Rae's ESA...

[RaeUK]

I appreciate the DWP are probably a little busy but I'm having a frustrating time getting through on the New Claims number. Have been phoning frequently on Friday and today with no avail. Unfortunately, my phone is a bit knackered and after 40 minutes on hold I have to hang up and recharge the pesky thing. I'm now getting myself a little worried as I'll run out of money on Thursday and have to consider turning my heating off (I'm very heat dependent). Is there another way of claiming? Like the old fashioned way of going into a Job Centre and filling out a form? Also I'm very uncertain as to how the Crisis Loan system works. Can I apply for one whilst not being in receipt of benefits? (Just in case I still can't get an application registered). Can my BDC help at all? Will my claim be back dated a week or two?

[Nystagmite]

I was told that DWP helplines are very busy on a Monday - try tomorrow. (can you get down to the job centre?)

[RaeUK]

Thanks, Nystagmite, I certainly will phone again tomorrow. Luckily I can still drive and can get to my nearest Job Centre - but it's still a 30 mile round trip! ...

[antone]

Your BDC can't take a claim for ESA directly, but will be able to give you the Crisis Loans number - it's possible that's handled by a different BDC. Up here in the Glasgow area, for example, there's one that does nothing but Social Fund stuff. You don't have to be on benefit to receive a CL, but it's probably harder to get one if you're not as they'd not be sure you could repay it.

 

I believe you can still claim ESA using paper form ESA1 via a Jobcentre (you could when I worked there, but that was more than a year ago now) but it's slower, so if at all possible to get through on the 0800 claim number, that's the way I'd recommend.

 

This didn't exist back in the day, but it's also possible to download form ESA1 online. You do need to be able to print it, though. Try here at directgov.

[RaeUK]

Thankyou, antone, I'll both print out the form and try phoning tomorrow. Good to see you're on the 'site team' ...

[antone]

Let us know how it goes, Rae.

 

The Site Team thing is pretty recent, as in, a couple of days ago

 

/act Antone strokes white cat while plotting world domination...

[RaeUK]

Many thanks for the help. Managed to get through to the New Claims line and - as I always find - the DWP were very helpful and understanding. ...

[ErikaPNP]

Hi Rae.

 

I see you have managed to get through to ESA. In case you still need a Crisis loan before your ESA is processed:

 

You can get a Crisis Loan to meet your immediate living expenses whilst waiting for a new claim to benefit to be processed. It's known as an 'alignment to benefit'. There is a single number for Crisis Loans now as it is operated on a 'virtual network' with offices throughout the country answering calls. It's free from mobiles and landlines. The number is 0800 032 7952. The lines are open Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm. It's better to phone before 9am as the lines are constantly busy and it's easier to get through early in the morning. Explain to them that you are waiting for ESA to be processed and have no funds to meet your needs. They will ask you how much you think you need to cover what time period and will go through a list of questions with you and ask if there are other resources. You will get a decision the same day. If you are successful, they will award you up to two weeks of 60% of your personal allowance (If you normally get £67.50 ESA a week they will give you up to £81.00). They will either pay the funds into your account by same day electronic payment, or arrange for you to collect a cheque at a local jobcentre for cashing at the post office nearest to the jobcentre. The crisis loan will be repaid from your ESA at a rate of up to 12% of your weekly benefit.

[RaeUK]

Thankyou for all that info, Erika. By strange coincidence I've just done all that. My goodness, there was an awfull lot of questions! They did get a little confused as this is my third consecutive ESA claim but once they understood they were fine. Have to pick up at my Job Centre tomorrow. At least I can relax a bit and keep the heating on!

Once again, thankyou all so much ...

[ErikaPNP]

Yes, it can feel like an interrogation when applying for a Crisis Loan. They had to toughen up on them from April this year because they way things were going, it was predicted that the Social Fund would have folded by this month as there was little money left. I applied for one 7 years ago and it felt like an interrogation then and was extremely difficult to obtain one so goodness knows what it is like now!

 

I'm glad you have been able to get sorted out, one less thing to worry about for a while. Is this round three with ESA?

