Work capability assessment despite being on ESA support group

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las213
las213 Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hi,

My partner has been on ESA for a number of years in the support group for severe mental health problems. I am a joint claimant as I act as his carer when he is ill. We received a work capability assessment questionaire some months ago but when my partner spoke to Job centre plus he was informed that as he was in the support group he shouldn't have received the form and not to fill it in so we ignored it.

We recently received another copy and a follow up letter reminding us to send it back. Coming off the back of the last one which was only a few months ago it seems odd that we are now being asked to complete the same form we were told we didn't need to fill in initially. 

I was hoping that someone could advise me; are other people in the support group being sent for work capability assessments and is there any possibility of deferring the questionaire/assessment for a couple of months? We have been through a particularly traumatic year and have recently found out that we are being evicted and the additional stress is detrimental to my partners health. We have called the numbers listed on the questionaire but it seems that every time we speak to someone different we get a different response. Any advice would be appreciated. TIA

Comments

  • WeepingWillow
    WeepingWillow Online Community Member Posts: 30 Contributor
    edited August 2018
    @las123 Anyone on ESA regardless of which group they are in can be sent an ESA50 to fill in as part of a review. It is essential that you fill the form in and return it as they can suspend your benefit if they do not receive it back. You can ask for an extension on completing the form. Although the majority of people are asked to  go for an assessment they cannot decide that until they receive your completed form.  Have you a CPN or support worker that can help you with the paperwork?
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Unfortunately it does need to be filled in an returned. If you fail to return it without good reason then DWP can find you fit for work and stop your ESA, so it really does need to be returned.

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