Advice on PIP and ESA assessments

Jolene68

My husband has been on esa for last 9 years due to severe depression... he is in SG group and had his last asessment 2 years ago. Two years ago this month both my husband and i were both violently attacked by our neighbours on our driveway at home. My husband was beaten to the head with a bottle causing him to fall and fracture his foot his nose and a gash on his forehead  which needed stitching. My husband unfortunately saw me be vicously beaten to the head and face by our attacker and his mum. Since then my husband has been diagnosed with PTSD severe depression and i take care of him... our local authority has not moved either them or us ...so as you can imagine seeing our attackers on a daily basis is extremely distressing for him ( and me ). My husband finds it very distressing to go out at all.
He has recently applied for PIPafter being advised to .... a week after we returned PIP application form he was sent a esa review form!! He is now in such a distressed state thinking he will have to go for both assesments. Can anyone plz give me some advice as we are afraid they will stop his esa if he does not go for his assesment when it comes through
Many thanks ...x

poppy123456

Hi,

He can request a home assessment for the ESA but he'll need a letter from his GP stating the reasons why he can't attend the assessment centre. It's still possible that they could refuse the home assessment though.

Does he attend other appointments? If he does then this can go against him for a home assessment too. They very often say that if you can attend other appointments then you can attend one of their centres.

When filling out the form make sure he adds as much information about his condition and the way it affects him as possible. The more he puts the better. Send evidence with the form because they very rarely contact anyone for this. The form must be returned no later than the date stated in the letter because there's no extensions for returning this form.

It will also be worth knowing the reasons he was previously placed into the support group, then he can based the ESA form on this. At a guess because he suffers with mental health then it could be reg 35.

Information about the support group descriptors in both links.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/making-exception