IB to ESA: no response to request for reconsideration and no payment into bank

catalina66

Hi

Atos medical was 30 January. I was told I'm now on work-related ESA, which is just incredulous (very bad mobility problems, various other health issues, serious mental health issues that today I've been told need 3 months of assessment ... need to tell DWP this tomorrow). I wrote on Feb 15th to request reconsideration. Received P45 dated from 6 March. Then I received a letter from Housing saying rent and council tax reductions stopped, from 17th feb and 17th march respectively. I emailed them, including a photo of the DWP letter saying I'm on work-related ESA, and they said that they'd removed suspension and re-assessed benefit with income as DLA only, as DWP shows this to be my only income, awaiting ESA appeal. No response further yet, about what to pay in the meantime. And now no ESA first payment in the bank. Giant electricity bill to pay something towards just arrived also; with it being first winter with storage heaters, has been entire trial and error.

I joined the Benefits and Work site, and they were very helpful in advising to not change doctors, despite problems, as this would harm benefits appeal due to delays about medical records. They also reassured me that ESA would be paid, as the letter said also and at same rate as IB was paid at ... I was concerned, as I have had nothing in writing from DWP at all, then Housing says there is only DLA showing as income.

Seen other posts on MSE saying sometimes ESA payments are delayed, but basically am really confused and stressed out with the lack of communication from DWP. Is it sounding like they have put me straight onto appeal, without writing to me at all, and money has been cut? Or is it that Housing just haven't been informed yet that I am on ESA, and DWP haven't authorised things in time for bank payment either? So fed up. May I ask if there's any other number but the 0845 number to call DWP on?

Many thanks for any advice, Cat

maggieann2luke

The phone number you need is 0345 608 8545 option 3. They may be able to explain what's going on. Good luck.

rogerblack

There is no time limit for a request for reconsideration - however, payment should have occurred if you have actually been put in the work-related group - the appeal should not have halted this.
Call ESA, and ask for a ringback from a decision-maker.
Points:
If a decision has been notified to you that you are in the work-related group, and a subsequent one has not been notified to you that you are not - then legally you are, and hence payment must start.

GirlFromMars_2

I agree with the advice about calling the helpline and asking for a call back if the person who answers can't sort this out for you ...

... just a couple of other queries ...

... how long have you been waiting for a payment? ... there shouldn't be any gaps if you've been switched from IB to WRAG-ESA ... your payment day will move one day later though, so if you were previously paid on a Monday it would now be a Tuesday ...

Are you receiving Contributions based ESA (I'm assuming so since you were on Incapacity Benefit) or did you apply for Income Related ESA as well? In my experience Income Related ESA can take longer to sort out, especially if you have a more complicated financial situation and they need to ask you for more information.

Phone them, and ask for a call back, a decision maker can process your payment the same day if applicable!

Good luck!

catalina66

maggieann2luke wrote: »

The phone number you need is 0345 608 8545 option 3. They may be able to explain what's going on. Good luck.

Thanks so much. Going to see if ESA is just a day late, as another poster has said could be the case, and, if it's not there in the morning, use this number. :beer:

catalina66

rogerblack wrote: »

There is no time limit for a request for reconsideration - however, payment should have occurred if you have actually been put in the work-related group - the appeal should not have halted this.
Call ESA, and ask for a ringback from a decision-maker.
Points:
If a decision has been notified to you that you are in the work-related group, and a subsequent one has not been notified to you that you are not - then legally you are, and hence payment must start.

Thank you for reassurance, and advice about asking for callback from decision-maker. Hadn't known I could do that. Just going to see if it's a day late, as another poster has said; if it's not there tomorrow, will call plus ask for a callback from a decision-maker. :beer:

catalina66

GirlFromMars wrote: »

I agree with the advice about calling the helpline and asking for a call back if the person who answers can't sort this out for you ...

... just a couple of other queries ...

... how long have you been waiting for a payment? ... there shouldn't be any gaps if you've been switched from IB to WRAG-ESA ... your payment day will move one day later though, so if you were previously paid on a Monday it would now be a Tuesday ...

