Worried about esa.

LostandAfraid

I am in esa support group,it is income related and the decision was made 18 months ago.

They said that it was for a period of 18 months and that I would get a renewal form a few months before I was due to be looked at again but it hasn't arrived yet.

I am worried about it because going by what they said it should have been here before now but it's not and I am scared my esa will just stop if they don't do another assessment.

I had a look around and some people are saying it is probably just a slight delay in the system and it will come soon and that income related esa should carry on until they reasess but is that true?

Should I be worried or just wait for them to get in touch?

Thank you.

Indie_Kid

There are huge backlogs. Your ESA will just carry on.

LostandAfraid

Thank you,it is reassuring to know it will carry on,I will just wait for them to contact me then when they get to me.

Newly_retired

Because of all the problems with the assessments, ATOS etc, the system ground to a halt for a while and reassessments were suspended in some areas.
So do not worry, your payments will not stop without warning.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Sorry to hijack your thread op, just want to know if that will be the same for people moving from DLA to PIP? My claim is due to run out in August and I have yet to receive an invite.

Lostandafraid..A year or so ago I had to migrate from IB to ESA, I had to have my form in by September I think, wasn't until about the November that I received the letter saying I had been placed in the support group. So, it appears that even a year or so on the backlog hasn't reduced. I never came contacted the DWP, couldn't face speaking to them, so I just waited until I received the letter.

Really hope it turns out positive for you.

baxie

I went through something similar - was due for reassessment, but the ESA50 form did not arrive. Got a call from my case manager and they said they'd phone again in 6 months, I said I was up for reassessment, the reply was that I had already been reassessed without needing to fill in the form. I wish they had told me this was going to happen, spent all of December 2014 and January 2015 worrying about this.

LostandAfraid

Thank you again for the replies,very much appreciated.

As for PIP I'm sorry but I don't know,my DLA is an indefinite award and from what we can see at the moment they are going to start those from October but I'm not sure if there are any delays or what someone with a fixed award should do if it is time to change but they have not heard anything,I do hope they let you know.

They took about 9 months to migrate me to esa the first time and I did not need a face to face,of course next time they might decide I do so it could take longer.

Baxie-I'm so sorry they didn't let you know and that you had to suffer and worry like that,how awful for you to go through that.

Sorry if I have been waffling on,my head is going ten to the dozen at the moment and wont stop,we shall wait and see and deal with it when it arrives.

Thank you all again for the advice.

KxMx

You could phone them to see the current review date on file. May give you more of an idea as to when things will happen, but due to the huge backlog even that might not be a good indicator of when you will get an ESA50.

The contact centre that answers probably will not have access to that information, in which case ask for a callback from the JCP that deals with your claim.

the_devil_made_me_do_it

Lost and afraid..it's understandable that your head is going 10 to the dozen and your certainly aren't waffling on. I think many people can appreciate how you feel due to the fact we all feel the same.

It's an horrendous situation for everyone. They treat you as a suspect under interrogation. It shouldn't be like that. We are getting treated worse than criminals and it's abhorrant.