ESA SUPPORT GROUP REVIEW

[Eightiesgirl]

My dh was awarded ESA support group for MH issues in 2019. During lock down he got a letter saying it had been reviewed and was granted again, without him having to fill in any forms etc Yesterday I phoned them about something and the advisor mentioned he would be having a review this July. She mentioned the form and a possible interview. We've recently had a pip review, which he was granted at standard rate, so the thoughts of this ESA review has sent him into meltdown. He was with the early intervention service for psychosis for three years and is now under the care of the community mental health team. I'm his full time carer and he is on anti psychotic meds and antidepressants. He has been diagnosed with Psychosis, GAD and depression. Will the fact he has been granted PIP make any difference to the ESA review and does anyone know what his chances are of being granted support group ESA again. I realise he has been lucky not to have been reviewed until now but he is extremely worried ESA will be stopped and I just wanted to be able to give him some reassurance.

@Batcountry8 no apology needed, always good to hear about other people's situations. As far as I know, if you are in the support group they send you the ESA50 to see if your situation is the same, has worsened or improved. I think the support group is open ended, it's just a matter of when the DWP think you should be subjected to a review. In the other groups I think your claim has a definite end date but you can be in the support group for years and I don't think they just suddenly cut you off. I think a review is completely different to when you initially apply or if you are reapplying because your award has run out if you are in one of the other groups. Apparently, whilst your review is in progress you are still paid the support group payment and I assume that will only stop or change after the review process if they decide your circumstances have changed. Again, someone else may come along who knows more about this but as far as I know this is what happens.

I work there and we began in February. February 1st is to be precise

@SchoolTripDrama thanks for that information. I'm assuming there will be a big backlog of reviews to get through, so if my dhs review is listed for July 2023, have you any idea approximately when we can expect to receive the form ESA50?

This is not quite true. You always have an award period. However it may not be communicated to you as the claimant.

There is no open-ended award. Although it's judged on a case by case basis. If a claimant has a degenerative condition for instance, they may have a 2 year award period as their condition is very likely to deteriorate. Even if that claimant is in the highest group, a change in condition is still a change of circumstances and must therefore be reassessed.
However if a claimant has a physical but lifelong condition for example, multiple missing limbs, they may well be given 5, possibly even 10 year award periods as they're unlikely to have a great deal of change within that time frame. Crucially though, even they will still need to be re-assessed as how they manage their condition may improve or deteriorate.

Yes, I can fully understand how the assessment process is distressing for people with mental health issues (such as your husband) and that's regrettable. Though it must still be done relatively regularly in order to make sure he's getting the correct level of benefit. For his own sake more than anything else. Particularly as mental health issues can change so much.

We are doing some ESA reviews via telephone to begin with, so it may not be quite as intrusive & distressing as his last review?

@Eightiesgirl

Thanks for not minding and your answer has helped me as I've not been in the support group before.

I'd love to know if the reviews have or haven't started up again.

There seems to be an uncertainty

I wonder what criteria they get reviewed under.

Ah thanks @SchoolTripDrama

Crossed posts.

I would be very surprised if you haven't received it by mid march, early April.
Personally, I'd give them a call and ask them to have a look in your notes and see if there's been anything scheduled such as an ESA50 issue scheduled for a certain date.
They're usually going out between 3-4 months prior.

I have a disability myself for which I receive PIP to enable me to work and my latest award ceases in Sep 2023. I received the review form from them in Oct 2022! Their backlogs are eye watering. They've got Assessors working weekends just to get through it all. It's causing havoc with Motability customers as you can imagine

@Batcountry8 apologies if I have given any incorrect information in my reply. The other poster who actually works there has just posted some more up to date information that may be of help to you. It's all so confusing and stressful isn't it.

One important point to make however OP, is that they may put eyes on your husband's claim and decide that given the current workload & the specific details of your husband's condition/substantial prior medical evidence etc that they may decide not to physically/verbally assess him and may either give a 12 month extension or possibly even longer. It does happen and believe me, it's happening a lot more these days than ever before so try not to worry.
Besides, even if they do want to see him, if your husband is very much unable to work then they'll see this clear as day, especially if he is how you've described him to us Best of luck

@SchoolTripDrama thanks, that has shocked me that he could possibly get the form ESA50 as soon as March or April 2023 when I was told its only up for review in July 2023. He also receives Pip, he was recently reassessed and awarded it again for 3 years with the promise from them that it won't be looked at again until after 2 years. I knew this happened with pip but I hadn't realised that ESA operated in the same way, reviewing claims before the actual review date. Thanks again.

