CPN and ESA50

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: pip waiting times for tribunal.

alisha22

My cpn is due to  see me in next 2 days so will ask then. What are the duties of a cpn, I hear some stories not all good but mine seems nice. I know they supposed to support you with benefits etc.

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @alisha22, hopefully our members will be able to offer some insight here. Is CPN your community psychiatric nurse?

alisha22

Yes she is my community psychiatrist nurse. I know they supposed to help you alot. I need help filling in the esa50 form.

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @alisha22, thanks for clarifying!

According to Rethink Mental Illness:

A CPN is a mental health nurse who works in the community. They can support you with taking medication, manage your health, and offer you treatment in the community.

Hopefully they'll be able to help you with your forms too!

alisha22

Are the esa  forms same as from when u apply for the very first time as I can't remember. 
This one's a questionnaire and sorry just looked it does say esa50 work capability questionnaire form.

alisha22

My cpn only filled her part in with name address etc but I have to do the rest. She however will do a support letter for me.

alisha22

Sorry guys another questing regarding evidence for esa. I have regular physio but no letters just a reminder on my phone so how do we tell dwp this on form. Recently had a steroid injection in my knee for a year so how do I send that sometimes I don't have letters just appointment letters which they state clearly they don't want. The only evidence I have is my medication and cpn letter of support. Also the doctor from the mental health team with recommendation of medication he suggested etc.

poppy123456

The ESA50 work capability assessment form is the same form they sent you the first time you applied. It's sent to everyone that has ESA reviews.

Ask your GP if they have anything on your medical file you can use. There's no charge for digital copies of your medical records. Only thing is with this is it can take time and time is something you don't have when filling out the ESA50 form because it must be returned no later than the date stated on the letter.

This link may help you to fill out the form.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/fill-in-form/

alisha22

Thanks poppy for answering my questions. I have the support letter from my gp from last year, would that do. I still have my letters from the orthopaedic clinic letters regarding my knee. As for the mental health side I hope the cpn support letter will do.

poppy123456

No worries. All you can do is send what you have and fill the form in with as much information as possible about how your conditions affect you.

alisha22

Can i just ask if a care plan for my mental health will be ok to send with my esa esa50 form for my review. My cpn said they stopped doing individual letters but they now do care plans for each of us. I'm hoping dwp will be satisfied with this as it's only support I have regarding my mental health. Although I'm still with the chmt mental health services also.

poppy123456

There's no harm in sending it, they'll either use it or not.

alisha22

Oh ok, what else can you send regarding your mental health apart from medication, it's very hard to get a gp appointment and I don't really go out. My cpn however said she will request I get a home assessment instead.

poppy123456

If you don't have anything else then you can't send anything. As i advised in a previous post, just send what you have. There's really nothing more you can do.

poppy123456

Please make sure you return that form no later than the date stated on the letter. If it's not received by this date you risk being found fit for work for failing to return the form because there's no extension of time to return this form.

alisha22

Thank you poppy I will.

poppy123456

You're welcome.

alisha22

Can someone please tell me if I'm already getting the standard rate of pip for both mobility and living, I read somewhere that now for mental health you can get the enhanced rate, so do I ring them up to ask regarding this or will they automatically look into this for me. I read the laws on mental health have changed in 2017. Please advise.

poppy123456

alisha22 said:

Can someone please tell me if I'm already getting the standard rate of pip for both mobility and living, I read somewhere that now for mental health you can get the enhanced rate, so do I ring them up to ask regarding this or will they automatically look into this for me. I read the laws on mental health have changed in 2017. Please advise.

Hi,

DWP are in the process of reviewing all claims for PIP, if you were awarded from a certain date. There's no need to contact them, once they've looked at your claim they'll contact you with a decision. It could possibly take quite some time to go through all the claims.

The rules changed slightly for following and planning a journey only. Whether you'll be one of the ones owed any money will totally depend on the reasons for your claim and how your conditions affect you regarding this descriptor.

Link explains the rule changes. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-independence-payment-changes/overwhelming-psychological-distress-and-journeys-changes-to-pip-law-from-28-november-2016

alisha22

Oh ok poppy, I did not have a cpn back then it was only last year that I had been awarded infact dwp offered me a award

alisha22

sorry poppy I had trouble finishing my text, I was saying that dwp offered me the award of both standard mobility and living and like a fool I accepted. I know now I should of got the enchached rate. My gp and my cpn are behind me. So was thinking of ringing the esa pip department and mentioning the mental health side of things and if necessary send in evidence and copy of my medication etc etc.

poppy123456

It's nothing to do with ESA, it's PIP.

