ESA been underpaid? Journalism request!

Hi @Chloe_Scope

I think it is nuts to have a 13 week assessment period before getting any further help for esa.

I had a time while waiting for my benefits to be sorted when I was homeless, I had proof of my disability and was waiting to have diagnosis confirmed and I had nothing. It was very hard. For 13 weeks I was living off of £72 a week and the place I was staying had no inhouse laundry facilities so I had to pay for a taxi to get to a laundrette and extra costs to use the laundrette. Where I was staying also had a service charge that came out of my benefits. I had nothing and I think it is ridiculous to make someone who is sick vulnerable and disabled wait so long to have access to vital funds to survive. I bet there are stories of people passing away during the assessment period because it is so hard.

I found a petition online recently asking for a enquiry into dwp and the relation between their actions and claimants that die/commit suicide. It only had enough signatures for a goverment response which said they had no plans to make an enquiry into this. I think in light of previous cases of this and vulnerability of us this is something which should be under urgent review and have an immediate fair enquiry into both