Backdated ESA??

[cynopterus]

Hi,

 

I have quite a simple question ... I think ....

 

I have been signed off work by my doctor since March last year and have been claiming ESA at £72/week (the assessment phase).

 

The claimant is supposed to have a 'medical' assessment after 13 weeks of claiming and dependant on the outcome, for me at least according to online benefit calculators, should receive either £101/week if put into the WRAG group or £123/week if put into the support group.

 

My question is ... I have only just been sent an appointment for this so called 'medical' - not 13 weeks after claiming but more like 41 weeks after - irrespective of the group I am placed in, will they pay the difference of monies that I should have been receiving?

 

Basically I have been receiving the 'assessment' rate for all this time - leaving me potentially about £1000 to £1500 short of what the government said that I should be getting??

 

Any help with this would be appreciated

 

Regards

[IanSommers]

They will backdate it. However they wont give you the extra for the first 13 weeks of your claim. So if as you say you have been waiting 41 weeks, you will get the extra for 28 of them.

[cynopterus]

Thanks for the reply. Is this from personal experience?

 

It seems like a bit of a minefield to understand what is what!

[IanSommers]

Yes. However it took around 2 years for my final result! Took a year for my "medical" during which the "doctor" had to help me onto the examination couch thing, and also my knees locked when I tried to leave. He put a load of crap on the report, said I had no problems moving around and such. Obviously I appealed and took all of my physio notes along with a strongly worded letter from my GP. Took just under a year for tribunal and I was in there less than 5 minutes before they decided that it was obvious I was not fit for work. I was put in WRAG though, as I was having physio and stuff and the doctors did expect me to get sorted within a year or two. After getting the award notice it took around 2 weeks and I got a letter saying they were putting £2400 or so in my account which was a nice surprise. I checked my bank that day and it had actually been there for 2 days already

[cynopterus]

Well glad you eventually got it sorted!

 

I'll wait with bated breath then.

 

Many thanks