ESA Mandatory Reconsideration

Unfortunately, I became a member after I had my ESA Medical and have just been awarded WRAG. I was on Incapacity Benefit before. The notice I received does not tell me how many points I have been awarded so I am finding it extremely hard what to say when asking for a Mandatory Reconsideration. The Medical Assessor was absolutely heartless and wouldn't allow me to say anything. Please could you help.

Hi and Welcome to the forum, you might want to have a look at the following FAQ which explain where everything is

Welcome to Benefits and Work

I am sorry you are going through this

You can ask DWP for a copy of the assessor's report (ESA85 if you had a face2face assessment), this will show which descriptors you met and make it clearer why you scored as you did. It usually takes a couple of weeks for this to arrive. Don't let this delay you getting your Mandatory Reconsideration request beyond the 1 month deadline, you do not need to be specific when you request the MR - although at some stage you will have to explain how/why you believe you meet the Support Group descriptors.

Qualifying for the Support Group

The ESA guides explain the process

ESA claims and appeals

and the MR/appeals FAQs should also be helpful

ESA mandatory reconsiderations and appeals

I'm afraid you must comply with any Work Focused Activities you are asked to undertake while you remain in the WRAG. The JobCentre+ adviser might be prepared to hold any 'meetings' over the phone if you ask.

Do I have to attend WFIs while I appeal?


May I suggest that you bookmark/favourite this on your web browser now so that you can find it easily in future? This will allow you to return with further questions or comments about your ESA in future without having to start a new topic each time. It helps us enormously when everything relating to the same claim is kept in one topic - and I hope you will find it useful too

Hi Please can you advise me. July 2016 I was moved from Incapacity Benefit to ESA after a dreadful medical assessment. The result was to be moved to ESA (WRAG) After careful consideration I decided to go for a Mandatory Reconsideration and I also asked for a copy of my medical assessment results to see why they didn't place me in the "Support Group". I sent my letter Special Delivery to make sure it arrived on time. Six weeks on I have still not heard anything. Is this normal? I would have expected to at least get some acknowledgement or receive my assessment results. Thank you for taking the time to read this. I await your reply.

Hi Florence,

I have merged this question with the previous topic relating to your ESA. It helps us enormously when everything dealing with the same claim is kept in one topic.

There is no set time in which MRs must be completed, we have seen anything from a few days to some months

The assesor's report is a different matter, that usually arrives in 10-14 days - so it seems as if something has gone awry in your case. I'm afraid that means another call to DWP, it is worth following up in writing too.

If this approach fails to get results, the only other thing I can suggest is to get your MP involved. MPs cannot interfere with the decision but they can often put a rocket behind DWP!

Contacting your MP

May I suggest that you bookmark/favourite this on your web browser now? That will enable you to find it again easily in future