ESA Reassessments?

[Beddz]

Hello everybody, I was awarded Support Group ESA in May 2014 until December 2015 which is when my SG WCA is due for renewal. I have recently just been awarded PIP from the 22nd of December 2014 until December 2018. I know my reassessment for ESA is quite far away but is there anything I can gather to help my review later this year? Reports from the decisions of my awards? I suffer from mental health problems I did see a Psychiatrist earlier this year but she was not very helpful and I am not very keen on seeing another :/

 

Any advice is helpful. I currently have my decision letter from my current ESA decision and my PIP decision. Just stressing and worrying about this renewal for ESA at the end of 2015.

[reallymadwoman]

All you can really do is keep anything that might be useful such as hospital appointment letters etc. Have you been referred to the Community Mental Health team? If not, ask your GP if it would be appropriate. Also you could keep a note of things which you find difficult and which relate to the ESA descriptors. The format of what was difficult, why it was difficult and what it stopped you from doing can be helpful to keep things relevant.

 

You should also be aware that review dates for ESA are not set in stone - they are just guidance and the review could be done at any time or never. In most areas at the moment there are huge backlogs so reviews are generally being delayed. Also, though you will probably have to fill in a new ESA50 form, you may or may not have to attend another WCA.

[Nystagmite]

Keep your GP up to date with your health. Whilst they may not be up to date with the current ESA descriptors, it would help you and them a lot if they know what you're currently like.

[Beddz]

All you can really do is keep anything that might be useful such as hospital appointment letters etc. Have you been referred to the Community Mental Health team? If not, ask your GP if it would be appropriate. Also you could keep a note of things which you find difficult and which relate to the ESA descriptors. The format of what was difficult, why it was difficult and what it stopped you from doing can be helpful to keep things relevant.

 

You should also be aware that review dates for ESA are not set in stone - they are just guidance and the review could be done at any time or never. In most areas at the moment there are huge backlogs so reviews are generally being delayed. Also, though you will probably have to fill in a new ESA50 form, you may or may not have to attend another WCA.

 

I have been referred to Community Mental Team yes, a lady visited my home just before Christmas but I didn't really feel she helped me in any way. As I do not leave the house due to my condition it was as if she was forcing me to do things i.e open my curtains, walk to the end of the street which may be normal things to people but with someone who suffers from Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, Panic Disorder its the worst thing in the world. Please accept my apologies if the conditions I mentioned are all the same I am not really good with knowing what is what with conditions.

[reallymadwoman]

However much you don't feel as if you are being helped, it is important to try to engage with CMHT. If nothing else, your key worker should be able to provide some evidence if/when you are reassessed and in the meantime something may just work to help you even if it's only the tiniest bit. What would be a very tiny step for anyone else might be a huge achievement for you, but all progress is at heart a sequence of tiny steps. Don't give up. The conditions you mention are horrible, but they are not incurable.

[Beddz]

Your help is really appreciated reallymadwoman thank you, I know the conditions are not incurable but I would like to take it at my own pace and not be rushed if you get me. I suppose contacting the CMHT and asking for another Psychiatric Nurse to come see me at home maybe good in the long term.

[Lilly_Monroe]

Without the support written and verbal from my CPN then I would never have been moved into the support group.

You need as many people on your side as possible, so I would urge you to keep seeing them.

[Beddz]

If you dont mind me asking how did you get the CPN to give support for your ESA claim?

[Lilly_Monroe]

If you dont mind me asking how did you get the CPN to give support for your ESA claim?

 

Well she has been seeing me for almost 20 months, so she wrote me a letter detailing my MH issues - which she sent to the DWP.

I was in the WRAG group and finding it very hard - so her letter - got me moved over into the support group.

[carly123]

I am in esa support group for social anxiety,i was referred to cmht,i told my doctor i cant go as cant cope with it and he said they could send someone to the house but that would be worse as people coming into my house would set off my panic attacks again.

 

He said i didnt need to go and he would support me when i get reviewed so you dont need to go to cmht.

 

It was work related activity at ingeus that made my anxiety a lot worse that put me in the support group without a medical,so if my doctor gives me a letter stating that hopefully i will be ok but you never know with dwp.

 

I am due to be reviewed march this year so am hoping my area has a massive backlog lol.

[Belfaster]

My review was due November last year, have heard nothing so must still be backlogs everywhere, or just luck of the draw?

[Nystagmite]

The review date is just a recommendation. I think some people are also finding that when their review comes up, there's already enough evidence for them not to be written to and to actually be reassessed again.

[Beddz]

The review date is just a recommendation. I think some people are also finding that when their review comes up, there's already enough evidence for them not to be written to and to actually be reassessed again.

 

Do they recontact your HCP anyway for an update?

[reallymadwoman]

Do they recontact your HCP anyway for an update?

 

Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. There don't appear to be any hard and fast rules and it doesn't seem to matter what sort of condition you have. Someone with an aggressively progressive condition who has been in the support group might have to have a full face to face but someone who only got put in WRAG for 6 months might get re-awarded benefit just on the info they already have.

