I should think people knowing what their entitlements are is the last thing this government wants. The welfare bill would be even higher if everyone got their full entitlement.

I just got put into the esa support group, what I don't know is how long it lasts for? I got put in after a medical, I presumed it was permanent

The award letter should tell you. If it doesn't, ring them up and ask them.

And check that they've added the enhanced disability premium of £15.55 pw as well as the support group component!

ESA Advice?
in November I sent off my ESA50 Questionnaire.

2 weeks ago I emailed them to see how it was going, and was told that with the information I gave them and after consulting my Doctor, I would not need a face to face assessment. But they couldnt give me a decision as it has to go to a Decision Maker.

About three days ago, I got a letter stating what Income Support I woukd be getting from April, and today a letter saying how much Severe Disablement Allowance a week.

Could they have sent these letters in case I dont hear a decision by April

The benefit uprating letters go out at this time of year so I would guess that the letters you received are just the standard uprating letters sent to all current claimants.

I am pretty sure (hopefully someone else can confirm) that you cannot be found fit for work unless you have had a face to face assessment so that should be a positive sign that you qualify for ESA, with the decision now on whether you are in the Work Related Activity Group or Support Group, and for how long before you are reassessed.

Good luck, hopefully you will get a decision soon..

Yes, you're right. While a lot of decisions are now being made without an assessment, they're all positive ones.

To follow on from the post I made some time ago, I found out last month I'd been assigned to the Work Related Activity Group (re: ESA) and that the actual amount I will receive will remain exactly as it is at the moment, which was a relief. Was then called in for a meeting with someone from jobcentre plus and she couldn't have been nicer. I declared that I've since started volunteering within the NHS and she said that there would be no pressure from her. She'll give me a quick 'phone call after Easter to ask how I'm doing and if there is anything she could do to help. If I wanted to appeal to be placed in the Support Group, she couldn't see a problem with that but I've decided not to. I was told that I'll be reassessed in 18 months. Explained about the previous ATOS assessment and how awful it was and she told me that it was disgusting and that many of her colleagues are sick and tired of them and can't wait for them to be gone.

I was originally given an indefinite award for DLA, too, but people in this category are now being reassessed starting this year and I fully expect to be called in again (different assessment centre in my city, I believe) with regard to it converting to PIPs. I know that the assessment is separate from the above but does anyone know if the process is the same? If possible, I would very much want to avoid a face-to-face assessment based upon what happened last time.

Thank you for all the previous advice, information and support to date, in this thread.

Is this because ATOS Contract is about to end, so they want the processes done

Not necessarily; the current government's policy is to move people from DLA over to the newer PIP benefit over time anyway and from what I read here http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk and elsewhere, the qualification criteria to access PIP do seem to be harder.

If you produce really good evidence, and make a good job of completing the PIP form (loads of advice on this available online), there's a fair chance you won't get called for an assessment atm. They're desperately trying to clear the backlog, avoiding assessing people where they can.

I haven't been to an assessment, but I would imagine the process is similar.

Be aware that they're now looking at claimants' ESA questionnaires as well as the PIP form when making PIP decisions. If you didn't keep a copy of your ESA50, I advise you to ask the DWP to send you one, so you can be sure you don't contradict yourself.

They're harder in some ways imo. There's no equivalent of lower rate care, for example, but it seems to be easier to get the standard daily living component than the old middle-rate care. It is harder to get mobility for MH problems imo.

There are a few differences to bear in mind:

Under PIP, using aids/adaptations is helpful (under DLA it was a disadvantage)

PIP isn't based on your "worst day": what you can't do must apply for the majority of the time

PIP is less subjective and is based on points, so claimants should always complete the form with reference to the descriptors and use the language used in the descriptors in their answers. Go through the descriptors and work out where you can score the points you need.

Remember that to be able to carry out an activity, you need to be able to do it safely, repeatedly and in a reasonable amount of time. If you can walk 200 metres, but only very slowly and it takes you a week to recover, you can't do it as far as PIP regulations go.

Aim for double the points you need: they seem to award between half and two-thirds of what I think people should get.

