Incapacity to esa when on dla

Saversue

The position is I have a permanent High DLA award for both care and mobility - I know this will be reassessed by 2015.

I am also on Incapacity Benefit, since 1998, with an age addition of £6.00 per week.

Today received a letter from jobcentreplus saying I am to be assessed for ESA. Will get a phone call to talk about changes and then a form sent out to complete.

As I get high DLA care and mobility, will I still have to go through this process and if so will I receive the same amount currently £107.35.
Also will I then keep having to be regularly reassessed if they agree I am not fit to work?

Does any one have a link to the forms they send out please?

Kezzarose

Hi
Im also on DLA high rates and I had my assessment for Esa on Wednesday.
I was on IB but i have to move to Esa.
I believe everybody under the age of 65 will be moved.

schrodie

Saversue wrote: »

The position is I have a permanent High DLA award for both care and mobility - I know this will be reassessed by 2015.

I am also on Incapacity Benefit, since 1998, with an age addition of £6.00 per week.

Today received a letter from jobcentreplus saying I am to be assessed for ESA. Will get a phone call to talk about changes and then a form sent out to complete.

As I get high DLA care and mobility, will I still have to go through this process and if so will I receive the same amount currently £107.35.
Also will I then keep having to be regularly reassessed if they agree I am not fit to work?

Does any one have a link to the forms they send out please?

There are very few exceptions to having to undergo IB to ESA reassessment.

The form you will be sent is called an ESA50. I advise fill it out very thoroughly and if you have any additional evidence surrounding your condition such as hospital letters or GP's letters include them with your ESA50.

Here's a link to the ESA50 Here

HB58

Yes, you will have to be reassessed periodically for the duration of your ESA claim. This can vary from 3 months to 3 years, although sometimes this might be a reassessment of your previous paperwork and othertimes it could be an ESA50.

bigboybrother

Saversue wrote: »

The position is I have a permanent High DLA award for both care and mobility - I know this will be reassessed by 2015.

I am also on Incapacity Benefit, since 1998, with an age addition of £6.00 per week.

Today received a letter from jobcentreplus saying I am to be assessed for ESA. Will get a phone call to talk about changes and then a form sent out to complete.

As I get high DLA care and mobility, will I still have to go through this process and if so will I receive the same amount currently £107.35.
Also will I then keep having to be regularly reassessed if they agree I am not fit to work?

Does any one have a link to the forms they send out please?

I would seriously advise you to gather as much relevant evidence as you can and complete the ESA50 with as much detail as you can. If you fail the ATOS assessment (if you are lucky enough to have one that is), your DLA could well reviewed in the light of that failure.

Much better to be safe than sorry and have to go through a new DLA appraisal or if your are one of the unlucky ones, have to apply for PIP.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@money/documents/digitalasset/dg_195544.pdf

CharlieBilly

I have been on IB since 2000 and in October 2012 I was moved on Work related ESA. Nobody saw me from DWP I assume they based this on form I sent back. I appealed with help from CAB and medical evidence from GP abet at a small costs and now on ESA support group. In mean time due to extra stress/anxiety I had to up my medication and now suffer from high blood pressure whether high blood pressure was a result of the extra stress in unproven but it didnt help knowing I have to fight to get on support group and or in a years time my partner would have to support me even though she only earns a small amount a week I get a small private pension due to ill health.

I was never seen by Atos or DWP only communication I have had is by mail or one phone call to tell me I have been successful after a few questions was asked back in Jan

Saversue

Thanks for all the replies.
I have checked out the form and I will need to add lots of pages to get all my information in, to start with medication = nearly 30 items and several different conditions and specialists.
I am also going to get out copies of old DLA Claims and all the supporting evidence I can find and start working my way through it.
Have been really stressed all day, but like everyone else will just have to get on with it.

Bryando

Saversue wrote: »

Thanks for all the replies.
I have checked out the form and I will need to add lots of pages to get all my information in, to start with medication = nearly 30 items and several different conditions and specialists.
I am also going to get out copies of old DLA Claims and all the supporting evidence I can find and start working my way through it.
Have been really stressed all day, but like everyone else will just have to get on with it.

Take your time and included as much detail as you can are key. All the best:)

TOBRUK

Saversue wrote: »

The position is I have a permanent High DLA award for both care and mobility - I know this will be reassessed by 2015.

I am also on Incapacity Benefit, since 1998, with an age addition of £6.00 per week.

