ESA Assessment completed, am I over thinking things?

ShaunOfTheDead78

• I had a telephone reassessment after almost 3 years in ESA support group. The assessor said he felt he had enough information to complete his assessment and send to the DWP. I'm a born worrier and also have terrible anxiety and depression. I'm trying to get my finances on track and need to know if I will be remaining in the support group or if they will be kicking me out into WRAG or telling me I'm fit for work. I also suffer with Severe Raynaud's Disease in my hands feet and legs aswell as very severe IBS-D and bowel incontinence. This is the reasons for my ESA support group acceptance in the first place and nothing has changed in my health except getting worse. My reassessment was 2 weeks ago and I was paid as usual Thursday and also received a new housing benefit award letter today for change of circumstances in relation to ESA, so would you this mean I'm still in support group? or should I give them a call for a possible update?

Spoonie_Turtle

ShaunOfTheDead78 said:

• I had a telephone reassessment after almost 3 years in ESA support group. The assessor said he felt he had enough information to complete his assessment and send to the DWP. I'm a born worrier and also have terrible anxiety and depression. I'm trying to get my finances on track and need to know if I will be remaining in the support group or if they will be kicking me out into WRAG or telling me I'm fit for work. I also suffer with Severe Raynaud's Disease in my hands feet and legs aswell as very severe IBS-D and bowel incontinence. This is the reasons for my ESA support group acceptance in the first place and nothing has changed in my health except getting worse. My reassessment was 2 weeks ago and I was paid as usual Thursday and also received a new housing benefit award letter today for change of circumstances in relation to ESA, so would you this mean I'm still in support group? or should I give them a call for a possible update?

If you still clearly fit this descriptor:

8. Absence or loss of control whilst conscious leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or bladder, other than enuresis (bed-wetting), despite the wearing or use of any aids or adaptations which are normally, or could reasonably be, worn or used.
At least once a week experiences
(i) loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel and/or voiding of the bladder; or
(ii) substantial leakage of the contents of a collecting device;
sufficient to require cleaning and a change in clothing.

then I wouldn't worry. However you could phone up and request a copy of the assessor's report so you can see what they've put. I don't think they can find you fit for work without a face-to-face assessment anyway.

poppy12345

ShaunOfTheDead78 said:

• also received a new housing benefit award letter today for change of circumstances in relation to ESA,
  

Not sure what you mean by this. Having been in the Support Group myself since 2012/13 i've never had a letter relating to housing benefit after any ESA review. Has your housing benefit amount changed?

ShaunOfTheDead78

Yes the above does apply to me indeed. Do you think the housing benefit award letter recently sent, means I'm back in the support group then? As it seems weird I've had one of those re-sent almost 2 weeks after my reassessment.  

poppy12345

I didn't ask if it applied to you. I asked if your housing benefit amount is the same as it was previously because it's strange to receive one unless there were changes to your housing benefit.

ShaunOfTheDead78

poppy12345 said:

ShaunOfTheDead78 said:

• also received a new housing benefit award letter today for change of circumstances in relation to ESA,
  

Not sure what you mean by this. Having been in the Support Group myself since 2012/13 i've never had a letter relating to housing benefit after any ESA review. Has your housing benefit amount changed?

No it just got sent about 2 weeks after my reassessment it states REASON FOR CALCULATION: Change In Financial Circumstances and the last part indicates; "In working outyour weekly benefit, we have used the following information: Claim based on income related ESA"

ShaunOfTheDead78

poppy12345 said:

I didn't ask if it applied to you. I asked if your housing benefit amount is the same as it was previously because it's strange to receive one unless there were changes to your housing benefit.

And I was replying to the first replier initially about one of the reasons for qualifying for ESA lol

poppy12345

I have no idea why you would have been sent that.

As advised, you can ring DWP to request a copy of the report, this will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be. A decision can take anything from 2-8 weeks, sometimes longer but there's really no timescales.

No one here can tell you what the decision is likely to be and all you can do is wait.

ShaunOfTheDead78

Well Spoony Turtle seemed to have a good understanding so maybe some people DO know what the decision is likely to be  

KxMx

You can't be found fit for work or downgraded to WRAG based on a telephone re assessment.

If they cannot award SG again your file will be put back into the system for when Face to Face re-assessments start again.

Payments will continue as normal should that happen. 

If SG is awarded again it is more likely than not to be a 6 month award. 

poppy12345

ShaunOfTheDead78 said:

Well Spoony Turtle seemed to have a good understanding so maybe some people DO know what the decision is likely to be  

Yes and so do i but this doesn't mean that anyone here can tell you what the decision is likely to be, that would be impossible. We are not DWP.