ESA form sent

shopaholic2

Hi, I had to send my form in to change from Incapacity benefit to ESA, and the form had to be in by 15th jan.
I sent it 9th jan, recorded delivery ( after they wrote saying they'd not yet received it?!)
Anyway according to the post office it's "still being processed through our system for delivery" sigh
So, I've tried to ring job centre plus, on hold for25 minutes, what a joke, and I don't even know if I'm ringing the right place cos I sent my form to an atos benefit place in Leeds...but NO phone number on the letter and I cannot find one anywhere.
So, I'm due my incapacity payment on Thursday (24th) but if they've not received my form they won't pay it, yet I can't get thru to them to see if they have received it.

Anyone any experience of this?
Who do I need to talk to? Especially if they don't pay me Thursday?!

niandsa

Can't help with contact details but just to reassure you that the same thing happened to me and everything was fine. I sent my form recorded delivery and the status never changed from 'being processed through our system' when in reality it had arrived the day after I posted it. I don't think that they can be bothered to sign for all the recorded forms they receive!

HB58

Try phoning Royal Mail, you will find their number on-line. When this happened to me, the mail were able to confirm that the letter had been delivered, even though the website said that it was still in the system.

rogerblack

As a point on the rules.
Any post that you send in for ESA is deemed to arrive in the 'normal course of post' - even if it doesn't in reality.
So, you send it in today, the date it's treated as getting there is tomorrow if this is a day post gets delivered - for first class mail - even if it gets lost in the post.

However, clearly you should keep a copy, just in case something goes wrong.

chokolat2

They get their letters delivered to something similar like a po box and each letter is scanned, so that's why the status on the royal mail website don't change. This is what I have been told previously by dwp.
Worth ringing the royal mail though as once they were able to email me over proof of delivery with a signature within 5 mins

custardy

chokolat2 wrote: »

They get their letters delivered to something similar like a po box and each letter is scanned, so that's why the status on the royal mail website don't change. This is what I have been told previously by dwp.
Worth ringing the royal mail though as once they were able to email me over proof of delivery with a signature within 5 mins

If they are dealt with 'correctly' then the status should update

whenever you track RM stuff
this link is better
http://www.royalmail.com/trackdetails

Robbie64

ATOS have a call centre number you can phone to check if your form has been received:

0800 2888777

If you phone this number and choose the general enquiries option they will check to see if they have received your form - receipt of the ESA50 is logged on their system the day they receive it. The DWP won't know if the ESA50 hadn't been received by ATOS unless ATOS informed them of this.

shopaholic2

custardy wrote: »

If they are dealt with 'correctly' then the status should update

whenever you track RM stuff
this link is better
http://www.royalmail.com/trackdetails

Used that link, thanks, the status says "received at POL"
What does that mean?!
Guess ill discover more tomorrow, as my benefit payment is due....what will I get?
A, nothing
B, usual amount
C, less than expected

shopaholic2

Robbie64 wrote: »

ATOS have a call centre number you can phone to check if your form has been received:

0800 2888777

If you phone this number and choose the general enquiries option they will check to see if they have received your form - receipt of the ESA50 is logged on their system the day they receive it. The DWP won't know if the ESA50 hadn't been received by ATOS unless ATOS informed them of this.

Thanks so much for that number, if I get zero benefit tomorrow I will ring them....might ring them anyway actually

Robbie64

shopaholic2 wrote: »

Thanks so much for that number, if I get zero benefit tomorrow I will ring them....might ring them anyway actually

I'd phone them now, it may give some piece of mind rather than waiting until tomorrow. They are open until something like 8pm I believe. If you phone now and then need to phone the DWP their call centre is open until 6pm. You would then need to choose the option to speak to the Incapacity Benefit section, not ESA as ESA will have no claim on their system as yet.

custardy

shopaholic2 wrote: »

Used that link, thanks, the status says "received at POL"
What does that mean?!
Guess ill discover more tomorrow, as my benefit payment is due....what will I get?
A, nothing
B, usual amount
C, less than expected

nothing,simply its was sent from XXXX post office

Post Office Limited