ESA not paid/reasonable adjustments

hlpmeplas

My ESA was due to be paid yesterday and wasn't. I called at 10am and was told it was a glitch and that I'd have it before the end of the day. This had happened a month before and it was in my account within 2 hours. I'd explained to the advisor that I needed to go to my monthly support group that evening and that it's held once a month only.

It got to 4pm and nothing still. Called and was told it would be done by the end of the business day. I suffer with severe ADHD and anxiety, calling induces a panic attack. I think the hold music is a trigger following 6 months without ESA following an ATOS mistake 2 years ago. It also means that I was so hyper focused on waiting for my payment that all I did yesterday was sit on the sofa checking my banking app over and over.

Nothing went in at all and I haven't slept. Called them first thing and the guy said the payment had been decline by the system over night and he'd get someone to call me back before 12.

I haven't eaten, my electricity is on a prepay meter and about to run out and I feel desperate. Does anyone have an idea if I'll even get a payment today? I've had no letters about anything and am not due a reassessment. I am in the process of applying for PIP. Could that effect my payment?

Has anyone had success with requesting reasonable adjustment from the DWP with regards to a disability related to mental health. The law says they MUST provide it but every time I explain to them that I can't focus on phone calls due to my disability and that they give me crippling anxiety that renders me unable to function for the rest of the day.

pmlindyloo

Have you got someone who can come over to you and keep you company while you are waiting for the phone call (and even speak on the phone for you?)

If you haven't and you have a CAB fairly near then take your phone (in case they phone) and your ESA paperwork to CAB and ask them to phone on your behalf. They can usually get payments pretty quickly in these situations.

I don't see that applying for PIP should have altered things.

It could be just a glitch.

Whatever it turns out to be then it can be sorted.

Has your meter got an emergency amount on it? If you are completely running out ring the company and they will put some on for you because of your situation.

There is always an answer to everything so try to keep calm and get someone with you if you can. (or keep posting on here so we can keep you company!)

hlpmeplas

Thanks for your reply. I don't have any family or many close friends because of my condition. I lose my temper when I feel frustrated by the distractions and don't think before I speak all the time. I've learned to just be alone rather than upset other people. It's made my self esteem very low.

I just checked and i have 23p on the meter but I still haven't had a call from teh DWP. It's been over 24 hours since my first call and over 2 hours since my call today. I don't understand why they are doing this

pmlindyloo

Who is your utility provider?

hlpmeplas

It's EON. The meter was here when I moved in because teh previous tenant didn't pay. I've tried to get them to change it because of my memory problems but they aren't helpful.

Still no word from the DWP and nothing in the bank. The DWP told me they'd deal with it urgently but don't seem to be. I don't know what's taking so long. 2 hours last time. Now it's been 25

hlpmeplas

I explained to the DWP so many times that my anxiety is bad and that because of my brain structure time doesn't feel the same to me. They know that I'm vulnerable because my ADHD is so bad. I haven't eaten since Friday when I got a PIP denied letter. The report was filled with lies. The same day I was attacked by an old man the one time I let my friend persuade me to leave the house.

They have a DWP guidance policy on how to deal with vulnerable people but don't follow it with me or listen when I ask for more help. It specifically mentions ADHD too and says they should give me extra help and support.

TELLIT01

Although an application for PIP won't directly affect your entitlement to ESA, it can set a marker on ESA which requires manual intervention to clear. That could have caused the automatic payment to be blocked initially. That doesn't explain why a payment released yesterday didn't credit yesterday.
As to the time it takes to get to your bank - once the payment is released by ESA they have no control over when it will actually hit your account. That is controlled by your bank.
We were always told to advise that a payment would be in the account by midnight of that day because of that. The reality is that payment will generally hit the account within 3 or 4 hours, sometimes sooner.
I understand your anxiety, but ESA have said somebody will call you by midday. If you haven't received a call by then, you do need to call them again to chase it up.

pmlindyloo

OK so read this:

https://www.eonenergy.com/for-your-home/your-account/prepayment/prepayment-paying/prepayment-emergency-credit

You can get emergency credit.

Can you get to a CAB?

Did they say they would ring by 12 pm to day? If they haven't rung by then ring them back. Can you do this?

I know you feel they are targeting you personally but really they aren't. They have thousands and thousands of people to deal with and I expect at this very moment there are many others going through what you are going through now. Doesn't help your situation I know but they are not targeting you personally.

Do you have a mental health team or anyone who supports you? Is your doctor supportive?

Stevie_Palimo

There must be someone that you can ask to help you out with some money until this is paid in, If not go to the offices of the benefit people and explain this face to face, It may get it sorted out quicker for you.

hlpmeplas

Thanks Tellit. Do you have any idea why it might have taken so long for them to process it yesterday. It was still in a queue waiting approval when I called at 4sih yesterday and I just had a feeling it wasn't going to be done. I expressed this to the guy but he was unwilling to do a thing to chase it or make sure it was done for yesterday.

The advisor earlier told me it wasn't rejected by a computer system not a person and that when that happens out of hours nothing can be done. If they know that why put people at risk.

Also the DWP said they'd call me back before 12 but in my experience they rarely do what they say they'll do. Calling them back at 12 if they haven't called me will break me. I can't deal with the bit at the start of the call where the voice tells me thing that i don't need to know. By the time i get to chose options i've lost focus and have to listen again and again.

hlpmeplas

Stevie_Palimo wrote: »

There must be someone that you can ask to help you out with some money until this is paid in, If not go to the offices of the benefit people and explain this face to face, It may get it sorted out quicker for you.

Why must there be someone? I have no family. I can't go to the benefits office easily. My anxiety is so bad that I haven't left the house in days. I'm so malnourished that my body aches and it isn't safe for me to walk there alone. I have no clothes that fir due to the weight loss and my condition means I get overwhelmed by things like this and can't function.