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ESA review

kami84

Hi, I'm in a support Group CB ESA. I read on here that reviews are suspended but I also heard and see from.internet that they are not suspended for everybody and that some people do indeed receive ESA review forms and papers.

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poppy123456

bobby123 said:

kami84 said:

Hi, I'm in a support Group CB ESA. I read on here that reviews are suspended but I also heard and see from.internet that they are not suspended for everybody and that some people do indeed receive ESA review forms and papers.

They are still suspended but what year was your last review

The year of your last review will make no difference because as you said, they are still suspended.

kami84 said:

they are not suspended for everybody and that some people do indeed receive ESA review forms and papers.

No idea where you read that to but it's not correct. The only assessments that are taking place are new claims and change of circumstances. Reviews have been suspended for almost 3 years.

kami84

Hello I started ESA at the end of 2018 I only had paper based review and then COVID happened

poppy123456

bobby123 said:

kami84 said:

Hello I started ESA at the end of 2018 I only had paper based review and then COVID happened

So just to confirm you haven't had a review since 2018 is that correct.

I just want to know how far behind they are

This still isn't going to help you because it's no indication of when you will be contacted in the future. Some haven't had a review for several years.

MrSt0rM

Just wanted to add to this post since the anxiety of this has been killing me. I rang DWP today and they said the reviews are not suspended and have given me the review date of May 12th 2024 for my review (I will receive forms around a month before then) If you are worried or wanting to know the review date, ring and they can tell you.

poppy123456

MrSt0rM said:

Just wanted to add to this post since the anxiety of this has been killing me. I rang DWP today and they said the reviews are not suspended and have given me the review date of May 12th 2024 for my review (I will receive forms around a month before then) If you are worried or wanting to know the review date, ring and they can tell you.

The advice you've been given is incorrect, they are still suspended. Yes, you've been given a review date, which you will be given if you ring and ask but the review date is just a guide and nothing more. They probably seen the review date on the computer and "assumed" they are not suspended. ESA Support Group is an ongoing award until a new decision says otherwise.

It's also worth remembering that when you ring ESA you're speaking to someone from a call centre who has very little knowledge of the benefits system and they will have read from a screen.

MrSt0rM

Hi, yes I am aware that it’s just a call centre, however my friend who also rang to ask a few months back was given January 11th 2023 as a review date and they received their forms around beginning of December 2022. I rang up cos I was wondering about my own case as it hasn’t been reviewed in a while. So it seems to be 50/50 on what is suspended or not.

L_Volunteer

How frustrating is that @MrSt0rM - a luck of the draw or not!

bentan930

I posted some indisputable stats from government website on review numbers. It showed a very small number had taken place in late 2022 maybe 2% of previous pre covid numbers for a quarter. Poppy also had a theory this was people already sent a form.

But the stats clearly show pre covid they were doing 500/600k reviews a year. Even if they have restarted they will have a backlog of at least 1 million that have had no review for at least 2 years. So even if they restarted at pre covid levels which is very very unlikely it would still take 2 years to catch up.

MrSt0rM

paries1 said:

MrSt0rM said:

Hi, yes I am aware that it’s just a call centre, however my friend who also rang to ask a few months back was given January 11th 2023 as a review date and they received their forms around beginning of December 2022. I rang up cos I was wondering about my own case as it hasn’t been reviewed in a while. So it seems to be 50/50 on what is suspended or not.

Oh this isn’t good news , I thought we’d be safe until the end of the year or early next year. This is one of the reasons I try never to call up DWP.

I’m sorry, I never posted here to upset people, I myself suffer terrible anxiety and I only phoned up because I would rather be prepared for it than it just drop through my door without warning. Perhaps my friends review was just bad luck, but they seemed confident that reviews where going forward. There may be a backlog in areas bigger than others. Me and my friend are in Liverpool area so it could be they’re catching up in this area and not others.

poppy123456

Even when you ring to ask what date your review is expected, as i've already advised, this is only ever a guide and isn't set in stone that's when you will receive the forms. (or even a month before)

This is why i wouldn't advise people to ring to ask this question. In my opinion it's pointless. Before anyone asks, yes i claim ESA myself and in 10 years of claiming, i've never rang to ask this question.