[RaeUK]

It is indeed round three! Hard to imagine that I started out in August 2009 and am still plugging away. I did feel sorry for the Chairman and Doctor at my last Tribunal. They were visibily upset when they had to give the 'fail' verdict. The Doc said "Rae, everything I've seen, everything I've heard and everything I've read is exactly what I would expect from someone with lung efficiency reduced to your level". I have since learnt that there is a mechanism in place for the Tribunal to flag anomolies like my case up the line as I'm slipping through the net each time. Maybe they did this afterwards. Either way, when I fail my next Tribunal, I'll be asking them if they could flag my case up as an example where the descriptors are just too rigid...

[Nystagmite]

Third time lucky?

[RaeUK]

You never know! Unless, of course, there's been wholesale changes to the descriptors I do strongly suspect how I'll fare. But that's the nature of the beast and it's the rules we have to work with...

[RaeUK]

Just a little update. Spoke to the DWP today as I had a query. Although there's still paperwork to come, they have already processed my claim and payments recommence later this week. Very very pleased - and releived!

[honeybee13]

That's good news Rae, I'm relieved for you. I hope it goes as well with the rest of it.

 

My best, HB

[antone]

With that kind of speedy service, it must have been my old team that processed your claim

 

Good to hear.

[RaeUK]

I can't be the only one. So, confess now, who else is stuck waiting to see ATOSH for their null points report? I'm currently at Week 24 without even the sniff of an ESA50.

Can't blame my poor old BDC, they're just overwhelmed with the IB migration. Who's bright idea was that?!

Is it worth flagging up to our political Masters? It ain't working chaps ...

[Nystagmite]

I know someone who has been waiting since September...

[RaeUK]

Crazy isn't it, Nystagmite? Mine was 24th of November. Wouldn't be so bad but it was meant to be a 'fast track re-application!' ...

[antarctica]

I waited 10 months for mine..

[RaeUK]

Crikey, antarctica, you're making me look positively impatient! Before the IB migration started it was unusual for the ESA50 not to arrive during the first 8 weeks or so and the ATOSH nonsense about week 14-16 ...

[antarctica]

Well they did schedule one a few months before, but I had a few issues with attending it so it had to be rescheduled.

 

Even though I have agoraphobia, they said that the fares for my escort had to come out of my own pocket. We complained, but not before they had cut off my ESA of course for non attendance.

 

Eventually we got them to pay for a taxi there and back.

 

Then when I finally got my "medical" with ATOS, they scored me 6 points. The "health care professional" marked each of my medications down as "normal" amounts.

 

What does that mean exactly? - is it normal to be on medication?

[Nystagmite]

I think that "normal amounts" means that people with your disability would be on it; but it's the normal amount. Meaning, they think you're not so disabled that you can't function with more than the normal dose.

 

That's my take on it anyway, which may not be right.

[antarctica]

She didn't write down what the amounts actually were though, even though I told her!

[worried33]

still waiting a reply to my FOI request on medial appointment priorities, but it seems these waiting times are region dependent, as the 2 medicals I had booked this year were a 10 day wait and 3 week wait respectively.

 

One was a IB to ESA migration, other was for a new ESA claim which had no entitlement to assessment rate.

 

Personally given that the assessment rate has no interviews (or at least should not) and its possible to get 3 month sick notes, I actually dont think its a too bad thing to be stuck on it provided you can live on the lower rate of money, its certianly better than been entitled to nothing. The alternative is that the assessment comes quickly and you could fail then losing entitlement.

 

My theory until proven otherwise is this for priorities of assessments.

 

joint 1 - IB to ESA migrations. Especially long term IB with max age addition payments.

joint 1 - New ESA claims when dont qualify for assessment rate.

2 - ESA support group claimants due for reassessment, these I heard dont usually have any significant delay.

3 - ESA WRAG due for reassessment.

4 - New ESA claims that pay assessment rate whilst waiting.

 

If its a simple first come first served basis with no prioritisation then there must be just huge variations between regions workload.

Edited May 4, 2012 by worried33