ESA1 (UC) Form (Due tomorrow)

Calfuray

Hi,

Hoping someone can help me. I can find lots of advice online about the ESA50 form, but nothing about the ESA1 form! And this is very last minute to come asking for help, sorry.

I'm very confused by some of the questions or wording of this form, and cannot find any resources online.

My questions:

PART 1 - When do you want to claim ESA?
What does this question even mean? I want to claim in now, which is why I'm filling in the form. Is this looking for a specific date? Is this meant to be the date in Part 3 - what date did your illness or disability start?

PART 3 - what date did your illness or disability start?
I'm not sure what to put for this. The date you first started feeling symptoms? The date you were first in hospital after a referral? The date you were given the official diagnosis?

- name of doctor who signs your medical statements?
What medical statements? Is this your GP or can this be a hospital specialist who has been seeing you?

PART 4 - are you working at the moment?
Yes, kind of? Work have reduced pay, placed onto 0 hours contract, will only allow work in a pair and only small subset of what you used to do? Was off sick from March - July roughly, have had 2 shifts since then?
- Date the work started - do they mean date you returned back after being sick?
- Do you know when you will be well enough to work again? - never, life-long disability?

PART 6 - Are you getting or waiting to hear about any social security benefits now?
What is a social security benefit? PIP just started a few weeks ago, does that count as one?

PART 8 - Are you getting or waiting to hear about any statutory payments now?
Again, what are statutory payments? Im assuming SSP?

Sorry for the wall of text, I'm a little confused

Thanks in advance for any help,
Cal

calcotti

Part 1. You can ask for your ESA claim to be backdated for up to 3 months (but will need a Fit Note to support this).
Part 3. I would say it is when your symptoms started and first interfered with your ability to work.
You need a Statement of Fitness To Work (which actually confirms that you are not fit to work) from your GP to support your ESA claim.
Part 4. You may have difficulty claiming ESA if you are working. You are allowed to do some work (up to 16 hours and not earning more than £120/week).
Part 6. Social security benefit is any DWP Benefit and yes PIP is one.
Part 8. Yes it is SSP, SMP etc. You probably know that you cannot claim ESA if you are entitled to SSP. If you have had SSP and it has now ended you should put the day after your SSP ended as the date you want ESA to start in Part 1. You will need an SSP1 form confirming the date your SSP ended.

This is another example of how ‘new’ benefits have made it harder for claimants. Previously the ESA1 was completed by DWP staff taking information from you over the phone which meant you could ask them for clarification.

calcotti

I know nothing about your circumstances and it may be that you are applying for ESA because you are excluded from UC because you have savings over £16,000 or have a partner who earns a high wage. If this is not the case you may want to use a benefits calculator to see if it is worth claiming UC as the amount of UC will respond to the amount you earn.

TELLIT01

calcotti wrote: »

Previously the ESA1 was completed by DWP staff taking information from you over the phone which meant you could ask them for clarification.

DWP staff rarely filled an ESA1 form in during a telephone conversation. Claims made by telephone were generally entered onto a system called CAM which then sent the complete information to the relevant processing centre. Many ESA1 forms were sent out to claimants who for whatever reason were unable to make the claim by telephone.

calcotti

in my experience with legacy benefits I’ve never experienced a claimNt being sent an a ESA1 to complete themselves, just a print out of the information captured with an instruction to check it and contact DWP if there are any errors.

poppy12345

calcotti wrote: »

in my experience with legacy benefits I’ve never experienced a claimNt being sent an a ESA1 to complete themselves, just a print out of the information captured with an instruction to check it and contact DWP if there are any errors.

That's exactly how it was for me too.

calcotti

TELLIT01 wrote: »

DWP staff rarely filled an ESA1 form in during a telephone conversation. Claims made by telephone were generally entered onto a system called CAM which then sent the complete information to the relevant processing centre. Many ESA1 forms were sent out to claimants who for whatever reason were unable to make the claim by telephone.

That may have been the process but from the claimant’s point of view the ESA1 was completed for them by the DWP. What has changed is that that is no longer the case and the claimant is has to do it themselves.

TELLIT01

calcotti wrote: »

That may have been the process but from the claimant’s point of view the ESA1 was completed for them by the DWP. What has changed is that that is no longer the case and the claimant is has to do it themselves.

I processed literally hundreds of ESA1's which had been completed by the claimant. In our office the total would have been many thousands. Even after the claim being taken over the phone came into operation (not actually completing the ESA1 but that's by the by) approximately 20% of claims still needed paper based forms to be completed and they were always sent to the claimant to complete.
I don't know for sure, but suspect the CAM system was taken away from ESA when UC developed and that's why even more ESA claims now require the claimant to complete the form.

calcotti

TELLIT01 wrote: »

I don't know for sure, but suspect the CAM system was taken away from ESA when UC developed and that's why even more ESA claims now require the claimant to complete the form.

It is my understanding that all new style ESA claims require the claimant to complete the ESA1.