ESA50 contact - found !

[Deleted User]

KxMx said:

I agree with poppy. 
It's a generic letter which covers people going into either group.
Even in the WRAG, despite the name, you don't have to keep supplying Fit Notes once you are assessed as meeting the criteria. 

OK what about the lack of assessment?
They claim to have carried one out 

KxMx

They did a paper based assessment instead of a face to face or phone call. 
It's rare but not unheard of, and I've no idea how much more common they are since Covid. 

[Deleted User]

I still believe that I have been assessed as being a Support group case

I have emailed my local JCP work coach who has contacted ESA to confirm

Spoonie_Turtle

Deleted_User said:

poppy12345 said:

What the letter actually says is that your GP no longer needs to continue with the fit notes because you meet the criteria for limited capability for work. What it doesn't say is which group you've actually been placed into because it says "work related activity group (wrag) and Support Group and you can't be placed into both groups lol.

I would assume that you'll have the decision letter in the near future. I do know that they have huge backlogs at the mail sorting centre for post going from and to DWP. Even if placed into the WRAG with a credits only claim i would imagine they would "leave you alone" anyway, rather than give you work related requirements.

The reason why it talks about you as a patient is because you are your GP's patient and not their claimant.

I would say that it does imply that I have been put in the support group
It says that my GP no longer need supply fit notes
And I meet the eligibility for WRAG/Support
Support being a subset of WRAG

No, they've just not done the 'delete as appropriate' bit you'd expect from the square brackets  

However you would hope that if on a paper-based assessment they thought you fit WRAG they'd make some contact with you to be able to properly determine whether you should be put into the SG.  Just because it's a credits-only claim they still ought to do their job properly, especially if you then needed the WCA outcome to be transferred to UC (I know you don't, but they have no way of knowing).

poppy12345

Deleted_User said:

poppy12345 said:

What the letter actually says is that your GP no longer needs to continue with the fit notes because you meet the criteria for limited capability for work. What it doesn't say is which group you've actually been placed into because it says "work related activity group (wrag) and Support Group and you can't be placed into both groups lol.

I would assume that you'll have the decision letter in the near future. I do know that they have huge backlogs at the mail sorting centre for post going from and to DWP. Even if placed into the WRAG with a credits only claim i would imagine they would "leave you alone" anyway, rather than give you work related requirements.

The reason why it talks about you as a patient is because you are your GP's patient and not their claimant.

I would say that it does imply that I have been put in the support group
It says that my GP no longer need supply fit notes
And I meet the eligibility for WRAG/Support
Support being a subset of WRAG

Yes indeed eligibility for either of the groups but it doesn't say which group. Support Group most definitely isn't a subset of WRAG.

Alice_Holt

Deleted_User said:

poppy12345 said:

What the letter actually says is that your GP no longer needs to continue with the fit notes because you meet the criteria for limited capability for work. What it doesn't say is which group you've actually been placed into because it says "work related activity group (wrag) and Support Group and you can't be placed into both groups lol.

I would assume that you'll have the decision letter in the near future. I do know that they have huge backlogs at the mail sorting centre for post going from and to DWP. Even if placed into the WRAG with a credits only claim i would imagine they would "leave you alone" anyway, rather than give you work related requirements.

The reason why it talks about you as a patient is because you are your GP's patient and not their claimant.

I would say that it does imply that I have been put in the support group

And I meet the eligibility for WRAG/Support
Support being a subset of WRAG

      You are reading the letter incorrectly.


      And "support" is not "a subset of  WRAG"


      Here are the ESA descriptors for the WRAG.   A minimum of 15 points is required:
   
        https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1354-work-related-activity-group-descriptors


      The test for getting into the support group is an additional one which does not involve scoring points:

         https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

[Deleted User]

Alice_Holt said:

Deleted_User said:

poppy12345 said:

What the letter actually says is that your GP no longer needs to continue with the fit notes because you meet the criteria for limited capability for work. What it doesn't say is which group you've actually been placed into because it says "work related activity group (wrag) and Support Group and you can't be placed into both groups lol.

I would assume that you'll have the decision letter in the near future. I do know that they have huge backlogs at the mail sorting centre for post going from and to DWP. Even if placed into the WRAG with a credits only claim i would imagine they would "leave you alone" anyway, rather than give you work related requirements.

The reason why it talks about you as a patient is because you are your GP's patient and not their claimant.

I would say that it does imply that I have been put in the support group

And I meet the eligibility for WRAG/Support
Support being a subset of WRAG

      You are reading the letter incorrectly.


      And "support" is not "a subset of  WRAG"


      Here are the ESA descriptors for the WRAG.   A minimum of 15 points is required:
   
        https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1354-work-related-activity-group-descriptors


      The test for getting into the support group is an additional one which does not involve scoring points:

         https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

Well - I meet "support group" requirements - through 1, 6 and possibly 8  !!

And as for WRAG Descriptors - I score around 70 points - And have used those on my ESA50 - fully supported by my GP

[Deleted User]

And why is there a date "WCA Effective date 26 September 2021"

This implies that they plan to assess me in another fortnight - but have already made the decision ?

I applied almost 2 months ago and would like to think that any NI Contribution payments would be backdated to that date....

The whole thing appears to be vague

poppy12345

Deleted_User said:

And why is there a date "WCA Effective date 26 September 2021"

This implies that they plan to assess me in another fortnight - but have already made the decision ?

I applied almost 2 months ago and would like to think that any NI Contribution payments would be backdated to that date....

I'm assuming you haven't yet had the decision?  and you're just going by what was sent to your GP, which as advised doesn't tell you which group you've been placed into. If you haven't then rather than "guess" you need to wait for the decision letter.

Your NI credits should have already started to be paid but you most likely won't see that on your tax account for quite sometime.

You applied only 2 months ago and if i'm honest that's extremely quick because some people are waiting several months.

[Deleted User]

poppy12345 said:

Deleted_User said:

And why is there a date "WCA Effective date 26 September 2021"

This implies that they plan to assess me in another fortnight - but have already made the decision ?

I applied almost 2 months ago and would like to think that any NI Contribution payments would be backdated to that date....

I'm assuming you haven't yet had the decision?  and you're just going by what was sent to your GP, which as advised doesn't tell you which group you've been placed into. If you haven't then rather than "guess" you need to wait for the decision letter.

Your NI credits should have already started to be paid but you most likely won't see that on your tax account for quite sometime.

You applied only 2 months ago and if i'm honest that's extremely quick because some people are waiting several months.

Even last tax year is not available yet on my on-line NI records

2020-21                Your record for this year is not available yet