Esa review August

Hello, so my ESA is due for reasessment in August on the grounds of mental health. When I called them in January they told me that the prognosis of the award is until August this year. Am I right in expecting for a brown envelope to arrive anytime now if prognosis of my award is till August? Do they need to give me 5 weeks for completing the form as I see that some people only receive a phone call without a warning. Is there any point calling and when is best to call them if my award lasts till August. I hope this makes sense.

wrote:

Hi Agis

ESA are quite bad about not sending out review forms, so I would ring them and ask what is happening.

BIS

Hello Bis and Agis,

Hope you don't mind my jumping into this post. I also am due for an ESA reassessment on the grounds of mental health, with a prognosis date for review in August.

In normal times, I understood that an ESA50 form is sent out up to 6-8 weeks before the review date. But, I have seen mention here and there that given the Covid restrictions, a backlog may have accumulated dealing with reassessments. I have also seen people mentioning getting a phone call about a WCA phone appointment for reassessment out of the blue, seemingly without an ESA50 form having been sent first but I have only noticed this actually happening to people whose prognosis/review dates have long since passed rather than being imminently due. I have also seen (before f-2-f assessments were reinstated in May this year) people mentioning phoning up the DWP when their ESA prognosis review dates have passed being told that their review date has been deferred for a further year or more.

I am too nervous to phone the DWP to find out what is happening with my prognosis review due next month in case it triggers them sending out an ESA50 form when it might actually have been deferred. But, I am now nervous too about not getting an ESA50 form sent out at all to give me an opportunity to provide up to date information and medical evidence and being bumped into a phone assessment at short notice. It all seems so unsatisfactory.

I will be interested to find out what the DWP tell you Agis if you do phone them to find out what is happening. If anyone else can enlighten me about where things stand or what to expect, I'd be grateful.

Agis,

The best I can offer you is, I was in the same situation a while ago. My award on ESA SG was due last August 2020, I had a prognosis date set at 2 years, I always obtain my assessment reports every time, so not knowing whether I was coming or going I phone them (DWP) in February 2021 to be told I won't get assessed until August 2022.

Thus giving me an extra 2 years. I can only speak for myself why mine was increased?

Good luck.

wrote:

Hi libra1

ESA is an indefinite award with scheduled reassessment based on the Prognosis Date completed by the assessor in their report, so your existing ESA award continues in payment until a new Decision is made.

Gary

Thanks Gary.

I realise my ESA award doesn't have an end date, unlike PIP. It's more that I am having anxiety that a review date is approaching according to the assessor's report. However, I am seeing conflicting information about ESA reassessments - ranging from people being due to be reassessed according to their assessor's reports/past their due date for review who phone up the DWP and find out their reassessment date has been extended by 2 years!... to others who are bumped into a WCA phone appointment without being even sent an ESA50 to complete first?!

I am just looking for insight about where we are now. Should I expect an ESA50 if due to be reassessed next month or a phone call for a WCA telephone appointment? Or wait till my review date passes and pluck up courage to phone the DWP or not and hope my review date has also been deferred?