face to face - holidays and assessment phase

Hi - I'm just about to send off my ESA50.

1. Could you clarify does the 13 week assessment phase start from when they receive it or when i received it ?

2. If latter - then there's still 9 weeks left. Trouble is i need to book a holiday and most of those 9 weeks occur in July and Aug. How should i handle this situation ?
I wrote in the ESA50 under Please tell us about any times ordates in the next 3 months when you cannot go to a face-to-face
"ASSESSMENT PHASE IS HAPPENING OVER SUMMER MONTHS OF JULY AND AUGUST. MY CPA GOALS INDICATE I NEED TO PLAN APPROPRIATE BREAKS WITH FAMILY. I AM MEANT TO GO AWAY FOR A BREAK IN THE SUMMER. THIS USUALLY OCCURS IN AUGUST, IF I AM ABLE.THERE MAY BE PROBLEMS IF YOU CALL A FACE-TO-FACE ASSESSMENT WHEN I AM AWAY. NO BREAK DATES OR PLANS HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED AT TIME OF WRITING BUT A BREAK MAY OCCUR.I WILL NEED TO RE-ARRANGE FACE-TO-FACE AS I CANNOT RE-ARRANGE ANY SET BREAK PLANS ONCE THEY ARE MADE."

Do i just wait around and then say i cant attend if there is a clash ?
What if i am away when they invite me to a face-to-face ? - Should i write to let them know when i will be going away ?
What's best / are my rights here ?

thanks for your time

n

Gordon wrote: nicholson
1. The Assessment phase starts from the day that you made your claim and lasts until week 13 or when a Decision is made, whichever is the longer, however, any award would be paid from the beginning or week 14.
Gordon

My ESA claim is already live and being reassessed not started as fresh claim - so in this instance when does the assessment phase start - from the date i receive my ESA50 in the post ?

Gordon wrote: 2. If you specify specific dates that you are unavailable and an appointment is made during the periods then you should be able to rearrange it at no fault to you but I would be very surprised if they will do this on the basis that you will be away sometime during July and August.
Gordon

So you seem to be advising it might be better to specify exact dates rather than be general ? Will it be alright to give date periods which are several weeks a part ? Also are you saying don't put anything about taking a 'break' in face-to-face because it's not a legitimate reason to not be available ? - will just stating 'i will be unavailable from 5th August to 1st Sept' be acceptable ?

Gordon wrote: If you are away from home when an assessment is booked then this should be accepted as Good Cause for not attending but you want to avoid getting into this situation if you can as it would mean that your file had been returned to the DWP.
Gordon

When you say it would mean my file was returned to the DWP - what does that imply ? Is not answering an assessment invite punitive ? Would they close my claim or would the decision maker go ahead and make a decision without the assessment ? If so, do i not have the mandatory reconsideration process to fall back on ?

thanks again
n