ESA contribution based - can you move to support group in this category?

woodly

Hi
Any advise appreciated.  I am claiming new style ESA contribution based since Nov 20.  I am submitting med certs and claiming as my SSP ended.  I have completed the medical questionnaire but heard nothing back.  I am also in receipt of PIP and was advised in writing that any review was extended until Dec 21 due to covid however, last week i received a PIP review form.  (I am not sure if this is connected to the ESA medical, as I did read they were trying to combine medicals to prevent duplication of work).  Today i have received a letter stating my ESA is being paid at the rate of £74.70 until Nov 21 as it is only paid for 365 days.  I have heard nothing about the medical, no longer needing to send in medical certificates or the possibility of being put into the support group.  I understand the first 13 weeks should be the assessment period which i have now served but with no information except the letter today.  Am I to expect a review letter following the 13 week assessment period and a medical?  My PIP review is due by the end of Feb.
Any help very gratefully received.  Thanks!

poppy12345

The 13 week assessment period is just that "an assessment period" very often they do go over this time and a decision isn't made within this time scale.. infact i'd say a very high percentage of people go over this time. If you are eventually placed into the Support Group then you will receive backdated money to the 14th week of your claim. You will need to continue to send in the fit notes until a decision's been made on your claim. I know there's a huge backlog due to Covid. Even in normal times it's not unusual to wait several months for the assessment to take place.

Unless you're placed into the Support Group your money will stop after 365 days, even if you haven't been assessed by that time.

Your PIP was extended due to Covid but this doesn't mean you weren't still due your review. The reason it's extended is to allow time for a decision to made on that review.

PIP and ESA are 2 completely different benefits with different criteria and the assessments are not combined, although there was talk of doing this, there's been nothing further regarding this.

woodly

Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply.  I gathered the delays were due to covid but i would have expected DWP to communicate a little better in an explanation of what is happening, surely this would prevent unnecessary worry and also needless phone calls to the helpline to check what is going on.  Thank you again

calcotti

Although the PIP end dates have bee extended this is an exercise to protect claimants from having their award end before DWP have managed to catch up. 

The PIP renewal is not related to the ESA. There was a proposal to try and combine the assessments but (for the moment at least) that appears to have gone away.

If you have already returned the ESA50 you can do little other than wait to be contacted for an assessment and hope that they get around to it before November. There is a significant backlog at present. Obviously you can. if you wish, ring DWP to see if they have any information but they are likely to be waiting for the health assessors.

woodly

Thank you!

poppy12345

woodly said:

Thank you kindly for taking the time to reply.  I gathered the delays were due to covid but i would have expected DWP to communicate a little better in an explanation of what is happening, surely this would prevent unnecessary worry and also needless phone calls to the helpline to check what is going on.  Thank you again

There wouldn't be anything for them to tell you at this stage because the work capability assessments are nothing to do with them. You can ring the Health Assessment Advisory Service and ask them if they can give you some idea how long it will be but even then it will just be a guide. https://www.chdauk.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance-esa

calcotti

If DWP spent lots of time updating people on their claims they would have even less time to actually process them.

Alice_Holt

ESA Support Group Criteria:
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors
https://wcainfo.net/issues/substantial-risk-lcwra

woodly

That link is really helpful - many thanks Alice_Holt!