Questions regarding the reassessment of my ESA

I keep hearing that the Maximus people assessing you and making reccomendations to the DWP DM don't even know if you claim is new or if you have been on ESA for some time and so each reassessment is treated as a "new claim" with no attention payed at all to your history on the benefit.

I do understand that you have to show how your condition prevents you from working but I have been on ESA in the SG for a few years now and wonder if it would be helpful to mention on the ESA50 that I am currently in the support group?

Sootica77 wrote: I keep hearing that the Maximus people assessing you and making reccomendations to the DWP DM don't even know if you claim is new or if you have been on ESA for some time and so each reassessment is treated as a "new claim" with no attention payed at all to your history on the benefit.

I do understand that you have to show how your condition prevents you from working but I have been on ESA in the SG for a few years now and wonder if it would be helpful to mention on the ESA50 that I am currently in the support group?

Hi S77,

I have merged your query with your previous ESA topic for continuity, please post any further ESA related queries to this topic.

See : This Post

You should Bookmark/Favourite this page in your Internet Browser now. That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

Thanks in anticipation of your future co-operation in keeping all your ESA related queries to this topic !

bro58

Hi Bro58,

Thank you for merging my question it was late the other night when I asked and forgot, sorry!

Thank you for the link that is helpful. One question though it I have my last ESA85 and it states that I am "at physical risk due to the frequency and severity of my attacks due to my illness" Should I write on my ESA50 that I was placed in the SG last time due to being "at physical risk due to the freguency and severity of my attacks" and that this has not changed I worry it seems a little blatent but perhaps that is how you should be? I have of couse filled out the rest of the form in detail as suggested in your guides.

I also have some other questions if that is okay:

1. Should I include a cover letter detailing the contents and page numbers of my ESA50 application?

2. If I am called to a f2f I would like my assessment to be recorded should I put this directly on the ESA50 as well as sending a letter to after I am called to a f2f?

3. My condition causes chronic pain and I have submitted an overview diary that I keep for my doctors however I haven't kept a more detailed diary of how my illness effects me day to day. I did make some notes last week of a couple of days. Is it worth typing up those 2 or 3 days or would that not really be helpful i.e. not cover a long enough time period? I am not really sure what to put in such a diary how much detail to give.

4. I have two other conditions which I mention in my ESA50 however they are not my main issue and I have only given minimal information about these conditions. The main issue is that I believe they complicate and are complicated by my main illness. Would you recommend I say this?


Sorry for all the questions!

Thank you!

Sootica

Sootica77 wrote: Hi Bro58,

Thank you for merging my question it was late the other night when I asked and forgot, sorry!

Thank you for the link that is helpful. One question though it I have my last ESA85 and it states that I am "at physical risk due to the frequency and severity of my attacks due to my illness" Should I write on my ESA50 that I was placed in the SG last time due to being "at physical risk due to the freguency and severity of my attacks" and that this has not changed I worry it seems a little blatent but perhaps that is how you should be? I have of couse filled out the rest of the form in detail as suggested in your guides.

I also have some other questions if that is okay:

1. Should I include a cover letter detailing the contents and page numbers of my ESA50 application?

2. If I am called to a f2f I would like my assessment to be recorded should I put this directly on the ESA50 as well as sending a letter to after I am called to a f2f?

3. My condition causes chronic pain and I have submitted an overview diary that I keep for my doctors however I haven't kept a more detailed diary of how my illness effects me day to day. I did make some notes last week of a couple of days. Is it worth typing up those 2 or 3 days or would that not really be helpful i.e. not cover a long enough time period? I am not really sure what to put in such a diary how much detail to give.

4. I have two other conditions which I mention in my ESA50 however they are not my main issue and I have only given minimal information about these conditions. The main issue is that I believe they complicate and are complicated by my main illness. Would you recommend I say this?


Sorry for all the questions!

Thank you!

Sootica

Hi S77,

No Problem !!!

I hope you have remembered to Bookmark/Favourite this page for your future reference !!

The fact that your ESA85 states "at physical risk due to the frequency and severity of my attacks due to my illness" would leave me to believe that you were placed into The SG under ESA Reg 35. (Exceptional Circumstances Rules)

So, even though you may still suffer from the same medical conditions and resulting limitations, you could quote that, but you would also need to clarify that you still suffer with the same medical conditions, and how and why you would suffer Substantial Risk" to your health due to said medical conditions if you were not found to have Limited Capability for Work Related Activity. (LCWRA)

i.e. If you were not placed into The SG once more.

Gordon has written a good post on ESA Reg 35 : Here (Don't take any notice of his comments regarding ESA Reg 29, that only places you in The WRAG !!)

There is also information regarding qualifying for The SG under ESA Reg 35 in our : ESA Claims Guides 2nd or 3rd links down the page.

Don't be bothered about "being blatant" there is nothing wrong with telling it as it is in an effort to "lead them by the nose" !!!

Even though you should try and make it clear how and why you still qualify under ESA Reg 35, you should also give details of how and why you feel that you also may qualify for The SG under any of the appropriate/applicable : Functional Support Group (SG) (LCWRA) Schedule 3 Activities/Descriptors

You only have to fulfil one of the above for entry to The SG, but you should list all/any that you feel that your limitations fulfil, explaining how and why !!

Again, this is explained in our ESA Claims Guides !!

1. You could type up an Index to contents including page numbers of any added Documents/Pages, and a brief description of each page, and place it at the front.

2. Yes, you should make your request for your Face to face to be recorded, (If one is deemed necessary) on a separate A4 page and include it with The ESA50. (Covered in our ESA Claims Guides) Then if you are informed that you do have to take part in a F2F you can reiterate your request to Maximus.

3. You could include copy of the Diary, and turn the 2-3 day account into one summary of a "Typical Day" and the limitations that you suffer on a day to day basis.

Break your "Typical Day" down into hour by hour slots chronologically running from say Midnight to Midnight and list all the limitations that you suffer in you carrying out normal daily task and any help that you need to carry out the tasks !

You will also need to make it clear where applicable that you suffer the relevant limitations for "The Majority of The Time". (>50% of the time)

4. Yes, detail all your medical conditions and the limitations that you suffer as a result of them and how these limitations help you fulfil the applicable SG Descriptors.

See also :

Using The PDF Version Of The ESA50 Questionnaire


How long do I have to complete the ESA50?

ESA50 too big for the envelope

&

Sending Documents to the DWP or Maximus. (aka CHDA, aka HAAS.)

Good luck !!

bro58

Hi Bro58, Thank you for all this information, it is very helpful. I am still worried that my form might be a bit to heavy handed but as you say I'm probably not going to get very far being subtle!

I do have one more question which I am not sure can be answered here, I know yout touch on this in the guides but one of my conditions is migraine with aura. I understand that the DWP does not regard migraine with aura as relevent to question 10 staying conciousness when awake but I feel that it could be but I am not sure how to put it, I did contact a neurolgical charity who said they would get back to me but so far nothing and time is running out for my form to be posted back.

My migraines are complex and cause extreme pain, nausea and vomiting and the aura I experiance is very disorientating at times leaving me confused and I also during attacks sometimes suffer from hallucinations which are quite distracting although I do know they aren't real and are caused by my migraines.

Could any of this be applicable to question 10, should I just fill in the box with this information in any case?

Thanks again! I am nearly done with my form so should hopefully stop bothering you soon!