Esa Medical

jkenn

I am in the ESA support group as I won an appeal at Tribunal four years ago. I have been on benefits for health reasons for some time and have been to many health assessments. I received the ESA50 form over Christmas and completed it within the time, However despite producing medical evidence and making it clear since the Tribunal nothing had changed I am being sent for a medical. I have only been able to get my GP's letter today as mine retired and whilst I explained the delay to the DWP, it made no difference.

My local Benefits advise centre has closed and I am wondering can i ask for my E5A form to be reassessed with the inclusion of the doctors note and reiterate the winning of my appeal at Tribunal etc... I just don't know if I can go this again. The last doctor at an ESA medical said sorry to me more or less acknowledging I was too ill to work, but because I could look him in the eye and was competent explaining my health issues etc... I was unlikely to be successful. Sure enough I was seen fit for work and had to go to the job centre, appeal, go to tribunal and all the rest.

pmlindyloo

I'm not sure if you have a date for your work capability assessment or not.

You can send medical evidence even after you have sent off the form so have you sent off the doctor's letter to the Health Assessment Advisory Service?

Depending on whether you have a date for your WCA or not if you have time then send your doctor's letter now. If your WCA is soon then you might be better to take it with you and ask the health professional to read it as part of your evidence.

From CAB website:
Sending medical evidence after you've sent your capability for work questionnaire
It’s never too late to send medical evidence - you must send the questionnaire itself back within 28 days, but you can send evidence any time afterwards. Remember to send it to the Health Assessment Advisory Service, not to Jobcentre Plus. You can get the address of your local Health Assessment Advisory Service by calling 0800 288 8777 for free or you can find the address on their website.
Write a covering letter
It’s important to write a covering letter if you send medical evidence after you’ve sent back your questionnaire.
You should include:
your name
your National Insurance number
a note to say that the evidence supports your ESA claim - include the date you sent your questionnaire


I am presuming you are asking for a paper assessment.
Whether they give you one or not no one can tell you. Most people do have to attend the WCA - sorry.

kingfisherblue

jkenn wrote: »

I am in the ESA support group as I won an appeal at Tribunal four years ago. I have been on benefits for health reasons for some time and have been to many health assessments. I received the ESA50 form over Christmas and completed it within the time, However despite producing medical evidence and making it clear since the Tribunal nothing had changed I am being sent for a medical. I have only been able to get my GP's letter today as mine retired and whilst I explained the delay to the DWP, it made no difference.

My local Benefits advise centre has closed and I am wondering can i ask for my E5A form to be reassessed with the inclusion of the doctors note and reiterate the winning of my appeal at Tribunal etc... I just don't know if I can go this again. The last doctor at an ESA medical said sorry to me more or less acknowledging I was too ill to work, but because I could look him in the eye and was competent explaining my health issues etc... I was unlikely to be successful. Sure enough I was seen fit for work and had to go to the job centre, appeal, go to tribunal and all the rest.

Most people have to have face to face assessments, even when they have received an award previously. There has been some discussion, I believe, about a limited number of ESA claims being exempt from reassessment in the future, but I don't think that it has happened yet. The exemptions mentioned had to comply with very specific criteria, including absolutely no hope of improvement - conditions included Huntingdon's, Parkinson's, dementia, and some chromosomal abnormalities if the learning disability is severe.

Nooney123456789

Winning at tribunal doesn't make any difference to wether you should have a WCA on reassessment.

I didn't have a WCA on my first claim but had one on reassessment and I took evidence and gave it to my assessor not that she acknowledged it but the decision maker did.

Good luck.