ESA and conflicting information about a Sick Note

dan6161

Hi,
Please excuse the long post as I am a bit confused and want to give as much information as I can.

On the 19th May 2025 I applied for New Style ESA and Uploaded a Sick note for the period 19th May to 11th August stating that I am Unfit for work.

After waiting for two months I heard nothing back, no phone calls or letters nothing. So I phoned them, after being on hold for 2 hours I was cut off, and after trying to call back a message said they were very busy and unable to take any more calls.

After a week I called again and was told it would be escalated and someone would phone me (They Didn’t) but a week after my phone call I received a ESA50 form in the post which I sent back and returned in July using their Freepost envelope.

Throughout this time here were no payments or anymore contact.

Two weeks after returning the ESA 50 form I received a reminder letter to send it in ?, and I contacted Maximus by email who confirmed it had not been received, so Luckly I had kept a copy and reprinted it and this time sent it myself via a Tracked method.

About 2 weeks later I received a phone call from DWP to confirm that BOTH ESA forms had been received and a Decision Maker had looked at my claim and I was in the Limited Capability for work group and not to send in any more sick notes, but my Local Job Centre would phone as a Priority to take my Claimant Commitment over the phone as due to mobility issues I could not get down to them.

A few days later I received I received a phone call to book my in for the clamant commitment phone call in 2 days.

A lovely woman phoned to take my commitment over the phone which was basically just a have a think about anything I could do in the future.

A few days later I got the back payment from May, and last week I got the normal 2 weeks payment.

So far so good, but this is where its gets interesting.

I contacted Maximus to just find out if I will get a medical phone call (Even though my claim has been decided) and they said a Medical Professional is still wating to look my ESA50 (Even though the DWP told be a Decision Maker has already decided ?).

Then today I get a letter dated 2 two weeks ago to remind me to send in a new sick note or my payment might be suspended !, although they said the sick note runs out on the 15th (It was the 11th August).

So I don’t know what to do.

Lauren29

I think that there may be some confusion as you submitted the original ESA50 and then another copy. Do you have a letter from ESA confirming that they had decided that you had Limited Capability for Work? If so what is the date of the decision?

dan6161

No Letter, just backdated payments and then normal fortnightly payment.

Only the phone call from DWP that Friday saying a decision maker said I had limited Capability for work and not to send in any more fit notes.
The whole thing seems to be back to front to be honest, but I have now got another Sick Note backdated to when the other one ran out, I have uploaded it and received the confirmation Text to say they got it.

There would have been a Gap of around 3 days, so not sure if it means that I won’t get paid the next time I am due.

dan6161

https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/1059721#Comment_1059721

No Letter, just backdated payments and then normal fortnightly payment.

Only the phone call from DWP that Friday saying a decision maker said I had limited Capability for work and not to send in any more fit notes.
The whole thing seems to be back to front to be honest, but I have now got another Sick Note backdated to when the other one ran out, I have uploaded it and received the confirmation Text to say they got it.

There would have been a Gap of around 3 days, so not sure if it means that I won’t get paid the next time I am due.