Are you receiving Contributions based ESA (I'm assuming so since you were on Incapacity Benefit) or did you apply for Income Related ESA as well? In my experience Income Related ESA can take longer to sort out, especially if you have a more complicated financial situation and they need to ask you for more information.

Phone them, and ask for a call back, a decision maker can process your payment the same day if applicable!

Good luck!

Thanks so much. This was the first Wednesday that was due to be either ESA or half IB/ESA. Their letter said ESA would replace IB, with no drop in income. I've been assessed to be on work-related, but have written to ask for a reconsideration to be put on support-related. Definitely will call them. :beer:

catalina66

longtomboy wrote: »

Although my ESA was a new one in 2009, it took them from the September 09 until January 10 before the first payments started to roll in. I appealed to be put into the supporting group, which caused my payments to stop and it wasn't until May 10 that they started again for the correct supporting group amount.

eek! Do they put you onto zero ESA while the appeal is initiated and running? All I'd read so far was about reduced income, which still just doesn't seem right; to make people suffer for appealing is clearly to try to deter appeals, not to help with health! Might call them now instead, as if benefit has actually been stopped, if they've put me on appeal immediately, and with zero payments, best to know now. Glad you got into the supporting group. :beer:

GirlFromMars_2

catalina66 wrote: »

Thanks so much. This was the first Wednesday that was due to be either ESA or half IB/ESA. Their letter said ESA would replace IB, with no drop in income. I've been assessed to be on work-related, but have written to ask for a reconsideration to be put on support-related. Definitely will call them. :beer:

Ah, glad to hear it's just been a day. Sounds like it's just the switch over, if you were previously paid on a Wednesday, you should be paid on a Thursday now.

When I switched over the lady who phoned made sure to explain this to me, sounds like they forgot to warn you about this, so no wonder you were worried.

Hopefully it goes in as it should just the one day later than usual, and that will be your new payment day. If it didn't go in, definitely make sure to call and ask for a call back if the person you speak to can't help you!

Appealing to be moved from the WRAG into the Support group won't cause your money to be stopped. The change only affects people who were refused ESA in the first place (which is not the case with you). If someone who was refused ESA then appeals then the DWP stop payments during Mandatory Reconsideration, but once that is over (supposedly two weeks?) then the payments re-start while the appeal goes to the tribunal. This doesn't affect you though.

Hopefully you're all set now with your first ESA payment.

catalina66

GirlFromMars wrote: »

Ah, glad to hear it's just been a day. Sounds like it's just the switch over, if you were previously paid on a Wednesday, you should be paid on a Thursday now.

When I switched over the lady who phoned made sure to explain this to me, sounds like they forgot to warn you about this, so no wonder you were worried.

Hopefully it goes in as it should just the one day later than usual, and that will be your new payment day. If it didn't go in, definitely make sure to call and ask for a call back if the person you speak to can't help you!

Appealing to be moved from the WRAG into the Support group won't cause your money to be stopped. The change only affects people who were refused ESA in the first place (which is not the case with you). If someone who was refused ESA then appeals then the DWP stop payments during Mandatory Reconsideration, but once that is over (supposedly two weeks?) then the payments re-start while the appeal goes to the tribunal. This doesn't affect you though.

Hopefully you're all set now with your first ESA payment.

Thanks so much :-) Very reassuring, as, yes, there'd been no word. I'll call in the morning, if it hasn't come in. So great to know that appealing won't drop income to any degree! eek, 2 weeks ... it's been over a month since I wrote to ask for a mandatory reconsideration, which was another reason I was getting a bit worried. So many are having to appeal maybe. Thank you very much again :beer:

GirlFromMars_2

Not a problem!

And yes, Mandatory Reconsideration is really dragging out, it's really bad for anyone refused ESA. Still, hopefully they are reversing more decisions meaning people don't have to go through the appeal process.

At least being in the WRAG you still get paid during Mandatory Reconsideration! Well, hopefully, assuming it will appear in your account tomorrow!