PIP/ESA Horror

Many thanks for your excellent reply Gordon. It is hugely appreciated.

Sure enough today I got the decision letter informing me I've been moved from the SG to WRAG and the letter requesting the mandatory reconsideration will be in the post tomorrow via recorded delivery.

Just one further query for now - the request for the ESA85 assessment report. Which department of the DWP do I need to contact for that? The ones who sent the decision letter or my local job centre plus office? It's all rather confusing getting mail from Belfast addressed from other places!

Problem regarding the ESA85 report. I cannot use the telephone due to deafness, so a relative who lives 30 miles away rang the DWP on my behalf to request a copy. In spite of the DWP regularly sending my DWP letters to this relative and allowing them to rearrange my PIP medical on the phone with no problems, they refused point blank to deal with them and send a copy of the ESA85 citing "security" - I don't see this relative often for obvious reasons so wasn't present when the phone call was made.

It appears the DWP are demanding a letter written by my relative stating they're acting on my behalf and I have to sign it to grant approval. It all sounds immensely confusing. How do we go about such a letter and what should it say?

I'm also presuming if I just send a letter requesting the ESA85 myself that may be ignored unless it's been requested first by phone?

Again, thanks in advance.

OK. The latest - was turned down for PIP but as usual, I found out second hand first yesterday via a revised Housing Benefit statement and the decision arrived today. It is a load of fictional drivel to the degree I'm too distressed and upset to read it all at the moment. Oh and what a surprise, a week already lost as the letter was dated back to last week. This stunt gets very tiresome.

To add insult to injury, today is my usual pay day and I have not been paid a penny of ESA. Naturally I can't ring and enquire due to my deafness.

I'm totally confused by it all. With the ESA I sent a letter requesting the "mandatory reconsideration" - in your PIP guide there is a template requesting likewise for PIP but no mention of this as they say I have to write explaining "why" I disagree with their decision. So, do I have to do that or send the request for the "mandatory reconsideration"?

Please forgive me if I'm asking rather obvious questions but trying to keep calm and navigate this nightmare is getting ever more confusing and pushing me to the brink of despair. So, in the space of one week, I've been thrown off ESA/SG into WRAG and thrown off DLA/PIP and have to appeal against both at the same time.