There's no need to ring DWP for this because they're in the process of reviewing everyone's claim. No extra evidence is needed and they don't send you for another face to face assessment either for this. What they do is look at all your evidence, the assessment report and make a decision from there.

Be very careful when ringing them about this because they could take it as a change of circumstances, especially as you're thinking of sending the evidence and a medication list. Best thing to do is as i advised, wait until you're contacted.

I remember your threads about your PIP award and the advice regarding that is still the same. If you're not happy then you can request the Tribunal again.

alisha22

Thanks for your kind advice poppy, I will leave this well alone and wait to be contacted by them. 

alisha22

Hello guys I made a mistake in ringing pip and told them my mental health issues as I'm on the standard rate, they have taken it as a change of circumstances and will send out a form for me to fill out. Will my money for standard stop or will it carry on till I've filled in the form etc. Please advise very concerned, wish I'd left it well alone now.

alisha22

It's not really change of circumstances I've always had mental health but was more or less forced by dwp to accept an offer, should I ring back up and say I've always had it. The guy said if I've always had it they cannot look into this but if it's got worse than they can so he took this as a change of circumstances.

poppy123456

Hi,

This will have been classed as a change of circumstances. Once you receive those forms you'll need to fill them in and return them with all your evidence to support your claim. Expect another face to face assessment the same as you previously had.

Your money will continue until a decision's been made on the PIP providing the form is returned on time. Once a decision's been made this will overrule your current award. If a decision goes in your favour you'll have a new award length of time. If it doesn't go in your favour your payments will stop 4 weeks after the decision's been made.

You really do need to be very careful and think before ringing them to tell them anything about your conditions.

alisha22

When you say payments will stop does that mean the award is was offered to begin with. If that's the case then it's totally unfair. I have my gp support leter, I have my care plan from my cpn, I have a list of medication for mental health. I'm under the mental health team, so I do hope and believe I have a pretty good case.

alisha22

As for the face to face assessment I hope this will be at home like before but only hope I don't get the liars I got before who just lied and lied yet dwp was the ones who decided I was entitled etc and offered me the award.

alisha22

Thanks poppy.

poppy123456

alisha22 said:

When you say payments will stop does that mean the award is was offered to begin with. If that's the case then it's totally unfair. I have my gp support leter, I have my care plan from my cpn, I have a list of medication for mental health. I'm under the mental health team, so I do hope and believe I have a pretty good case.

If the decision doesn't go in your favour then yes your payments for your current award will stop because the new decision will overrule the current decision.

It's a massive risk putting in a change of circumstances and expert face to face advice should have been received before doing this.

Good luck.

alisha22

Can i send my pip questionnaire via recorded delivery if I only have a couple of days left for deadline.

alisha22

I'm just waiting on my careplan from my cpn to send to dwp.

poppy123456

You can ask for an extension of time to return it and they'll give you an extra 14 days for this you'll need to ring DWP.

Sending recorded delivery doesn't mean it's arrived with DWP, it just means it's been signed for by someone from Royal Mail.

alisha22

Oh ok poppy thanks for that. Mine has to be in by 13th February and I will be sending it tomorrow, I'm sure I can send my careplan at a later stage. I will however ring dwp and see what they say.

alisha22

What is the correct address for sending the esa50 questionnaire form as I have 2 addresses. One for Birmingham five ways and the other for Wolverhampton. So confused.

poppy123456

You'll need to ring ESA because all post code areas are different.

alisha22

Ok guys a bit of a update on my sending back the esa50 form. Well I rang dwp and was told that with my health conditions I don't have to worry about sending it in a hurry. What they will do is write or ring my gp and decide on that whether to see me or not. If i do however require  a home visit  I will need to get my gp or my cpn to fax a request. Now please can someone tell me is this correct procedure.

poppy123456

They are correct in telling you this if you're claiming for mental health reasons only. However, if you don't return that completed ESA50 form back then they won't have anything recent to look at and there will be more of a chance that you'll need to attend a face to face assessment. For these reasons i would definitely return the form with your evidence. Good luck.

alisha22

Awww thanks poppy I really appreciate your advice as always. Do they ring up your gp aswell or write to them or will the evidence is provide for example a support letter from my gp and my careplan from my cpn, will they be satisfied with this. I don't recall them ever ringing gp and all that.

poppy123456

You're welcome. If they contact your GP and it's rare they do this, they will send them the ESA113 form to complete. I have no idea if the evidence you'll send will be enough, as i said previously just send what you have.

alisha22

Ok will do and poppy I apologise if sometimes I repeat myself.

poppy123456

No worries at all @alisha22 Good luck with the ESA and PIP and please come back and let us know the outcome. x