ESA update from me!

[westgate]

I have been asked to go for a medical for my ESA. i then received another letter saying my ESA has been stopped because im in the work related activity group and ive been receiving ESA for more than 365 days. Confused? Yes? So i called DWP. i asked should i still attend the medical?

I was told that it was up to me. HOWEVER - she did say that some people in my situation have attended the medical and have been placed in the support group, therefore they were reinstated with ESA. So i will be going! If i were to be placed in the Support group i dont know what that would mean but hey, baby steps!

As there has been lots of discussion on here about this issues, i thought i would share

Have a great weekend y'all!! xx

[soulsusie]

Doh........ i am so confused with all of this, I too was on ESA after my company sick pay had ceased, and then I recieved a letter saying that it would not be paid anymore as I had had it for 365 days. I haven't been offered an alternative.

Hugs, x x x

[westgate]

Phone up the DWP and ask for a medical. its worth a phone call? i wouldnt have found out unless i phoned them. xx

[Ang01]

Hi Westgate, there are two groups for ESA, the WRAG group and the Support Group. If you are in the WRAG group and on contribution based they stop this after 12 months. If you are in the Support group on contribution based you can stay on this indefinately as long as you keep on passing the medicals. It is definately worth your while going for the medical.

Where it gets more confusing and which I dont really understand if if you are in the income based ESA I think there is a different set of rules as I was told I could get a form to complete to request a change from contribution based to income based.

It is so so confusing it would be worth your while asking for some help from someone like the CAB or another disability group. I also had a very helpful person on the phone recently from the Dept of Works and Pensions so you could also ring them and ask them to explain things to you.

I think they deliberately make things complicated in the hope that people will give up their claims which I could not do as I live on my own. You are definately correct when you say it is baby steps, just when you think you understand the situation they change the rules.

All the best with your claim, take care, Angela xx