esa decision

Hi
Having been re assesed for and awarded pip in August standard care and enhanced mobility (previous was standard for both ) I recieved a letter today to attend a face to face assesment for continuation of esa ( currently in the support group ) Is this normal ? I have osteoarthritis in most joints which is getting worse and a work related back injury recieved in 2013 is also giving me continueous pain I can not walk anywhere without terrible pain and find the simplistic task near impossible . Do I really have to attend this latest face to face , why can't they just except my condition is not going to improve and stop wasting people's time ie health professionals etc .would be interested in hearing from anyone in similar posision

Hi all
What should I do next ?
I have today been placed in the wrag group for esa having been in the support group since asking for a reconsideration 2 years ago , only 2 months ago I was awarded enhanced pip for both components as my condition has deteriated in the past few months , due to a back injury at work and severe arthritis I cannot walk without pain in my back and other joints standing for more than a few minutes is unbearable as is sitting foranylength of time I am on strong painkillers which make me constantly tired . Why would I have been placed in the work related group instead of support group , interested if anyone else has had to suffer this
Mike

Hi Mike,

I have merged your query with your other topic relating to ESA as we ask members to keep everything relating to the same claim in one topic.

I'm sorry that you did not get the ESA decision you deserve/expected

Don't forget that the criteria for ESA and PIP are very different. People on enhanced rates of PIP are entitled to, and some do, work full time!

Have a look at the Support Group descriptors to see which you believe apply to you. Don't forget that the 'mobility' descriptor does not just look at your walking. The assessor is entitled to decide that you could self-propel a wheelchair and thus score 0 points here! This applies even if you do not have a wheelchair and have never been advised to use one! This is covered in the ESA guide, so it is worth having another look at it if you wish to take this further.

Qualifying for the Support Group

ESA claims and appeals

If you do wish to take this further, your first step is to request a Mandatory Reconsideration.

ESA mandatory reconsiderations and appeals

It will help to request a copy of the assessor's report, if you have not already done so, as it helps explain why you were not put back into the Support Group . DWP usually send these out without any problem. You can phone ( and ask for the ESA85) but we always suggest that you follow this up in writing.

You have 1 month in which to submit your MR request to DWP. Don't delay if the ESA85 has not arrived, you can tell DWP that you will be sending in more information when you have seen it and they should give you a bit more time.

Please reply to this message when you have further questions or comments about your ESA and we will do our best to help. You will find it easily in future if you bookmark/favourite it on your web browser now