[Beddz]

Received a letter 1-2 days ago stating that I need to go into my local JC for a review of my benefits they have requested that I take my bank statements with them aswell as 2 forms of identification. I cannot leave the house therefore they are arranging someone to come out to my home to do the "review". I did ring yesterday because I was paranoid and stressed that someone has said something to the DWP to try and get me into trouble. When I asked them if anyone had falsely reported me the advisor said there is nothing on your claim at all regarding reports so it's just a standard check. Can I really trust that? Im going mad with worry and scared when they come even though I've done nothing wrong.

[Mr.P]

A "benefit review" is absolutely nothing to worry about. It is a subject that comes up quite often here, and most report that it is painless and just routine. The "others" don't come back to update their threads and leave everyone guessing as to the outcome.

 

If you get a good adviser visiting you, they might point you towards other benefits that you may be entitled to.

[Beddz]

A "benefit review" is absolutely nothing to worry about. It is a subject that comes up quite often here, and most report that it is painless and just routine. The "others" don't come back to update their threads and leave everyone guessing as to the outcome.

 

If you get a good adviser visiting you, they might point you towards other benefits that you may be entitled to.

 

Do you think I can trust the Call Centre Advisor who said no reports have been made towards you according to the information we have???

[honeybee13]

Do you think I can trust the Call Centre Advisor who said no reports have been made towards you according to the information we have???

 

Yes. Stop worrying.

 

HB

[Beddz]

Yes. Stop worrying.

 

HB

 

=[ Sorry just mega worried something's gone wrong even though nothing has changed since the start of my claim

[Belfaster]

I know I am resurrecting this thread, however I have been wondering about my claim. Been on ESA WRAG since June 2013 and was supposed to be reviewed November last year, nothing happened and have heard nothing since. Presumably, there are still backlogs as regards people being reassessed?

 

I know there has been no welfare reform yet in N Ireland, could this be the reason?

[antone]

I know I am resurrecting this thread, however I have been wondering about my claim. Been on ESA WRAG since June 2013 and was supposed to be reviewed November last year, nothing happened and have heard nothing since. Presumably, there are still backlogs as regards people being reassessed?

 

I know there has been no welfare reform yet in N Ireland, could this be the reason?

 

I don't think that it's related to welfare reform as such. I'm not sure who does the assessments in NI, but over here there was, and probably still is, a backlog that built up when ATOS pulled out of their contract. That might be what's happening.

[Beddz]

Thought I'd post an update on this thread seeing as its recovered from the death Still currently in the Support Group for ESA and my review date is supposedly the 17th of December 2015. Not received a ESA50 yet hopefully there are still backlogs. Was just wondering I am housebound due to my conditions for questions regarding mobility etc... Does being housebound count to not being able to travel said distance?

[honeybee13]

Thought I'd post an update on this thread seeing as its recovered from the death Still currently in the Support Group for ESA and my review date is supposedly the 17th of December 2015. Not received a ESA50 yet hopefully there is still backlogs. Was just wondering I am housebound due to my conditions for questions regarding mobility etc... Does being housebound count to not being able to travel said distance?

 

Hello there.

 

I think it could depend on what the reasons for being housebound are. Plus, you can have an assessment at home.

 

HB

[Beddz]

Well my conditions diagnosed by my GP and CPN are Agoraphobia, Social Anxiety, Depression, Self-harm been housebound since late 2013 more or less unless I had doctor/hospital appointments. I had a home visit for my first ever WCA just not very confident about filling in another ESA50 and getting my point across.

[crystalstar]

After a tribunal hearing my husband was put in support group for two years from April 2013 which I took to mean he would be reviewed in April 2015 but we have heard nothing. He was put into the support group because "being placed in a job would be detrimental to his health" (can't remember the exact wording which came under some clause under the mental health section). I've been on tender hooks ever since April of this year dreading the letter coming through the post and having to go through all the agonizing stress again. The doctor at the tribunal said he had actually phoned my husband's doctor, but didn't clarify what was actually said. At the hearing I had all the papers ready for the ordeal and to speak up on behalf of my, but they wouldn't let me speak. So after about 20 minutes or so of speaking to my husband where he was not very responsive, I think they realized he wasn't well and they put him forward for the support group from WRAG. So I was wondering if Second part (mental health) had been put here by your site team and Honeybee, if it has could you point me in the direction of where to download a copy please. My husband has a number of complaints, fibromyalgia, spondylitis in the neck, nerve damage which affects his right shoulder, arm and hand. He has degenerative disc disease in his lower back, hiatus hernia, arthritis in his knees, tinnitus and now we've learned he has a small lump on his spinal cord which they are keeping an eye on, but the fibro affects all of these conditions and he generally doesn't sleep well. Sorry for this long note but I was wondering whether if it would be worthwhile filling in a form for PIP? Any thoughts on this would be well received.Thanks.