

atrixblue.-MFR-. wrote: »

proof of postage is all you need so the reciept with the shipping address will suffice eventhough the PO system wont show anything on it because of expirey on the online checker.

You can take a screen capture of the signed for receipt on Royal Mails website and paste into a word document. I've just tried it and it works fine.

John_Clark

ATOS email suggested calling the Wellinborough Benefit Centre dealing with your case who can be contacted on 0845 609 4904 (Not Nottingham centre where all the letters came from)
Finally got through and it turned out to be in North Wales :huh:
Gave them all my details and they said I would be receiving an ESA50 to fill in then possibly a medical. I told them I had completed the ESA50, ATOS had processed it and sent it on to them 12 weeks ago. I requested a copy of my ESA 85A. Then he said you are already on ESA. (surprising as as my payment received yesterday shows 'DWP IB' presumably Incapacity Benefit) I asked what group ESA I am on, and he said he didn't know as it was just a blank screen. Did I want them to call me back? Yes please I said. But nobody has :huh:

John_Clark

Well they finally called me back 2 weeks later - from Nottingham who has apparently been dealing with my case all along. But, inexplicably, ATOS had directed me to Wellingborough Benefit Office, who passed it on to North Wales, who knew nothing about it. In the meantime I had given up and sent an email to Nottingham to request my ESA 85A.
The ESA85A arrived today. It is supposedly a 2 page summary of my 20 page ESA50. No other evidence is cited, yet it directly contradicts my ESA50 on the support group descriptors. Work Related Activity is out of the question as I am unable to mobilize, but the ESA 85A from ATOS says I can. No explanation is given for this. Since ATOS directed me to the wrong Benefits Office, I wonder if they have also got the wrong ESA50, since their summary of it directly contradicts mine - with no reason or evidence offered
Apparently I am still in receipt of Contribution Based Incapacity Benefit, still in the process of transferring, but I don't know to what.
I gather if I don't get Support Group the benefits will stop.
I don't know what to do next.

John_Clark

Muttleythefrog wrote: »

.... a copy of this ESA85A .......

Thanks again for the good advice.
The ESA85A they sent me is a 2 page document which cites my ESA50 as evidence but contradicts it.
Another thing puzzling me is that nowhere on the ESA85A does it mention 'points' - and there doesn't appear to be any pages missing because they are numbered page1 of 2, page 2 of 2.
Yet I hear other people say they were awarded 'x' number of points.
How do they know how many points they were awarded :huh:

epitome

The points are awarded by the Decision Maker in the BDC based on what the ESA85 says.