ESA - Can anyone help?

Sparrow85

Hi, new here and writing on behalf of my mum.

My mum is 53 and was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 1997. She worked full time up until last year, when unfortunately she just got far too ill to work. Some days she cannot get out of bed, the days when she can, she has limited movement. Won't go into great detail, but her hands and feet are so mishapen now; her hands are basically so swollen and like claws. They are completely twisted and she can't do anything with them.

Anyway, her employer let her go last year as she couldn't do the job any longer. She applied for ESA and PIP. She got PIP pretty quickly and didn't need an assessment as she was told she had enough medical evidence (her medical file is huge as she's constantly under care for her condition). Her PIP is fine until 2019.

She also received ESA from 30 March 2016 at the basic rate. Now, we basically knew nothing about all of this and the two different groups, or that she would need assessed to be put into the two groups. I wish we had known more.

So, she has been receiving ESA at the basic rate until this week, when she was told her payments would be stopped as she had been receiving them for the limit of 365 days. We now know all about this, however so angry that she has never been assessed to be put into one of the two groups.

She has been on the telephone constantly the last two days and it turns out, she was supposed to be assessed in November, however they have no idea why this has been overlooked. They have now told her she will receive £1500 into her bank by Friday, as this will be backdated money she should have been due and she will receive a letter in the next few days explaining what her benefits will be. Her assessment has been moved on and they have advised they will be extending it to 18 months instead of 12 months.

Now, I am just so confused and my mum is so stressed, that I just don't think she knows what is happening. What does any of this mean? I don't understand what the extension is? Does this mean she will continue to receive weekly payments? I don't understand how she can if the 12 months is up and I don't quite understand what the backdated money is for, if they don't know what group she is in since she's never been assessed? She is not entitled to income related support as my dad works.

Now, I know she needs to be put in the support group to continue receiving payments. That I am not too worried about, as although I understand how hard it is, you only have to look at her hands and feet to see how deformed they are. I just don't understand why all this is being moved on. It's a disgrace that it has taken this long to be assessed and until today, my mum thought she was just getting left with PIP and they have a mortgage amongst other bills to pay and it won't work.

Can anyone shed any light on any of this? Thank you so much in advance.

poppy12345

Your mum has been recieving contribution based ESA assessment rate. This is time limited to 1 year unless being put into the support group where it will continue without time limits, until they re-assess. They've simply looked at your mum's claim and put her straight into the support group without an assessment. The back dated money is what she would have recieved if she'd been in the support group from week 14 of her claim. Just wait for the letter from DWP and it will tell you everything including how long she's been put in there for. So sit back and relax

Sparrow85

Thank you very much for your reply, it's much appreciated.

I now understand all about ESA and the time limits, but had no idea why they are giving her backdated money and just wanted to be sure that she wouldn't be left with nothing. Not even interested in the backdated money, just needing to know she isn't going to struggle every month.

Thanks again.

TELLIT01

The backdating is due to the fact that she is entitled to the increased rate for the Support Group from the beginning of the 14th week after her claim was made. It's not her fault that the assessment wasn't done at the right time. The backdated amount is roughly 39 weeks at about £30 per week.

Sparrow85

Thank you, you've both been really helpful.

Does this mean she should start receiving weekly payments again until they get round to assessing her? Just confused as to why she would be put in support group without assessment.

poppy12345

Sparrow85 wrote: »

Thank you, you've both been really helpful.

Does this mean she should start receiving weekly payments again until they get round to assessing her? Just confused as to why she would be put in support group without assessment.

Your mum will recieve about £109 per week payments made every 2 weeks. Sometimes people are put straight into a group without the need for an assessment, although it;s not often. As i said previously relax now, there's nothing more to worry about. Those in the support group are left alone.

Sparrow85

Thank you very much, so appreciated. Will be a massive weight off her shoulders (and mine!) thank you x

Fluffybunny80

The ESA awards letter won't tell her how long her award is as there is no time limit on ESA, it's ongoing unlike PIP that has an end date.
The longest anyone can go without reassessment is 3 year's usually but even that has been running over as they are so behind with everything.
So until your mum is contacted by DWP for reassessment be it paper or face to face, tell her not to worry and she cannot be found fit for work without an assessment.
So your mum will now receive around am extra £60 every two weeks as well as her back pay.
So it's all good and tell her to relax ��

Sparrow85

Well, you were all right.

My mum received a phone call this morning, confirming she has been put in the support group and will not need assessed until November 2017! Great result for her.