ESA support group?

epitome

susiebear wrote: »

Just been reading some posts about this, as I have a relative who is currently waiting on her decision for ESA after medical and moving from IB to ESA. If she is granted ESA and is placed in the wrag group, and she appeals as she feels she should be in the support group, is there a chance they could look at her decision again and decide she shouldnt have been put in wrag or support and decide she shouldnt have ESA at all? Or once they have given her wrag group can they not take this away from her. She said she is going to appeal if she doesnt get support group and I am just worried if she does appeal they may decide to take it all off her so I don't think she should rock the boat?

Yes the recon or the tribunal could change the decision to Not entitled but I doubt it has EVER actually happened. Tell her to appeal, especially if she has a partner working F/T or savings because her ESA C WRAG will only last 1 year. whereas SG lasts unlimited.

helentay_2

epitome wrote: »

Yes the recon or the tribunal could change the decision to Not entitled but I doubt it has EVER actually happened. Tell her to appeal, especially if she has a partner working F/T or savings because her ESA C WRAG will only last 1 year. whereas SG lasts unlimited.

Are you suggesting that that is a valid reason to put in an appeal against being put in the Work group instead of the Support group?

money? Is that the be all and end all of it?

What happened to the real reason for the appeal? The probable loss of the benefit after 365 days should have no bearing whatsoever on the decision to appeal or not.

TOBRUK

epitome wrote: »

My understanding is that if you are appealing WRAG you do not have to go to WFIs. Someone else on here said as much, and seemed to know what they were talking about.

Hi epitome, Well at the beginning of the interview the chap said that he knew I had appealed the ESA decision, he knew this when he telephoned me to arrange an interview. If there wasn't a need for the WRAG interview due to the appeal he wouldn't have arranged the appointment.

I was made aware at the beginning (I'm not sure how, I think I read it in the information on the ESA form) that even if you were appealing that you were to attend any interviews regardless of whether you were appealing or not, otherwise you could lose benefit.

Cpt.Scarlet

epitome wrote: »

My understanding is that if you are appealing WRAG you do not have to go to WFIs. Someone else on here said as much, and seemed to know what they were talking about.

They were wrong! You are only excused WFIs if you are in the SG or have reached the upper age limit, although the JC+ advisor may choose to defer them.

Members of the WRAG who have appealed should not be forwarded to the Work Programme, however, this is a DWP internal policy, not law, so they can change their minds in the future.

Cpt.Scarlet

epitome wrote: »

Yes the recon or the tribunal could change the decision to Not entitled but I doubt it has EVER actually happened.

Of course it has, I know of at least three claimants who have been found fit for work on appealing for the SG from the WRAG, it's just very rare.

iluvmarmite

epitome wrote: »

My understanding is that if you are appealing WRAG you do not have to go to WFIs. Someone else on here said as much, and seemed to know what they were talking about.

I am appealing my WRAG decision and although I don't have to go to the work programme center I still have to have fortnightly calls from the advisor

epitome

Cpt.Scarlet wrote: »

They were wrong! You are only excused WFIs if you are in the SG or have reached the upper age limit, although the JC+ advisor may choose to defer them.

Cool, thats what I used to think, so will continue with this line.

Members of the WRAG who have appealed should not be forwarded to the Work Programme, however, this is a DWP internal policy, not law, so they can change their minds in the future.

Ahh, this is what the poster on MSE said and I had remembered it incorrectly. Got it now, thanks.

Cpt.Scarlet wrote: »

Of course it has, I know of at least three claimants who have been found fit for work on appealing for the SG from the WRAG, it's just very rare.

Were the decisions changed at recon or at tribunal? If at tribunal does the WRAG component become an O/P ?