Hi, my name is menieretone! I have been placed in WRA group, I believe I should be in support group

menieretone

Hello to you all. Thanks for being here for us. I am looking for support and guidance into ESA work related activity group that i have been placed into. I beleive that i should be placed into the support group.I have meniers and severe hearing loss. I wear two hearing aids,but my hearing is still very poor. i am unable to to communicate with ease as my hearing is poor.I have to lip read watch for body movements facial expressions and try to hear what is being spoken. It is a strain for me to hear. I struggle on a daily basis to understand the spoken word.With meniers comes a whole range of issues from vertigo drop attacks tinnitus ear pain and pressure and so on. i suffer constanly with meniers and hearing loss. I have been awared pip

Daily living - enhanced rate

and 

Mobility - enhanced rate

I have not had any expaination as to the reason why the dwp have placed me into the work related activity group. I have not had a breakdown of the points awarded and how they came about their descion.I have been told by the dwp if you think the decision is wrong get in touch with us by telephone or in writing. I find communicating on the telephone very difficult due to my hearing loss. So i need to write a letter asking for a written statement of reason. The trouble again is i dont know how to go about wording the letter asking a written statement of reason. Is there a template for such a letter?
why have the dwp not included the reasons  of their descion in the letter informing me that i am being placed into the work related activity group?
Why make me ask for their reasons? How can i challange their decsions if they have not included their reasonings?
Your help would be extreemly greatful as i do not have the experiance knowledge or knowhow on to chalange a decesion.
By the way i am sorry for the long list of questions and any erelivant information that i write.

poppy123456

HI,

There's no such thing as "statement of reasons" for a work capability assesment. You can only get these at Tribunal stage.

The reasons why you were placed into the WRAG are not important and won't help your eligibility into the Support Group. You need to forget about that and move on.

What you need to do is look at the Support Group descriptors to see if any of those apply to you. You do not score any points for this group, you just need to satisfy one of the descriptors. See link for those. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

There's also substantial risk (regualtion 35) if none of the above apply to you. Explained here. https://askcpag.org.uk/content/200124/esa-and-substantial-risk

You can put the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) request in writing stating the reasons why you think you should be placed into the Support Group and your reasons why. You should add a couple of real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activitiy for each descriptor that applies to you. Include information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were.

It's worth remembering that your PIP award has no relevance on the work capability assessments because they are 2 completely different benefits. For ESA they look at your ability to do any type of work.

Id advise you to get some expert advice before going any further to check that you do qualify for the Support Group because no everyone does. Start here with that. https://advicelocal.uk/

If you're claim New style ESA then please be aware that this is only paid for 1 year unless placed into the Support Group.

There's also a form you can use here for the MR request. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/challenge-a-decision-made-by-the-department-for-work-and-pensions-dwp

menieretone

This is brilliant. Thank you Poppy for the great advice. The information that you have given to me will really help with my case. You have helped me to understand the important points and what is relivant. I am able to move forward with the information that you have provided. I am better equipped and more able to progress with the ESA claim. Thanks very much for being there and helping me with this issue.
You have been a great help. Have a nice weekend. 

Ross_Alumni

Hello @menieretone

I just wanted to wish you a warm welcome to the online community, it's good to see you join us.

As mentioned above, the next stage is the MR, but it's always a good idea to seek some professional advice if you are ever unsure about these things. Advice Local is a good option so I would certainly recommend paying that site a visit.

menieretone

Nice one Ross. Thanks for the warm  welcome and signposting me towards Advice local.
I am going to take i look at it now. By the way its great knowing that you guys are out there help us to find the support that we need. We would be lost without your support. When i found scope with a online search i knew that this was the place for me to get the right information and support that i require. Having trawled through so many other internet site looking for information on ESA and how to claim. Getting lost in the jargon complicated and sometimes difficult to understand information out there. It can make one give up trying. Hope is not lost at scope. 

Ross_Alumni

I'm glad you find the community helpful @menieretone, hopefully you are able to find some support with your benefit claim  

menieretone

Mandatory reconsideration of ESA WRAG.
I am i need of help with this. i am going to appeal the desicion as i should be in the support group due to my disabilites.  i dont know what i should be requesting or writing the mandatory reconsideration. Do i need to state the reasons why i think their orginal descion is wrong? I dont think the assesor took into consideration all of my problems that i endure on a daily basis. He noted what i could do on the day, but not every other day.   

poppy123456

Have you looked at the Support Group descriptors to see if you qualify for this group? (links provided above)  Not everyone qualifies, it depends how your conditions affect you.

The advice for what you need to do next was already given in my previous comment.. here.

poppy123456 said:

You can put the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) request in writing stating the reasons why you think you should be placed into the Support Group and your reasons why. You should add a couple of real world examples of what happened the last time you attempted that activitiy for each descriptor that applies to you. Include information such as where you were, what exactly happened, did anyone see it and what the consequences were.

There's also a link above for the MR request form, which you can print off.

menieretone

Yes I believe  I should be in the support  group.  Due to my drop attacks vertigo .This happen to me  with out warning . They are violent in there nature and 8 happened to have no control over them. My hearing loss is such I cannot hear anything with out them. If they were to fail then I have no hearing at all. My hearing is  fluctuating from poor to very poor.  I am at risk from injury as I cannot har the danger. 

poppy123456

I'd advise you to get some expert advice. For this start here, put your postcode in and choose the topic "welfare benefits" it will tell you what's local to you. https://advicelocal.uk/

menieretone

Thank you.  I will do just that. I will let you know how I progress. 

Tracey1969

Hi ?‍♀️ I am currently on new style esa and have been sending sick notes in for the last 13 months, last week I was put in the work related activity group, does this mean I do not have to send sick notes in anymore? Also is it correct that I should now be getting a disability premium on UC as I’ve been sending sick notes for over a year? Many thanks 

bg844

Hi @Tracey1969 you won’t have to send sick notes in anymore now you have been assessed. WRAG has no extra payment and it’s only LCWRA that’d entitle you to extra support payments. The New-Style ESA will be deducted £ for £ from your Universal Credit and after 365 days it’ll stop, if you don’t agree with the decision do a Mandatory Reconsideration. Only income-related ESA would entitle you to extra premiums if you met the criteria (PIP etc).

Tracey1969

@bg844 Thank you for replying, you have been very helpful ?