Incapacity benefit/esa

[ragsrule]

Hi

Many weeks ago now I got a letter and form asking for me to complete it saying I should be getting a phone call to discus my Incapacity benefit and the change over to esa, well this happened and I was told I would hear more after they had decided what needed to happen.. I am Disabled and in a wheelchair with ME & Fibromyalgia since '97 and bed ridden for many weeks at a time needing 24/7 including personal care.

 

This I told them then weeks on from that I got a letter from my GP saying I had to make an appt for a form from the Benefits office to be completed by my GP.. We went through the form at length and he said that as I was in a wheelchair he couldn't see there being any problems with the claim, he didn't have to do a medical or anything like that just a chat about how my disability affected me on a daily basis and how much care I neeeded from my husband daily/nightly etc...

 

We are now 4 weeks on from this and I still haven't heard anything, is this a normal amount of time or should I ring them up to discuss it? I am at a loss what to do for the best as I don't want to rock the boat if you know what I mean..

Many Thanks for your time in Reading this....

[SWLABR9]

You might hear from them tomorrow or you might hear from them in a few months time. I understand from reading the forums that aspects of the switching process are log-jammed. I don't think you'd do your cause any damage by ringing up and asking. My only concern there is you'd get caught up in the labyrinthian Kafkaesque internal workings of the DWP and get shuffled around from department to department and end up with several conflicting answers, none of which may necessarily be the right one. I think you'd get frustrated and more unhappy if you did that. I'd be inclined to consider no news as being good news myself Give yourself a break and just get on with your life, it'll come when it comes so you might as well not worry about it till then.

[Nystagmite]

It's normal. It took me 3 and a half months (note: I wasn't switching from IB. I was a new ESA claimant) to hear from them.

[Invalidation]

Probably better NOT to ring anyone as the IB rate has to be better than the ESA rate

[Nystagmite]

Does that depend on which group you're in? You'd get whichever is the highest - your IB rate or ESA.

[Guest]

as I understand it when being transferred from IB to ESA, if your IB payment is higher than the ESA then you continue with that amount, and don't lose any money in that respect. If the ESA amount goes up it will just catch up with your IB amount.

[ragsrule]

Thank you Everyone for your helpful advice. I will wait it out then I think.. Its the not knowing that's annoying, I don't even know if I have to go for a medical or not yet as the form also asks if I can get there and my Dr says' 'Yes' I can as hubbie can take me as we have a car. I would have prefered them to come to see me if it were up to me but there you go!

Thanks again anyway, I appreciate your help..

[Galeforce81]

as I understand it when being transferred from IB to ESA, if your IB payment is higher than the ESA then you continue with that amount, and don't lose any money in that respect. If the ESA amount goes up it will just catch up with your IB amount.

 

Yes thats the case. My flatmate and friend both transferred from IB to ESA SG and their money stayed the same. Only thing is, their money won't go up in April until the amounts match, so they might be on the same amount of money for a few years.