ESA help.

minimad1970 · 12 October 2017 at 3:40PM

My son who's a Uni student has applied for ESA, he returned his ESA50 at the beginning of september and is just waiting for an assessment appointment. He received a couple of payments and was told that was it as his student loan was too much. The lady explained that in the future if he passed the assessment he would receive some money. His fit note runs out at the end of the month.

He's just received a text saying the following..
We've received your Statement of Fitness For Work (fit note) and details of your Work Capability Assessment. Your ESA payment will continue. Please don't send us any more statements (fit notes). You don't need to contact us.

I thought that you had to keep sending fit notes until the outcome of the assessment. Does this text mean he might start receiving some money? I'm also confused by the part of the text that says that they've received details of his work capability assessment as he hasn't been for one yet.
Thanks for any help.

pmlindyloo · 12 October 2017 at 4:15PM

I am presuming that your son is receiving PIP or DLA.

As a student in university your son will automatically be assessed as having limited capability for work. However he will still be assessed as to whether he is put in the WRAG or Support group.

That is why he is not required to send in any more fit notes.

You could telephone and ask if/when a work capability assessment is going to be done.

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/individuals/education/frequently-asked-questions-students

minimad1970 · 12 October 2017 at 4:39PM

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I am presuming that your son is receiving PIP or DLA.

As a student in university your son will automatically be assessed as having limited capability for work. However he will still be assessed as to whether he is put in the WRAG or Support group.

That is why he is not required to send in any more fit notes.

You could telephone and ask if/when a work capability assessment is going to be done.

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/individuals/education/frequently-asked-questions-students

Thanks. Yes he's in receipt of DLA. I'll get him to ring them tomorrow.

epitome · 13 October 2017 at 12:12AM

This is correct, he is a student with DLA, and is therefore not required to send in sicknotes, and is automatically put into the WRAG group from the 14th week.

If he applied for ESA to start after the 03/04/17 he will not receive any more money for being in the WRAG. Although if he is under 25 and has been receiving £57.90 a week...It might go up to £73.10 now that he is in the WRAG. (that's a good question to ask)

When he has his medical assessment he does have to attend like any other claimant, the assessment is to determine if he qualifies for the Support Group.

If he gets in SG his ESA award will increase.

Don't phone DWP/ESA about the medical assessment
It would be best to phone CHDA 0800 2888777.
Make sure CHDA have the correct address for his post, and ask if a medical assessment appointment has been made yet.

minimad1970 · 13 October 2017 at 10:23AM

Thanks epitome. The lady said he would receive some money if he does pass the assessment and gets out in a group. She didn't say it had to be the support group. She told me that because I queried if there was any point filling out the ESA50 and putting him through the assessment. So would it definitely need to be the SG for him to receive anything? He's 22 and received 4 payments of £57.90. Many thanks for your help.

pmlindyloo · 13 October 2017 at 10:58AM

Epitome makes a good point about his automatically being in the WRAG group as he is automatically found to have limited capability for work.

However, I think that despite this, (Epitome will correct me if I'm wrong) he will still only be entitled to the assessment phase of ESA (£57.90) for the first 13 weeks and after that he should receive at least the WRAG amount (£73.10) and after assessment will either continue to receive the WRAG amount or get the Support Group amount.

Of course the amount he gets will be dependent on any student financial support he gets.

What level of DLA is he getting?

I have heard that this organisation is extremely good.

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/how-we-can-help/helplines/disabled-students-helpline

minimad1970 · 13 October 2017 at 9:06PM

Thanks pmlindyloo. His DLA is low rate for both care and mobility.So if I'm understanding correctly he may receive some money after 13 weeks have passed whether he's had his assessment or not? I couldn't get him to ring today as he had a bit of a meltdown.

epitome · 13 October 2017 at 9:38PM

I will try to find out if (on this type of claim) under 25's are allowed to receive £73.10 when 13 (paid) weeks have passed.

There's not much point in ringing them, they won't know the answer either. Actually, if you do ring them you could ask them to check if he is in the WRAG (tell them to look in screen JA791)...If they say...yes WRAG, then ask them to check his award (JA523 press F2) and see if his award is going up in the future to £73.10 from the 14th / 15th week. If this has been done yesterday , then a letter should be on it's way to him to tell hime this.

His scenarios will be

From the 14th week (after payments began, so it could be 15th week of the claim) He will continue to get £57.90

or

from the 14th / 15th week He will get £73.10

If he attends his medical, and gets the Support Group... from the 14th / 15th week He will get £125.55

If he misses the medical his claim will be closed

He cannot fail the medical, as long as he attends & remains a full time student and continues to get DLA.

minimad1970 · 14 October 2017 at 1:15AM

Thank you both very much for explaining things in a way that "normal people" can understand

Stop_Watch · 14 October 2017 at 9:23PM

BorisThomson wrote: »

I expect those students receiving less are happy to be healthy and well.

They get PIP. I am talking like this as I have 2 kids at UNI and work 50 plus hours a week to help top up the money they receive. If my kids was getting a extra £70+ a week it would releave the stress I have providing.

And before people say they could get a job, well they can't because they have to volunteer on days off from uni as part of the course.

minimad1970 · 14 October 2017 at 11:35PM

Stop_Watch wrote: »

They get PIP. I am talking like this as I have 2 kids at UNI and work 50 plus hours a week to help top up the money they receive. If my kids was getting a extra £70+ a week it would releave the stress I have providing.

And before people say they could get a job, well they can't because they have to volunteer on days off from uni as part of the course.

They don't all get £70 a week ESA though due to student loans. My son only received money for 4 weeks at the end of the summer holidays, student loans don't cover 52 weeks of the year. He probably won't get anything now until he finishes uni in may. Perhaps just be happy that your kids are fit and well rather than envying others.

Don't expend anymore of your energy replying as I won't see it.

ESA help.

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