ESA & UC

LEGDRAGGER

Hi,
      Been claiming contribution esa since march 6 this year sent esa50 back 8 April heard nothing regarding assessment then August 3 this year had to make UC claim as my employer finished me on capability. Get esa every 2weeks & UC on the 9th of every month as a couple with 2 children but wife works 25 hrs so get around 220 UC payment they also deduct my esa & ind.inj  too. My question is when do I receive any sick payments as still in assessment stage after 7 months. I know it can take longer & nobody can guess a time scale,my 4th UC payment is 9th December do I get sick payments from there & do you get back dated payments. Just wish they would group me so I know where I am.

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

For your ESA the assessment period is 13 weeks, for UC the waiting period is 3 full assessment periods. However, the assessment process can take longer than this because of backlogs, which often cause delays. There's no timescales for how long you will have to wait, i'm afraid.

Under normal circumstances most people have face to face assessments for the work capability assessment but because of Covid they are still currently suspended. Telephone assessments have replced them, which most people have. If they can't get enough of information through a telephone assessment then you'll have to wait until face to face assessments are back up and running again and sometimes this does happen.

Your New style ESA is only paif for 1 year unless placed into the Support Group and then it's paid for as long as you remain in that group.

You can ring the Health Assessment Advisory Service to ask how long will it be. Details here. https://www.chdauk.co.uk/

LEGDRAGGER

3 full assessment periods is that months.

poppy123456

Yes each assessmenr period is 1 full month.

Tori_Scope

Welcome to the community @LEGDRAGGER I hope the above advice has helped. Please let us know if you have any further questions. 

janer1967

Hi just to add I dont think you will get any additional payment until an assessment has taken place and a decision is made, then if you are awarded it will be backdated

Poppy will be able to clarify if this is correct @poppy123456

poppy123456

@janer1967 yes, that's correct and then extra money will only be possible if the decision is LCWRA/Support Group.

LEGDRAGGER

Thank you for advice, work capability telephone assessment 14th December.

Tori_Scope

Not too long to wait now then @LEGDRAGGER, let us know how it goes  

LEGDRAGGER

ESA telephone assessment monday 14th dec & PIP telephone assessment friday 18th dec, "like a bus wait for ever then 2 come at once".

poppy123456

Good luck.

LEGDRAGGER

thanks any advice appreciated

poppy123456

I can't tell you what questions they will ask, this will depend on what you wrote in the forms and how your conditions affect you. Part of the assessment will be for you to confirm what you wrote in the form as well as any other additional information they require.

For the work capability assessment they will assess your ability to do any type of work, not just the job you used to do. It's the work you can do rather than the work you can't do.

Although the assessment process is similar for both they have very different criteria.

Although for both the assessment can last anything from 20 to 120 minutes.

For the work capabilty assessment sometimes it's not always possible to get enough of information on just a telephone assessment alone, if this happens you'll need to wait until face to face assessments are back up and running again. Hopefully, this won't happen and they will get the information needed to write the report and return it to DWP.

Can't i can't be any more specific.

LEGDRAGGER

Hi,
     LCW awarded & PiP standard daily living 8pts & standard mobility 10pts. What I don't understand is why was I not put into the support group, according to universal credit they did my WCA even though I only  filled out an ESA50, ESA claim was 6th march 2020, UC claim 3rd August 2020. Looking at the descriptors for both benefits (1a cannot mobilise more than 50m) I should be placed in support group. I satisfiy the criteria for PIP but not ESA/ UC ?

MarkM88

If they have done the WCA and you have had no assessment, either face to face or over the telephone, than it sounds like they have done a paper based assessment. If you disagree with their decision you are going to need to put in an MR. 

janer1967

Hi 

As above different benefits different criteria 

I got pip enhanced but declared fit for work even though u was housebound I took this all way to tribunal and was awarded LCWRA in the end