Today received a letter from jobcentreplus saying I am to be assessed for ESA. Will get a phone call to talk about changes and then a form sent out to complete.

As I get high DLA care and mobility, will I still have to go through this process and if so will I receive the same amount currently £107.35.
Also will I then keep having to be regularly reassessed if they agree I am not fit to work?

Does any one have a link to the forms they send out please?

Hi there Saversue, it's been a while! I was transferred from IB to ESA in October. They sent me the ESA50 form and from that they placed me in the ESA WRAG. My GP wasn't happy with this decision when he asked me about it (as he had sent them a report as requested by them) and told me that I couldn't work, advised me to go to CAB.

Firstly I requested the 'medical report' someone had made by someone based on the form I had filled in. When I received it, it was filled with descrepancies, false information and from that I felt I really needed to appeal their decision. I wrote to them stating why I disagreed with their decision end of October. I was called for interview at jobcentre on 2nd January which as someone on WRAG at this time I really had to attend. I saw a very nice gentleman who told me not to worry about the interview (he kept typing throughout the meeting!) also said that he was aware that I had appealed. He then said that he wasn't expecting me to look for any work.

Yesterday I received a letter with a response from my appeal letter (from last October!)stating that they had reconsidered their decision, it wasn't going to tribunal (thank goodness) and they have placed me in the Support group for 6 months! So I could be reassessed before long, once more!

I can't see how they are going to keep on sending out forms every few months for everyone!

Saversue, try not to worry, it is just something we have to get used to I'm afraid. Although I was worried when I was in the WRAG at first that wasn't the reason I appealed but when I saw the 'medical report' I felt I really needed to put them straight on a few things - I would request a copy of the report when you get a decision, you only need to phone and ask them for it and they send it out to you no problem.

Good luck Sue
x

I did place a post on the benefit forum yesterday with the result of the appeal.

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4579995

Brassedoff

TOBRUK, it is quite reasonable for them to keep in checking every six months. An imperfect part of the system is that had they devised it correctly, they would have split it into two categories. One for short term, say short term illnesses and conditions, then second for longer term, say two years so those with longer term illnesses and conditions that are not re-assessed for a longer period.

That was why IB and Sickness benefit worked. It broke down when people were left on IB for years just taking benefit.

If they, the Government, claim to want to save money. They would roll PIP & ESA into one form and assessment. That way a disabled person would not be placed on the Hamster wheel of continuous process of form filling and assessment.

There are 168 hours in a week. If someone wishes to receive a state handout, they need to set 4-5 hours at most to complete a form. No reason to get stressed, or unbelievably blame high blood pressure on it. Get on fill the form out. If not, put that hand back in the pocket and find some type of work.

TOBRUK

Brassedoff wrote: »

TOBRUK, it is quite reasonable for them to keep in checking every six months. An imperfect part of the system is that had they devised it correctly, they would have split it into two categories. One for short term, say short term illnesses and conditions, then second for longer term, say two years so those with longer term illnesses and conditions that are not re-assessed for a longer period.

That was why IB and Sickness benefit worked. It broke down when people were left on IB for years just taking benefit.

If they, the Government, claim to want to save money. They would roll PIP & ESA into one form and assessment. That way a disabled person would not be placed on the Hamster wheel of continuous process of form filling and assessment. ...

I agree with you Brassedoff, there is a flaw in the way they have set the new system, perhaps they should ask you to correct it:).

I think because of the total change of the benefits it is quite natural for those people who know they will not be able to work in the future to be anxious ... me included. I have to say that initially when I received the decision of being placed in WRAG I was worried, but having the interview at the Job Centre on 2nd January (which is something everyone on WRAG has to do) I was put at ease, especially when they told me that they did not expect me to look for work.

They could see my difficulties even getting to the interview. At the time I had already sent a letter of appeal - not because I had been placed in WRAG but because of the descrepancies on the 'medical report' the nurse had written for the decision makers from the information I had given in the ESA50 form.

They clearly hadn't a clue as most of the report was incorrect. I think everyone should request a copy of 'the medical report' when they have the decision. You just phone and ask for a copy and they will send it, you can then see how they have come to the decision.

One thing I would say is that if you disagree with the decision and write to Appeal you must understand that you could lose your benefit (just as before) if the appeal goes against you when they change their original decision, and you also have to prepared that they may take it to tribunal.

So you need to weigh up the information and consider carefully before you appeal.