Information from my GP - No Doctor's Letter

Hi, my name is Josh.

I've been a user of this site for some time, but this is my first time making a post here.
I suffer with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (M.E.) and have done coming up to 19 years. I've been in the Work Group for ESA since 2012, following an horrendous ordeal switching over from Incapacity Benefit. Fortunately I pulled through after a tribunal became involved.

I've recently received a fresh ESA50 form to fill out, so I'm certain that an assessment will be coming in the near future. To help facilitate this process I've found it extremely helpful to procure letters from the medical professionals and specialists in my life who help me through.

Today I visited my Doctor to ask for a letter, and the reply that I received was that she basically couldn't. She informed me that a very recent change in Maximus' policy means that her letter would be thrown in the bin as soon as it reached the DWP, and the same goes for additional letters from other professionals. Instead they would solely be relying on a medical assessment that they themselves would ring my GP to procure...

Is this true?


I've found time and again with my condition that I have a very difficult time fitting into the DWP's standardized assessments. It is both limiting and variable, which makes answering their form an issue. I feel like I scrape by in their physical side, and instead have to lean on the mental portion of the form despite both mental and physical symptoms being equally very debilitating. So in many respects, if this is true, I feel like another layer of support has been stripped away.

I still have to fight down panic thinking about the events that lead up to, and the proceedings at the last tribunal despite my success. I'm honestly not sure how to cope with going through that again, even though I might have to.

Hi Jim and welcome to the forum.

The ESA50 form is the first step in the reassessment process so it seems as if it is well under way for you. You should treat this as you did the initial claim and fill in the form comprehensively. Do not assume that DWP know anything about you or that they will access previous case notes.

I'm afraid your GP is a little mistaken. Whilst in practice they might not take much notice, the assessor and decision maker are still supposed to consider everything you have submitted, including your GP;s letter of support. In addition, DWP rarely bother to contact GPs so you cannot rely on this. Even when they do, and GPs bother to reply!, the form they use is quite brief.

If you can get your GP to write a letter, that would be helpful. However, more of us are having this problem as GPs take the attitude that it is all a load of nonsense and they don't have time to bother with it. Of course, it is the claimant who suffers as a result of this, not DWP or the Government! If your GP will not write a letter, you need to think about whether there might be something helpful in your records. You have a right to see these and to take copies of anything that might be helpful.

Requesting your medical records

Charging for medical records

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That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

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

Thank you very much for the reply. It certainly helps me to feel a little more grounded about the situation even if it seems some portion of fault rests with my GP. I'll look into my medical records and make sure I receive corroboration from all the other sources at my disposal.

As it happens I do have an older letter from a different GP on this subject, which does go into depth on the matter. It was written in 2012, but still applies. I'll be sure to send that too. Thanks!

That's a good idea Jim, make sure you also show that the condition is no better now and that you have not 'adapted' to it in any way.

Almost two months since I posted here last, and I've just had letter calling me in for a medical assessment on the 6th of July.

In the form I sent back I included your standard letter asking for the assessment to be recorded, but I've had no confirmation of this in the letter I've received. Also in their little "About your face-to-face assessment" leaflet they've included a paragraph in there claiming that the DWP have no legal obligation to provide an audio recording service or equipment.

If you would please, what do I do?

Additionally the appointment is scheduled for 11:30 in the morning. This is a time that runs a very real risk of my health deteriorating for several days if I have to wake up early (at least for me) to meet the appointment and could spark a downward health spiral.

What are the risks of explaining this and trying to get the appointment rescheduled?


Thanks,
Jim.