ESA - 17 week in and lost

PumpkinCat

Hi,

I wonder if anyone can offer any advice: I've been in the ESA assessment phase since December (17 weeks now) but have had no information about the assessment/group assignment. I filled in the questionare in Janurary and returned it prompty and have been receiving the assessment payment (usually) every 2 weeks up until now but wasn't paid last week and I don't know why. My current sick/fit note is valid until 3rd May and they haven't asked for anything extra, they usually text or send a letter if there is a problem.

I have mental health issues and am unable to call them although my mother tried to call them for me on Friday but after 15 minutes on hold my credit ran out. I have written them three letters over the past three weeks but they have not replied to any of them. I asked for more information about my assessment etc. I know that they have received at least two of the letters as I also included my sick notes with them and I got a text saying that they had received said sick notes but no other reply to the letters. I don't know what to do as I can't seem to get in contact with them at all or find an email address and the text messages are all no reply ones. Can anyone help?

Also they keep asking for more fit notes and as I have had no proper info on ESA - can anyone tell me if I have to keep getting fit notes repeatedly for the foreseable future or after my ESA assessment will that be enough? Hope that makes sense.

Thanks

allison445

You have to keep handing in fit notes until you are placed in a group after your medical assessment .
The length of time you wait for an assessment can vary by area mine's was within 10 weeks in glasgow but in some areas people are waiting months.

pmlindyloo

allison445 wrote: »

You have to keep handing in fit notes until you are placed in a group after your medical assessment .
The length of time you wait for an assessment can vary by area mine's was within 10 weeks in glasgow but in some areas people are waiting months.

The above answers your questions about fit notes and the time it takes to get an assessment.

As to why your ESA has stopped then we can only speculate.

They usually send a letter as to why this has happened but in the absence of a letter we can only speculate.

Sometimes it is because of a change of circumstances. For instance, have you recently been awarded PIP? Or have you received some other income?

Can you think of anything that has changed since you first claimed ESA?

Were you working before you claimed?

Sorry, just trying to think of different possibilities

The only thing you can do to be sure is to keep telephoning them until you get an answer.

TELLIT01

The only thing I can suggest, if you have no credit on your phone, is to go to your local Job Centre and ask for their assistance. Some JCs have phones available which can be used to contact the processing offices. Take your mum with you.

PumpkinCat

Hi,

Thanks for your responses. I can't phone myself or go into the jobcentre due to personal issues I have which is part of the reason why I am claiming ESA.

I was given a back payment a couple of days before the date of my usual payment due to a delay in them getting my sick note over the Easter break. The payment didnt include the last 2 weeks that I was due last Wednesday so I'm now almost 3 weeks without any money.

Does anyone know any other way I can contact them as they are clearly ignoring my letters?

Thanks

pmlindyloo

There is no other way of contacting them if you want a speedy reply.

Someone is going to have to telephone on your behalf.

Have you a friend/neighbour/family member/support worker who can help out?

TELLIT01

Sorry, but put very simply, until you contact them your payments will not start again. If you have been writing to ESA asking when your assessment will be the letters will have been passed on to the company doing the assessment. ESA don't have any direct control of when the assessment happens.
There are no e-mail addresses available to the public for the processing centres and, as you already know, you can't text them either. Phone is the quickest and surest way to contact them.

Alice_Holt

You could try your local CAB.

paragon909

I can understand people who can't call DWP because they simply cannot talk... I understand having mental health issues and being shy or not knowing what to say. But the fact is, People with mental health issues can get better and are suppose to try and help themselves get better.. My Brother has severe autism and he still manages to make the odd call when he really needs to, Even though he complains he can't do it.

Prinzessilein

paragon909 wrote: »

But the fact is, People with mental health issues can get better and are suppose to try and help themselves get better.. My Brother has severe autism and he still manages to make the odd call when he really needs to, Even though he complains he can't do it.

The FACT is that some people with mental health issues will never get better. The FACT is that some people with mental health issues will actually get worse over the years.

I have autism, and I could NOT use the phone to contact the DWP. Thankfully I have an amazing mother who makes phone calls for me.

Pumpkincat - keep on sending in your fit-notes and try and get someone to phone for you.

borkid

How about if you get your mum to phone the DWP and ask if she took a signed letter from you into your local office saying they could discuss your case with her would she be able to find out what has happened. If they kept it on file then it would help in the future.