ESA - Fit Notes Confusion

skylark_71

Good afternoon,


I'm feeling a little confused as I received a message from DWP last week stating that, "We've received your Fit Note and details of your assessment. Your ESA payment will continue and you don't need to send us any more Fit Notes."


A little background on this - following my last face to face assessment I was placed in the Support Group (this was a few months ago) and at the assessment I was told it was my responsibility to keep providing up to date Fit Notes to keep receiving ESA.


Last week's message contradicts what I was told so I wonder if anyone can help shed any light on this situation please?


Thank you in advance.

hb2

There is no need to keep supplying fitnotes once you have been notified that a decision has been made and you are now in The WRAG or Support Group.

skylark_71

Thank you for your reply. I was notified a few months ago that I was in the Support Group and I had to keep supplying Fit Notes following that decision. Forgive my ignorance, does the message mean I have now been reassessed without me being present and that I will be informed if the group has been changed?

TELLIT01

You should not have needed to provide any more Fit Notes once you were placed in the Support Group. I think there may have been some confusion due to what was said at the assessment. If that was your first assessment the documentation would be sent to DWP as it is DWP who make the final decision on which group you are put into, not the assessor. If you stopped sending Fit Notes immediately after the assessment it's possible your benefit would stop because that final decision had not been made. Once you were in the Support Group you should have received a letter telling you that you no longer had to provide Fit Notes.

skylark_71

Thank you for your reply. I never received any communication saying that I no longer needed to supply Fit Notes once I was placed in the Support Group following my first assessment. The assessor did say that he wouldn't be making any decisions and that it would be DWP who decided everything, which ties in with what you've said.



I'm just wondering why I would have been assessed without my being there and only now being told not to supply Fit Notes. Is it normal to be assessed without having to attend?

sleepy14

Hi Skylark, I havent had to go for a f2f after 2 renewals of ESA, I am worried silly about PIP tho, I am still on DLA.

TELLIT01

It's not unusual for assessments to be made without you being present, particularly after you have had an initial face to face. If the documents provided indicate that there has been no improvement it saves everybody involved time and stress that way.
You should have been told that no more Fit Notes were required when you were placed in the Support Group, but at least you have been told now.