WCA reassessments to start again

Anchoress

Just came across this on Rightsnet which will be of interest to people whose reassessments were deferred.

It says ' there is now capacity to start to conduct some repeat assessments alongside new claim assessments'

Which isn't really very helpful and will still leave people in a stressful situation waiting for the brown envelope.

http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/9097/

tomtontom

People have been being reassessed for months now. Whilst it is understandably stressful, it is needed as many people's conditions do change yet they fail to report this change in a timely manner. Surely no one expects to remain on ESA indefinitely and without review?

John_Clark

If they have only recently started reassessments, perhaps there will be a backlog so we will get deferred/rescheduled to a later date again?

Anchoress

tomtontom wrote: »

People have been being reassessed for months now. Whilst it is understandably stressful, it is needed as many people's conditions do change yet they fail to report this change in a timely manner. Surely no one expects to remain on ESA indefinitely and without review?

No, of course not, it's obviously right that people are reassessed. With the system as it is though, it leaves people in limbo and is highly stressful which can contribute to their ill health and impede any chance of recovery.

tomtontom

Anchoress wrote: »

No, of course not, it's obviously right that people are reassessed. With the system as it is though, it leaves people in limbo and is highly stressful which can contribute to their ill health and impede any chance of recovery.

Then what do you suggest to make it better? If people are given a time limited award then they have a rough idea of when they will be reassessed, in the same way that someone on a fixed term contract knows roughly when that will end (it may or may not be extended).

John_Clark

tomtontom wrote: »

Then what do you suggest to make it better? If people are given a time limited award then they have a rough idea of when they will be reassessed, in the same way that someone on a fixed term contract knows roughly when that will end (it may or may not be extended).

You would think so wouldn't you. But the DWP rescheduled all our reassessments to a later date up to 2 years ahead, without bothering to let us know. I only found out through this forum, then phoning them to ask. What of those who don't have internet to read forums like this?

Anchoress

tomtontom wrote: »

Then what do you suggest to make it better? If people are given a time limited award then they have a rough idea of when they will be reassessed, in the same way that someone on a fixed term contract knows roughly when that will end (it may or may not be extended).

Yes that's fine in theory but it's not what has happened in practice. I don't recall anyone saying they had received a letter from DWP saying their reassessment has been postponed for two years or that the process had been restarted. We only know these things from researching online or maybe a snippet in the MSM. I had fully expected an ESA50 to arrive recently as it was my anniversary date but nothing so far and I have no idea when it will come.

Anchoress

and to add, I don't think you even get a confirmation if you are paper reassessed, you're just left guessing and many people will be reluctant to phone and find out in case it triggers anything further.

tomtontom

Anchoress wrote: »

Yes that's fine in theory but it's not what has happened in practice. I don't recall anyone saying they had received a letter from DWP saying their reassessment has been postponed for two years or that the process had been restarted. We only know these things from researching online or maybe a snippet in the MSM. I had fully expected an ESA50 to arrive recently as it was my anniversary date but nothing so far and I have no idea when it will come.

Do you want to be reassessed or not? In your OP you said the reintroduction of reassessments is not helpful, now you are complaining that you've not received the ESA50.

If you want an update on your claim you are free to call the DWP at any time. They can look at your individual claim and advise accordingly. If you've taken the time to research online, why have you not done that?

tomtontom

Anchoress wrote: »

and to add, I don't think you even get a confirmation if you are paper reassessed, you're just left guessing and many people will be reluctant to phone and find out in case it triggers anything further.

You should, it should be auto generated. I have seen a few cases where that has not happened, letters do go astray at times.

GirlFromMars_2

I got my £10 Christmas Bonus Brown Envelope this week. Not sure the £10 makes up for the amount of stress and fear a brown envelope induces, even when the contents isn't another reassessment nightmare.

I agree that people need to be assessed as conditions can change, but the system is really unfit for purpose. To begin with the descriptors bear little relation to whether or not someone is capable of working 16+ hours a week. The form is long, complicated and depressing when you have to face how disabled you are as you fill it in, and wonder if you are disabled enough. The face to face assessment can be with someone who has no understanding of your condition and how it affects you. Then if you have to go through mandatory reconsideration you are forced onto JSA which may be a totally inappropriate benefit, and a tribunal can take months and months of stress.

The system that is used to deter & catch a tiny level of benefit fraud pushes everyone, including some very vulnerable people through the same hideous DWP torture system.

Best bit, fraudulent claimants (without mental and physical problems to face alongside the brown envelope) can probably cope quite well with the strains of the process that destroys the health and mental well being of genuine claimants.