WCA - ESA Support Group

Mr.Croesus

I've a reassessment overdue from this month on in regards to being in the Support Group for ESA. This is for chronic, complex mental health conditions. I assume there is rather a backlog of cases that the system has to work through. Am I wise to even try to contact to ask when it might be? The thought of it is causing one of my conditions to be harder to handle. Will I be resent a form to fill out, or doing this all happening internally? Apologies if the questions are wrong/obvious. Just really struggling with this. 

Spoonie_Turtle

Mr.Croesus said:

I've a reassessment overdue from this month on in regards to being in the Support Group for ESA. This is for chronic, complex mental health conditions. I assume there is rather a backlog of cases that the system has to work through. Am I wise to even try to contact to ask when it might be? The thought of it is causing one of my conditions to be harder to handle. Will I be resent a form to fill out, or doing this all happening internally? Apologies if the questions are wrong/obvious. Just really struggling with this. 

Whenever they get to your case you will be sent a form for a reassessment.  As you say, it does seem there are backlogs.

If *doing* something in the meantime will help, you can gather copies of evidence and draft your answers (typed, presumably) to the form so that you're ready to go whenever it may arrive.

poppy12345

ESA Support Group is an ongoing award until a new decision says otherwise. You are correct, there's huge backlogs so it could be a while before you receive your forms. Personally, i would leave things well alone and not contact DWP.

When you're next referral happens you will be sent the work capability assessment form to fill in and return with all your evidence.

Robbie64

It's likely that your reassessment (work capability assessment) has been deferred due to massive backlogs caused by covid. The standard deferral due to the backlog until recently has been two years, I don't know if that is still the case. You could try phoning them to find out when your next WCA is due by, however the waiting times at present when phoning the DWP is often horrendous. In addition it depends when your actual WCA reassessment date is this month. It may not have been reached yet, the deferrals are done automatically by the computer when the date is reached. If you know your current WCA date the usual trigger for the whole process to start is 8 weeks before that date. If this date has passed by more than a few weeks it's likely your WCA has been deferred.

xxxxxxxx

You can phone ESA and ask but they may not be knowledgeable enough to know how to check this without arranging a call back. It is possible for such a call to trigger a review which has been delayed a long time, however yours appears to not be delayed as you are expecting it to be around this time. 

A better way to check for you would be to phone medical services and ask if a referral has been made for you and if the form has been sent.  If they say no, then you have nothing to worry about,  because as Robbie says above,  the referrals actually are triggered before the period is due to expire.  

Alice_Holt

Mr.Croesus said:

I've a reassessment overdue from this month on in regards to being in the Support Group for ESA. This is for chronic, complex mental health conditions. I assume there is rather a backlog of cases that the system has to work through. Am I wise to even try to contact to ask when it might be? The thought of it is causing one of my conditions to be harder to handle. Will I be resent a form to fill out, or doing this all happening internally? Apologies if the questions are wrong/obvious. Just really struggling with this. 

      Just to state the obvious. Placement into the Support Group is not dependent on diagnosis, there are a group of criteria against which you are assessed: 
        https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors
   And some exceptional regulatory provisions, such as substantial risk to your (or others) health if you had to attend work-focused interview. 
   "A claimant can be treated as having limited capability for work-related activity (LCWRA) if, by reason of their health condition or disability, there would be a substantial risk to the health of the claimant or others were the claimant found not to have LCWRA."
    https://wcainfo.net/issues/substantial-risk-lcwra
   https://cpag.org.uk/welfare-rights/resources/article/making-exception
  https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/2955-regulation-35-2-b-is-now-the-#:~:text=Regulation 35 (2 ) (b), in a nutshell,capable of work-related activities.

    I would suggest, rather than worrying about phoning DWP, you start to prepare yourself so you can best complete the renewal forms when they do arrive. This might include:
  a) familiarising yourself with the SG criteria;
  b) Identifying the descriptor / exceptional provision for which you are currently in the SG;   
  c)  compiling recent examples illustrating why you should remain in the SG;
  d) getting medical evidence / confirmation that your condition has not improved; 
  e)  getting similar confirmation from family, carers, friends;
  f)   considering getting a copy of your medical records from your surgery (using a GDPR SAR);
     etc,etc.

 Personally I would not be chasing either the DWP (as others have said) or the assessment provider.
You have limited time to complete and return the UC50 when it does arrive -  use the time you have now to make that period easier and less stressful for you.  

poppy12345

I've claimed ESA myself since 2012/13 and i've never had my review at the time they told me. The last thing i would do is ring either DWP or the assessment providers about any possible review. It would be "sods" law if you did this it could prompt the review.

I agree with Alice, start to prepare to save time when the form does arrive.

Mr.Croesus

Thanks for advice and input.

xxxxxxxx

I was rushing when I posted.  The phone number for medical services is 

0800 288 8777  

You can phone them, they are not DWP and they will not care or know if your re-assment is late or not.