It is with sad regret that the DWP have called me a knackered old fart and as such have put me in the support group for two years
I had my medical on the 04th of April 2016 (Monday) and although it was too soon really, I thought that I would give the DWP a phone just to see if anything had been done.
I was told that it was approved on a Saturday of all days and will reflect in my next payment.
I am chuffed as hell to be included in the support group as I was expecting the work related group so this is a massive bonus as obviously the support group get paid more money than the work related.
I was signed off in December 2014 so I have approx 55 weeks of back pay to come to me, so a whopping 2 grand.
So there is hope out there not all medicals end up zero rated.
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justviewing
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Oh Wow! Well done you! At least that should help reduce your stress levels by quite a lot, now you can celebrate!
Hugs Laura xx
That's fantastic news. When I got changed from the wrag to the support group my backpay was only from the time I asked them to look at this again and not from the initial claim. It was a few months extra pay thoigh.
Hi I have been in support group 18 months , when I got a letter before Xmas to say I was still in it , they had written to my GP , there was no date to say for how long for , I had a lady ring for me and was told I was in I definetly ! 😉
I have to admit that after a few hours of being happy knowing that I had passed the medical I have come down with a big thud back to planet Earth. The reason why I say this for is because when I found this forum I was looking for depression, but for some reason this group showed up.
I am scared now that my fight is over, I hated the week and a day and 57 minutes and 14 seconds not that I was counting, was going to turn into a fight and a battle with the DWP.
The sun is shining, my money has gone up, back pay is going to happen at some point, I have two years stress free and really it has lifted a weight off my neck.
I am scared that now it is up to me, to get my health back together, to wake up and do breakfast, dinner and tea and tidy the place up.
Scared that the only thing that kept me going was fear itself and wanting to fight for something, now that I have everything and do not have to fight any more, I am bored lol
I am so genuinely delighted for you but I can also understand how it is an anticlimax for you also. I want to sincerely wish you all the best of luck and please take care of yourself.
Dawn you get £73 on JSA or ESA assessment phase. If you get put into the work related group you get £102 (£29 extra) if you get put in the support group then you get £109 (£36 extra). The other difference is that for the work related group you still have to do what they say within reason. The support group you can tell them to shove it and not get sanctioned
I am just adding to this as I have just read If you’re in the support group and on income-related ESA, you’re also entitled to the enhanced disability premium at £15.75 a week. You may also qualify for the severe disability premium at £61.85 per week. So from £109 a week, it will go up to £125 a week or possibly even £170.85. I am just thinking that my original estimate was near enough 2 grand back pay, but if they add this extra £15 that makes it to £4,000 and if they put me on the £61 that would be £5,376 back pay. I suggest that you make sure you get the full amount if they do owe you back pay as you might be missing out on a hell of a lot of money. Ask the CAB for help if they fob you off.
I am just doing a follow up to this and also giving people a warning as well. I had my letter through today from the DWP 15/04/2016 to say that I have been placed on to support group, so that has taken 11 days from having my medical. On the last sheet of paper that they send you, they have what arrears you are owed. However if you have an over payment they will stop the payment of your arrears. To quote the letter "A payment of arrears of income related employment and support allowance amounting to £XXX.XXX has been calculated. This arrears payment has not been sent or credited to you as we are holding details of a possible over payment. We are checking whether any recovery must be made.
So I was due £2,957.90 in arrears payments, but because I owe the DWP more than that, the chances are that I am not going to receive a penny of that money. I will of course try to fight if they do take all of that money but probably with no luck, so looks like a visit to the CAB and also bowing and scraping to a local labour MP which I am going to hate.
If you do owe money to the DWP just be aware that they can refuse to pay you your back pay, unless you can prove any hard ship or debts that have built up while you was waiting for arrears to be paid.
Sorry for bringing to life an old thread but did u manage to get any where? It's just I've recieved the same sort of letter yet I dont owe them nothing dwp debt management have no open case for me yet I still havnt got a date of payment
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IB to ESA
ESA
Repeat ESA medical referrals deferred for two years!
ESA letter for use by those in support group (2nd attempt)
ESA examination report.
