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Pamela1509debbie
Member Posts: 13 Connected
Hi I don't know if anybody can help me but I had an ESA50 renewal form sent out to me in October which made me feel Ill from the minute it arrived, my anxiety has soared through the roof since and along with many sleepless nights I contacted Disability solutions in my area who kindly filled it in for me, I then got various amounts of information together from different consultants and contacted my social for a copy of my care package as ai have care twice a day l, all this was also included. I posted this to Five Ways in Birmingham which was on my letter on the 19th November and by Christmas was worried I'd heard nothing, today I received an assessment interview letter and was devestated they'd need to see me after the varied detailed information they'd been sent, my conditions are very complex and I have severe anxiety disorder aswell so I rang them to ask why that wasn't enough only to be told they've received NOTHING back from me, not my form, evidence NOTHING AND they've contacted my OLD Doctors from over 2 yrs ago to which obviously they've had no RESPONSE! . The lady on the phone was pretty much threatening if I didn't attend I could have my money stopped but I'm not happy, they can't just brush off all that important stuff has been lost and luckily I have postal proof my documents were signed for on the 20th Nov and I'm definitely not happy being forced to go for a completely BLIND assessment .It took me AGES to gather all that stuff together, I'm devestated and some fools lost it ALL. Where does that leave me with my rights, Any advice please?
Replies
1 - your ESA 50 goes to a mail delivery centre not the DWP. Therefore sending it as recorded or special delivery etc. is a waste of time. A security guard or bloke in reception can sign for it and yet it won’t at that point have been received by DWP. It has to be transferred; scanned and linked. It’s effectively throwing money away. Proof of postage is not proof of delivery in this sort of case.
2 - As @wilko says, always keep a copy. Any organisation which helps with completion should be asked to take a copy.
3 - DWP to their credit have at least tried to contact your GP albeit the wrong one. I presume you’ve now given them details of the correct one? If not you need to do that urgently.
4 - it’s a leap to assume that becauae you’ve sent lots of evidence in that you won’t be invited to a medical. The invite may have happened anyway and you will need to attend. If, for example they thought it possible they could switch off future assessments for you, they could only do that if you attend. There’s nothing to stop you writing down anything you might not remember and taking that with you on the day.
5 - they can indeed “brush off” that important stuff was lost. You have no proof of receipt by DWP and the onus is on you to prove that you’re entitled rather than on them to prove that you’re not. In that context it’s on you to keep a copy.
6 - there is absolutely nothing to stop you getting another ESA 50; filling it and getting it into them before the medical. It’s absolutely in your interests to do so.
said, it doesn't mean anything legally, but they sometimes find the papers when they look around a bit.