ESA claim and Fit Note query

daisycat22

I will be making a claim for ESA soon and after speaking to my GP she said she will give me a fit note and tick the 'May be fit for work' box and further explain my limitations.

Now, I have called the benefit inquiry line to make sure I can apply for ESA with this fit note and they said yes. After speaking to someone in my local jobcentre (who works on ESA claims) they have said no, the fit note must state 'Unable to work'.

Can anyone tell me which is correct and if anyone has had experience of getting ESA with this kind of fit note?

Thanks

nannytone_2

job centre advisors do not work on ESA.
they may have disability advisors, but even they are not experts in ESA.
its like asking the checkout girl in tesco about their fair trade policy!
job centre staff only do the paper excercise and have no authority to quote the rules for any particular benefit apart from JSA.
id be much more inclined to believe what the ESA department tell me.
ESA is about limited capability for work and not total inability to do any kind of work

pmlindyloo

I see from your previous thread that you had to resign from your previous job because of ill health.

It would help if we can know the circumstances about this because if your doctor is saying that you are fit for work under certain circumstances then this is usually done when there needs to be some adjustments made at your present employment.

So, why did you not continue to work and claim sick pay? Or ask for adjustments as noted on the fit note by your doctor?

Does your doctor know that you have resigned?

Am not being nosey only that depending on the circumstances you may be better off claiming JSA but this can only be done if you have a good reason for resigning?

pmlindyloo

Sorry, to answer your direct question according to this:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/249923/gp-benefit-guide.pdf

(scroll down to 'As your patient's doctor'.)

both will normally be accepted.