Future

I have another question if it is not too much of a liberty?
I am in the ESA support group for the last 3 years. I was placed in this group without the need for a medical.
My health has not improved at all.In fact it has become worse.My medication has increased hugely. My G.P. has told me that i am stuck with this health condition for life now and that my mobility will become more and more difficult.
My current award expired in October just gone but i have heard nothing from the DWP yet.
Is there a huge long backlog for having people's cases reasessed ?
What are the chances that I will be placed in the Support Group again ? Is it possible to make an educated guess?
Many thanks again !

Dougle wrote: I have another question if it is not too much of a liberty?
I am in the ESA support group for the last 3 years. I was placed in this group without the need for a medical.
My health has not improved at all.In fact it has become worse.My medication has increased hugely. My G.P. has told me that i am stuck with this health condition for life now and that my mobility will become more and more difficult.
My current award expired in October just gone but i have heard nothing from the DWP yet.
Is there a huge long backlog for having people's cases reasessed ?
What are the chances that I will be placed in the Support Group again ? Is it possible to make an educated guess?
Many thanks again !

Hi D,

ESA awards are really indefinite/open-ended.

However, with each award, WRAG or SG, there comes a recommended period before reassessment. (The Prognosis)

In your case, you received the maximum prognosis of 3 years, so it was "recommended" that you should be reassessed in 3 years.

Therefore, your SG award has not expired, and you will continue in The SG until you have been reassessed and a fresh decision has been made by the DWP.

As you will see from : This Post, we cannot give a definitive answer regarding when you will be reassessed.

When your time for reassessment does arrive, it will be important that you provide current up to date information regarding your limitations.

Some of the qualifying criteria for ESA was changed in January 2013, so if your existing award was made before that date, it would be important that you referred to our current ESA Claims Guides, on this page :

ESA Claims Guides

You would need to treat your reassessment just as if it was your first assessment, and not assume that the assessing HCP or The DWP Decision Maker were aware of your limitations, and would just assume that there had been no change.

You would need to show that the limitations that helped you qualify for The SG had not diminished, due to medications or procedures, nor had you learned to better cope with said limitations since the time of your last assessment.

This is why it is helpful for members to know how and why they have qualified for The WRAG or SG, as they can refer to the qualifying limitations in any reassessment.

Many members request the relevant documentation, as seen : Here, in preparation for their next WCA.

It is impossible to say what the chances are of you gaining access to The SG once more.

However, if your conditions have remained the same or deteriorated, logic would point to a far greater chance of success than for a claimant who was not previously in The SG.

bro58

Thank you so much for that help .It is extremely useful. I never did ask DWP what my prognosis was.At the time I was of the idea that I should just accept the decision and leave well alone.I wish now I had found out on what grounds I was placed in the Support Group.I will try to obtain that information.
I am already feeling extreme stress at the thought of having to be reasessed.
I do have a very good supportive G.P. Who I see every four weeks because of the controlled drugs I have to take. My health has worsened since I was first awarded S.G. Status and I am now on even stronger drugs at much higher doses and I am less mobile.
I suppose I should expect that dreaded brown envelope sometime soon.
I must say a huge thanks again for your help and I am already very happy that I paid for my membership here.I did so three years ago and it was the help and advice I got here that I beleive got me the S.G award. I would really advise anyone to join up here.It is invaluable.
Cheers !