CB ESA to new style ESA - Job centre appt questions?

Hi,

I got my letter today about being moved from cb was to new style esa due to migration.

I am assuming my local job centre will arrange a phone appointment with me and I see on here that it has gone OK for some people.

However I am concerned in the letter that it says - we will ask you to explain how your illness/disability affects your ability to work.

This would be extremely triggering for me - enough to set off a MH crisis.

I am in the support group.

I put a note in my UC journal when I submitted my claim saying I couldn’t physically attend any appointments (also got a physical health condition as well as the MH issues).

Will I be able to just say I am in the support group and point them to the journal note?

Also will I be able to arrange to have the phone call at a time when someone is with me (via a zoom call). This would be my MHP. I did all my UC claim with this MHP (sharing my screen) and I still found the experience extremely distressing just because I find it so triggering. I had to take extra meds at one point.

I could cope with a quick phone call just confirming that I will update them of any change of circumstances but the above is very challenging for me.

Thank you.

There is not really anything in the guide that helps.

I should note I didn’t just put about my physical health in my journal message - i put about having complex needs due to MH and how difficult appointments with officials are, and how destabilising they are.

Nobody has replied to that message. (I put it in when I submitted my form). I don’t know whether the work coach will read it as that is UC not ESA.

I got the central cb esa to new style standard letter the other day, 11 days from the date on the letter.

Now I am waiting for contact from my local job centre.

I have read that it the phone call *should* just be quick and ask me to confirm I will inform them of any change of circumstances, rather than ask me health related questions. I am in the support group and they are not qualified in these matters.

However I do want the appointment to be at a time that I have support with me in case they ask anything invasive or get things wrong. I am not sure the best way to go about ensuring that I get a suitable appointment time rather than whatever they give me. I imagine the journal message won’t help.

Sorry to add another thing - when I’ve had PIP assessments the assessor has spoken to my MHP on the phone to obtain any further details required as it is just too much for my MH and triggers a crisis.