Esa help

n31

HI
This is the first time I have applied for esa as I was recieving ssp which has now stopped, I am currently receiving housing benefit and council tax reduction. I was also recently diagnosed with ASD. Why is a first time esa claim taking so long to process?
Thanks

poppy123456

ESA can take about 3 weeks before you recieve your first payment. You also have to remember the closing days that were over xmas and new year, these will delay the process even more. Once it's processed you'll recieve £73.10 per week paid fortnightly. An ESA50 form will then be sent out to you for you to fill in and return with all your evidence. Then you'll most likely need an assessment to see if you have a limited capability for work. You'll also need sick notes while you're on assessment rate. If you're put into one of the groups then you'll no longer need to send those sick notes in.
https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi n31. As poppy123456 says, it can take a few weeks for ESA to start to be paid, and initially it will be at the rate of £73.10 per week (as long as you are 25 years old or more). At some point you will need to go through the Work Capability Assessment (WCA), which usually involves filling out the ESA50 form mentioned above, and probably going to a face to face assessment. If the DWP decision maker decides that you too ill to work, then you will either be placed into the work related activity group or the support group. Make sure you keep your medical certificates up to date until you are specifically told you don't need to send them in any more. Claiming ESA can be tricky, so it is essential that you have done some proper research on the points system BEFORE you fill in the ESA50. Unless you have some severe or exceptional circumstances, you will need to score at least 15 points from the range of activities in order to get ESA, so it's vital you identify where your points are going to come from, and if possible get some detailed medical evidence to support your case. There is an excellent ESA resource on the Disability Rights UK website: https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/employment-and-support-allowance-overview, and also on www.benefitsandwork.co.uk.
Please get back to us if you would like some more advice as your ESA claim progresses, but it can take some time. 
Hope this helps!

Jayne