Esa - interview question

JUSTJULIE_2

Hi all, I'm back on behalf of my friend / neighbour.
For those that didn't see my other posts she has recently transferred from incapacity to esa wrag.
She received a letter to go to the job centre for an interview with an advisor.
At the time her husband was in hospital having surgery so she rang them and they deferred the meeting.
She is now waiting for a new appointment.
The thing is the job centre that she has to attend is about 20 miles away, and is difficult for her to get to, she has mobility problems but would need to go on the bus and struggle to walk a fair way from bus stops as no-one can give her a lift due to its location, one way traffic, no parking etc.
There is a large job centre much closer that she could get to easier or could even get a lift to as it has a big car park next to it.
Is it possible for her to change the job centre? It seems madness that she would have to put herself through so much discomfort to get to the one she has been given when there is a closer option.

rogerblack

Firstly, she may wish to consider appealing against the decision to put her in the work-related, not the support group. http://www.tameside.gov.uk/esa/lcwra are the descriptors.

It should be possible to change the jobcentre, call the centre that the WFI was arranged at, and explain why.

JUSTJULIE_2

Thankyou, should she call before she receives an appointment or wait until she gets the letter?

Regarding appeal I mentioned this to her in the beginning and she said she just couldn't go through with it.
Having read the descriptors I'm not sure that she would qualify, but I am unsure of a couple.

The bowel problems - whilst she is at home in her bungalow she doesn't soil herself, but if she was in a work enviroment she possibly would as many times at home she excuses herself to rush the best she can to the loo. I know in my job I can not just rush off to the loo when I feel like it but I'm not sure if the descriptor thinks this way.

The mobilising 50metres. -
cannot repeatedly mobilise 50 meters within a reasonable timescale because of significant discomfort or exhaustion

What excactly does this mean? Repeatedly as in how many times? For how long?

Thankyou

flight747

U can ask the jobcentre to change to be nearer your local jobcentre. I did mine four years ago when my jobcentre WFI is 17 miles away and I had asked the jobcentre plus to change to be nearer my jobcentre about 6 miles away and it all done!

rogerblack

JUSTJULIE wrote: »

The mobilising 50metres. -
cannot repeatedly mobilise 50 meters within a reasonable timescale because of significant discomfort or exhaustion

What excactly does this mean? Repeatedly as in how many times? For how long?

Thankyou

Repeatedly - a few over the course of the day.
It doesn't mean constantly on your feet.

As to continence - I'm not sure.
As it's about the only descriptor I never have problems with, I haven't looked at it.

If her husband is working - or is likely to work - and she is on contributory ESA at the moment - which she is if she was migrated over from incapacity benefit - or if there are savings of over 6K, then come the anniversary of the conversion, payment will either stop or reduce, if she does not at some point get into the support group.

JUSTJULIE_2

Thankyou.
She is on cont based so it will end in a year.
Her husband / partner is a very poorly man and is in the support group at least for now, he will not get better but the next medical may put him in the wrag who knows.

She would be too late to appeal, but I read on here that you can ask for support group if things have got worse or something like that, is that time limited?
That was why I asked about the mobilising. Although she has arthritis and some days can hardly move they still put her in the wrag , but she has recently been diagnosed with heart problems, the ifs, whys and what to do about it are still under investigation though. If the outcome is that her long term health will be worse perhaps she would qualify under mobilising. That could take a while to find out though.

rogerblack

JUSTJULIE wrote: »

She would be too late to appeal, but I read on here that you can ask for support group if things have got worse or something like that, is that time limited?
That was why I asked about the mobilising. Although she has arthritis and some days can hardly move they still put her in the wrag , but she has recently been diagnosed with heart problems, the ifs, whys and what to do about it are still under investigation though. If the outcome is that her long term health will be worse perhaps she would qualify under mobilising. That could take a while to find out though.

She can make a late appeal up to 13 months after the original decision.
However.
If she has actually gotten worse, then she should report that, and a new award may be made on the result of her new condition.
If she is unable to walk to that degree, it is likely she may also be entitled to DLA high-rate mobility.

You satisfy a descriptor if it would endanger your health to do it.