How long a wait for ESA backpay?

Solitaires

It took just four weeks for me to receive my back payments so either fortunate not to be kept waiting or it's from a different office to those who have been waiting so much longer. Having said that it should be a simple enough administrative matter to process these back payments so I don't know why some people have been kept waiting so long.

Morlock

maggieann2luke wrote: »

Bombshell after that is that my contribution esa runs out in Jan 2014 on the 365 days ruling then it will be income based. WHAT? I've only just been awarded it in July after almost 8 months on eesa. Come January I'll get nothing cos my husband works full time but can't afford to pay bills etc on his wage plus my low rate DLA. HELP please.

Sorry to give you bad news, but that is the new rule introduced by the Tories, if your partner works full-time, he will be expected to support you, and you will get nothing apart from DLA.

The only possible way to avoid that is to qualify for the Support Group, which is generally contribution-based, however you have left it very late to appeal the WRAG decision, and appealing because of a change in income is not a valid reason. You would have to prove that your condition has worsened, or new symptoms have developed, and you now meet descriptors for the Support Group.

gayleanne

I have a relative that actually works in the tribunal office, I can honestly say that she is working all the hours God sends, from 7am to 7pm every day and that includes a Saturday and Sunday, she doesn't want to work these hours, but she has over 5 thousand cases, waiting for their appeal date. So she is having to work every day preparing cases. When someone in the office leave their jobs, they are not being replaced, meaning that they have to take on even more back logs, the government thought that they would be saving money but they are not, because 75% of appeals are being won by the claimants, so when you add up the cost of appeals plus the back dated payments the government is losing.

These appeal tribunals are now taking place on a Saturday and Sunday, which has been unheard of until now. When you add up the cost of overtime payment to the Doctors, the office staff, security staff, it is colossal. The reason why the back payments are taking so long to be paid out is because there is the bare minimum of staff sorting through the back payments. You will be getting the payment, but there are thousands of people waiting, and more being added every single day.

maggieann2luke

Thanks Morlock. I spent time with my GP yesterday talking about my situation now. She's referring me back to a mental health counsellor again before I get any worse, could be seen next week. She's also writing a letter direct to the tribunal service and dwp. I've sent a request for a statement of reasons as to why I was put in the wrag and not the support group. Heading for a breakdown is not very nice, I've been there twice already and hated it.