SDA migration to ESA

Hello

I would appreciate your advice regarding gaining evidence from the professionals treating me.

As of yet, I have not received any letters or phone calls regarding my migration from SDA to ESA. I understand the DWP are behind schedule regarding this process.

Would you advise me to begin the process of contacting the various professionals now, to gain letters of evidence/support in readiness of the day I will be contacted, or should I wait until that day arrives?

I am particularly mindful of just how long it can take for these letters to be supplied - given that time will then be limited.

Many thanks

Other moderators may have different views but I see two ways of looking at this;

1)You can get medical evidence now to send of with your ESA form in order to avoid having to appeal.

OR

2)You can send off the form without supporting evidence and then gather evidence if you have to appeal.

Pros of the first way is potentially avoiding an appeal and possibly even the medical (but most people have to have a medical). However you don't know at this stage what points of yours they will and won't accept, how many points they will give you and what for, what they will say in their medical report. This means you don't know specifically what you want the letters to say. You could of course gather general evidence now and get more specific evidence if you have to appeal. However if your medical professionals are anything like mine you will struggle getting one set of evidence yet alone two. Anyway it's up to you but these are the points I would consider.

Having just re-read your post I see you haven't got your form yet. The above points still stand but I would be mindfull of getting evidence to early as it has to be relevant to how you are when assessed. The more recent it is the more relevant it will be. But I take your point about this sometimes being a slow process.