In my case I got awarded points for something I didn't claim for.
I take morphine in patch form, the side effects mean when I get up I often lose balance and fall over. I was awarded points for toiletry needs even though on the form no mention of it.
The decision maker said that if I have balance problems I would most likely have accidents as I wouldn't be able to get to the toilet in time.
Although I have never had that problem it shows that they do award points to places where you have not claimed you have problems with.

Also as I often can not walk straight after getting up I felt I should have got higher mobility instead of standard. But I was thankful to get that seeing as I have no problems with my lower body, it was medication that caused problems. So did not appeal, just to be awarded something was thankful as I was turned down completely for dla.

For esa I didn't even get assessed, straight into the support as I over whelmed them with evidence after asking for a supersession.

I just wish the Industrial Injuries section was any good, am awaiting tribunal for that as the points they awarded me didn't even cover what I claimed for. They ignored half of the evidence I sent in. If I was awarded correctly I would be on a higher award, and money. It is not about the money, its about being correctly assessed. After all this could count against me at the next pip/esa assessment.

Received a Letter from DWP saying that I am placed in the Support Group, which I was expecting, as Im unable to go out on my own, unless the route is planned like.

Just ben reading the letter sating im in the Support Group.

Nowhere on there t has stated hw ng my award is for before being reassessed, I have read the whole 5 pages

I hve fund thevsystem traumitised even though didnt have to have a face to face assessment, So if anybody needs assistance anytime

That's great news. You must be very relieved.

I just got the news today that i have been put into the support group, i am soo relieved, i havent had my letter yet, but i phoned them to check if there was a decission, i did go for the medical on the 13th of February, im just soo relieved now, i just hope that PIP wont be hard when i get invited to do that, i am also on the 2 low rates for DLA until 2018, but the PIP invite i am expecting in the next year or so...

I also read on some other forums that there is cases where the DWP are sending letters out to people on the support group asking them to attend *work focused interveiws* i find this shocking, it clearly states when your placed in the support group you dont have to attend work focused activity, and its upto the individual if they wish to volunteer to do some, so i hope i dont get the letters, i will be complaining to the highest people i can if i get some letters...

Only people in the ESA WRAG group should be asked to do something like that and if the DWP insist on doing this then involving the local MP might shut them up. It's an entirely different thing if a person in the support group voluntarily offers to take part in activities and placements.

Yes i know that i was just posting to make people aware what i saw from other forums

By all means and letting people in those other forums know that they can find out who their MP is from here http://www.theyworkforyou.com and involving them might help to soon put an end to those unwanted DWP letters.

Hiya
Just wonder please have the times decreased in them keeping you waiting from when the form goes back ? A friend is very worried they were on SDA then told about the changeover. very worried they haven't slept in over a week and barely eating they are that worried

Ok yep, and i know it can help at times to get in touch with our local MP's but ts very hard for MP's to actually get their voices heard in parliament and get things changed in the DWP, i mean at the end of the day its the conservatives that have brought these new rules in and it is those that keep changing them and adding new clauses into the rules to get away with more things, but i suppose it doesnt do any harm in trying to contact our local MPs, but thanks for the help

@oathy - the times vary depending on which area of the uk you live in, and also if ATOS are still doing the assesments in your area, but if your talking about the form before u get asked to go for a medical it can take upto a month or longer to get a letter to attend a medical assessment,, but with the backlogs in a lot of areas it is taking about 3 months for them to send the appointments out. some dont get asked to go for a medical, they just get put on ESA without one, but that is only in certain circumstances, the majority of people have to go for one.

I feel i am lucky that i didnt have to appeal, because i thought i would have too, i was building a case ready too, just in case. its not very fair that we have to build a case ourselfs, and i am not very good at it because of my mental health issues i have, but we just have to do the best we can even with them, to try get what is rightfully right.

Good luck if you have to go for one soon oathy and anyone else.

thanks for the information

your welcome

I didnt get the letter today, with the details of my award for support group!, i hope i get it tomorrow, i am interested to see if it tells me how many points i scored to get in the support group...

A decision in less than 2 weeks? Must be a world record