@SchoolTripDrama just seen your update. Thank you so much for your reassuring reply. I have been totally honest about my husbands condition and I do have a care plan, copy prescription showing anti psychotic meds etc, details of current therapy, community mental health team as back up so I am hoping it will get granted again and if it was just a paper review that would be marvellous. Thank you again for taking the time to answer my queries.

No no they don't review the claim before the date, they send the form out as early as possible in order for it to be received back in time for the review date, given the backlogs. Claimants are given a period of time in which to return the form, then it has to go through the mail distribution centre, be scanned onto the system & onto the claim. So that when we come to look at it, it's there.
Prior to the backlogs, we would often come to look at a claim, only to find the form has been returned, but is awaiting a scan and in some cases, this meant that the claimant is facing an automatic sanction. So it's now issued much earlier.

Like I said though, it may well be extended from what you've said.
Officially, a recent PIP Award should have no bearing on a WCA but this info IS available for us to view and I've known many assessors to use the info from the PIP assessment when looking at reviews. I've never personally had a claimant who has that recently had a PIP Award but like I said, I've known it be done. So don't worry, we can see this information

@SchoolTripDrama can't thank you enough, we feel much happier now with the information you have given us tonight

You'd think so wouldn't you, but that's not how the dwp think!

@SchoolTripDrama

When you mention sanctions do you mean all the people whose pip stopped even tho claim forms had been returned but not scanned thru.

Is it worth doing recorded delivery really?

One thing that annoys me and causes unnecessary time for the person on the end of the pip helpline is when you get a form though and it's taken 2 weeks from printed date to arrive.
From this date on the form you have 4 weeks to return it. But it's now taken 2 weeks to get to you.

You then have the utter panic (as I did recently) that you have under 2 weeks to return it.

I rang pip and the lovely chap agreed it did take up alot of call time giving people one week extensions.

Not allowed the 2 weeks!

Yes I know somebody who has just had an esa face to face medical review (she has been on esa years) so they have deffo restarted them.

Useful to know they have restarted them.

Apparanly reviews apparanly restarted in Feb, but someone claims they already had face to face assessment. Doesn't make any sense it takes a month for the ESA50 to be returned before an assessment is arranged, it would be at least 6 weeks before an assessment would of happened, the dates don't add up. There are a lot of lies about assessments restarting they haven't, I work at CAB and if they had restarted I would know because clients would be requesting help with the forms, this hasn't happened. No mention of them restarting on gov.uk website. No mention from disability charities about them restarting. Even DWP states they are suspended due to extreme backlog, only change of circumstances or new claims are being assessed. Please don't believe the lies that get posted on this site.

@Kerrybemmy my head is spinning now! Why would people lie about them restarting? I'm not saying you are wrong, obviously I haven't a clue or I wouldn't have posted in the first place. I'll just make sure I'm ready, paper evidence etc for whenever they do reassess.

@Kerrybemmy If it’s myself you are referring to (I said somebody had a reassessment last week) it’s 100% true. Why would I lie ffs.

My mum has been on esa for years. So not a new claim. She had her reassessment last Monday. Face to face. My sister takes her and I had to watch my nephew whilst they went. She filled the booklet out ages ago they sent to her and they have only just booked her in for her appointment for last week. Her conditions haven’t worsened, same situation as previous. She got the booklet through unexpectedly filled it out sent it back and been waiting a while for the appointment date.

She is waiting on the decision now. (Which she rings me about stressing over every day.)

@danni0509 Hope your mum is successful with her reassessment. I can imagine how stressful the waiting is for her (and you).

has anyone had their update letter for ESA through yet? I usually get mine in March but it's not through yet.

I've had esa reassessment in Feb this year also had one Feb last year as well so they have been happening unfortunately I've been taken out of support group this time even though my mental health hasn't improved so I'm having to appeal. No money coming in apart from partners but I can't expect him to pay all the bills. They are so corrupt

I am in ESA support group and the latest notification I received from them states that they will pay me until Nov 24th is this because I’m ready for a review ?

@Kimbo131 I'd ring them ASAP and find out why, then if you have to be reviewed etc you've got a few weeks before that last payment.