esa waiting times?

woodisgood

Hi
I've recently applied for income related esa. I received a text back from the dwp to say they are processing it.
How long does this usually take? I've read on here it could take weeks maybe months.
My concern is maybe I'll be fit for work by the time it comes through.
So maybe they wont believe what I've been through.
And if my wound does get better and heal there will be no physical proof for the medical.
Thanks for reading hope you can help.

cakeforbrains

We put in a claim for my brother at the start of November and it got awarded yesterday. It's supposed to take 13 weeks.

Robbie64

cakeforbrains wrote: »

We put in a claim for my brother at the start of November and it got awarded yesterday. It's supposed to take 13 weeks.

It shouldn't take 13 weeks for an ESA claim to be decided. Even with staff cuts at the DWP it shouldn't take more than two or three weeks, perhaps four weeks at the most.

Was there a particular reason why the claim for your brother would have been delayed as long as this?

To the OP: if you are in urgent need of money you can ask the DWP to make a Short Term Benefit Advance though the circumstances in which you can be paid are limited, any payment is means tested and is repayable if / when ESA is paid. The Decision Maker has to make a decision on whether you are likely to be entitled to ESA prior to an advance payment being made.

http://www.turn2us.org.uk/information__resources/benefits/social_fund/short_term_benefit_advances.aspx

HB58

Robbie,

Whilst the initial claim and assessment rate payment is usually fairly timely, claimants waiting 9 months for a decision tre long-term ESA is not an uncommon story at the moment