What's the process for challenging claimant commitments? (NS ESA)

Oby95
Oby95 Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
in Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)

I phoned the ESA helpline after asking four times for a reasonable adjustment and they messaged the W/C who said "They can't see a justifiable reason for a paper based blank Claiment commitment to be sent to me" As a dylexic person this is an outrage... as I need to see it before I sign it and struggle to accept via the phone surley this could be negotiable?.

correspondence@dwp.gsi.gov.uk  - Is this the correct email?

Is there any chance I can email a DWP area manager or escalate this futher, under the equality act of 2010 section 2020, the law mandates Reasonable adjustments are changes that organisations, people providing services, or people providing public functions have to make for you. They must make these changes to prevent your disability putting you at a disadvantage compared with others who are not disabled.

I feel I have been ignored and any way to fix it, as a tax payer over the last..... years they should comply??? or just choose to ignore.

I struggle due to severe anxiety, undiagnosed ASD to talk with people about my Mental health and other conditions on the phone who I don't know.

I can handle my finances, but don't want an appointee, I just want to see a copy of the Claiment commitment beforehand as it's a legal document.

The call handler has changed my communications to - 'Letter only' after this call what does it mean?.

Best

Oby

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Comments

  • Holly_Alumni
    Holly_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 6,534 Championing

    Hi @Oby95 that's not very helpful of them! I'd definitely look at raising this with them. I've added below the complaints procedure which tells you what you need to do:

    Complaints procedure - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK

    I'm not too sure about the email address to be honest. They don't advertise an email so I can't verify it.

  • Oby95
    Oby95 Community Member Posts: 2 Listener

    Thankyou @Holly_Scope, do you have any further ideas or comments? I just am slightly concerned as a person who is dylexic, this seems like someone is "passing the buck" and putting up a barrier to a simple task that could be easy to accomplish. I don't feel it's right that I should accept something legal over the phone without seeing it, if it makes sense.

  • OverlyAnxious
    OverlyAnxious Community Member Posts: 6,324 Championing

    Hi,

    The Claimant Commitment for NS ESA is just to update them of any future changes that may happen.

    It's nothing more than a tickbox exercise. It really is just one sentence, there's not pages and pages to read.

    Your claim becoming 'letter only' means that they should send all future correspondence to you via paper mail instead of using the telephone.

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