I'm not aware of reviews starting back and the last time i heard they weren't expected to start anytime this year.

bentan930

Sorry Poppy could I just ask when you “last I heard “ did you hear from someone official or well connected ? Cause you always seem very confident about this

poppy123456

It was the beginning of this year and it was both.

apple85

There seems to be split views on whether esa reviews have restarted:

on the one hand long term posters/mods are saying it’s still frozen but it sounds like that info was from jan/feb and may be out of date

on the other hand it is a newbie saying reviews have restarted (the info could be correct but if a mod was saying the info it would be harder to question) - there was a new poster in late 2022 on another thread who said esa reviews had restarted but that turned out to be nothing (I do sometimes wonder if the odd person posts on this forum just to wind up vulnerable people - a horrible thought but not unheard of)

The last few times we’ve rung the dwp to ask something we’ve had review paperwork sent out the day of the call so I’d recommend leaving things be and listen out for insider info or multiple posters saying it’s restarted.

for those who are saying reviews have restarted I have the following questions - are they currently support group or wrag? And when was the start date month/year of their current award?

logic wise I think the dwp would be concentrating on pip and uc reviews as all esa will become uc eventually - though the fact natural migration is back on the table I wouldn’t be surprised if the dwp started targeting those with more ‘able’ looking conditions and those without a recent pip backing things up

also a high chance I’m wrong and a certainty I overthink things 😅

poppy123456

apple85 said:

logic wise I think the dwp would be concentrating on pip and uc reviews as all esa will become uc eventually - though the fact natural migration is back on the table I wouldn’t be surprised if the dwp started targeting those with more ‘able’ looking conditions and those without a recent pip backing things up

also a high chance I’m wrong and a certainty I overthink things 😅

I don't think there's any logic to that at all. PIP has nothing to do with the work capability assessment. The work capability assessment process is the same for ESA as it is for UC, even the forms are the same apart from the name.. ESA50 and UC50.

Natural migration was never suspended anyway. Natural migration is when someone has a change of circumstances that prompts a move to UC from another benefit.

Managed migration is when you're invited to apply because your other benefits are ending. Those claiming Income Related ESA will not be invited to apply for managed migration until at least 2028 (unless you're claiming tax credits) or a change of circumstances prompts a move in the meantime.

apple85

paries1

I hope your theory about them reviewing UC claimants first is wrong as I’m on UC and would rather they stay well away atm lol

Honestly I could be wrong because now natural migration is back on the table for 4-5 years someone currently on sg esa alongside pip and gets premiums would lose a huge amount each week making them attractive targets for the dwp

but it seems easier to fail a uc assessment over esa so it may be targeted because of that

along with the 2028 esa switchover benefit reform for existing claimants (probably uc first) starting 2029 I imagine the dwp will want to get all existing esa claimants with one more reassessment and a chance of natural migration before planned migration comes into play with that extra bit of protection

also the general election in the next 18 months may protect us from anything too cruel (ie mass unfair reassessments) as the tories need to keep voters (the current w&p minister has already said that pension age will need to rise but he’s delaying a decision till after the election - so the labour counterpoint can do the dirty work and get the backlash over the tories)

there are a lot of people on disability benefits in this country who could kick up a fuss if reassessments are rushed plus the tories for the next year have bigger fish to fry!

apple85

I stand corrected - barring no change after the next general election (relevant to my earlier point if not the thread topic)

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/existing-pip-claimants-may-lose-support-group-status-as-early-as-2026

poppy123456

apple85 said:

paries1

I hope your theory about them reviewing UC claimants first is wrong as I’m on UC and would rather they stay well away atm lol

Honestly I could be wrong because now natural migration is back on the table for 4-5 years someone currently on sg esa alongside pip and gets premiums would lose a huge amount each week making them attractive targets for the dwp

UC with LCWRA (ESA support Group equivalent) actually pays more than ESA Support Group, if the ESA doesn't include the SDP.

This is one of the reasons why the Government halted the migration to UC for ESA claimants because it will save them millions no doubt.

If SDP is included then UC will be less but there is the SDP transitional element included but this still means you're worse off if you naturally migrate. The TP also erodes over time so if other elements increase the TP decreases.

calcotti

apple85 said:

paries1

I hope your theory about them reviewing UC claimants first is wrong as I’m on UC and would rather they stay well away atm lol

Honestly I could be wrong because now natural migration is back on the table for 4-5 years someone currently on sg esa alongside pip and gets premiums would lose a huge amount each week making them attractive targets for the dwp

As poppy already advised natural migration has never stopped - it results from claimants having a relevant change of circumstance.

poppy123456

apple85 said:

I stand corrected - barring no change after the next general election (relevant to my earlier point if not the thread topic)

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/news/existing-pip-claimants-may-lose-support-group-status-as-early-as-2026

That's not related to the ESA to UC managed migration.

poppy123456

Danny123 said:

I was on contribution based esa , then when I got my back payment I was on contribution based esa with ir top up which paid a little more , then I voulentarilly moved to uc , I still get contribution based esa every two weeks and they deduct it from my lcwra uc at the end of the month , I'm nearly 150 pounds better off so it defo pays more 🙂

Yes but only if your ESA didn't include the SDP before you claimed UC.

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