Claiment Commitmnet New Style ESA contributuon based support group

Florrie

Hello, 

I made a claim for contribution based ESA  November 2020. I was assessed in February and placed in the Support group. I thought that if you were in the support group on contribuion based the 1 year limit didn't apply.
I think it was due to be looked at again in Aug 2021 (when awared my husband called and asked how long the award was they said 6months from Feb 2021)

Anyway, I had an unexpected phone call to make an phone appointment with a work coach. They wanted to do the interview on the phone there and then but I had migraine so I couldn't. They sent a letter with an appointment, the letter says:



we have arranged an interview with a work coach, At this interview you will need to agree to do certain things to continue to get New Style ESA. This is known as your "claiment commitment". It will not include any work related activities

Once you have agreed your Claiment Commitment, your work coach can offer help and support if you would like to take part in work-related activities.

You must agree your commitments with your work coach. 
If you do not agree a Claiment Commitment you cannot continue to get New Style ESA


Does anyone know what this means?
Will I be being assessed?
Are they trying to move me to the work group?
What sort of things will I be expected to commit to?

thank you.

poppy123456

When you first claimed it was in the middle of the pandemic. Therefore all face to face appointments at your local job centre were stopped and this was the case for quite sometime.
Now those appointments are back up and running again they are sending out appointments now and catching up with claimants. 

You will need to attend that appointment, which will be to agree to your commitments, which will simply be for you to agree to report all changes of circumstances.
You do not have to attend any further appointments after this and neither will you have to agree to any work related requirements because you are in the Support Group.
This has nothing to do with moving you into the work related group.
When you were advised the timescale was 6 months, this is just a guide and nothing more. The Support Group is an ongoing award until a new decision says otherwise.

Florrie

poppy123456 said:

When you first claimed it was in the middle of the pandemic. Therefore all face to face appointments at your local job centre were stopped and this was the case for quite sometime.
Now those appointments are back up and running again they are sending out appointments now and catching up with claimants. 

You will need to attend that appointment, which will be to agree to your commitments, which will simply be for you to agree to report all changes of circumstances.
You do not have to attend any further appointments after this and neither will you have to agree to any work related requirements because you are in the Support Group.
This has nothing to do with moving you into the work related group.
When you were advised the timescale was 6 months, this is just a guide and nothing more. The Support Group is an ongoing award until a new decision says otherwise.

Thank you for this. Initially it seems to be a telephone appointment with the work coach. I was worried I might need to go face to face appointmnet at some point, a few weeks ago my GP gave me a letter to say I am unable to attend any type of face to face appointment due to  my medical condition.

Dawny123456

Hello ive got a phone appointment to Agree a new style Employment and Support allowance Commitment today at 2.30pm 1st nov.

Can you tell me what they will ask me?. Ive been in the support group for years now. Im having to change over from tax credits to universal credits. I thought my esa would just carry over.

It says on the message off my journal this interview you will need to agree and accept your claimant

commitment. The claimant commitment is your record of the

actions that you need to take to continue getting New Style ESA

It will not include any work-related activities.

Once you have accepted your claimant commitment, a work coach can offer help and support if you would like to take part in

work-related activities.

What does all this mean? Will i have to answer lots of questions like what i have completed in the past on the forms to claim esa. Or is it something just simple where i can say everything is still all the same. Ive found my old paperwork which was from 2018.

Sorry for the long message just worried and stressed out with it all.

Thank you

Dawny12345

poppy123456

Your commitments will be to just agree to report any changes and that's all they will ask you. Support Group for NsESA is the same as they've always been for contributions based and Income Related. You will not need to attend any appointments or look for work.

Yes a work coach can offer help if you want it but usually you won't have a work coach in the Support Group anyway.

Please try not to worry, it will be a quick, straight forward appointment.

Dawny123456

Thank you Poppy. X