ESA stopped; reinstated at lower level.

Thanks Gordon; I appreciate your thoughts.

I take your point about "re-instating" and what looks like a standard letter is headed 'Your Claim for Employment and Support Allowance'. I will ask DWP that direct question in respect of my Reconsideration request.

The appointment letter is headed 'Employment and Support Allowance Personal Adviser Interview.' I know I will have to deal with this too and the dangers of not doing so.

An update. Still no formal reply to my request in January for a reconsideration nor to my recent letter asking what the position is with regard to this and why I have been placed on basic ESA. If I am not to miss the final date for lodging an Appeal on the latter I need to do it now. I think it would be too risky to let the date pass and wait for a reply to my letter as I fear there will be even more confusion and worry if the DWP provide an unacceptable answer but then say I have missed the deadline to appeal the recent decision. I also can not see how I can avoid the Work Focus Interview without endangering the payment I am receiving.

Yes, that is the amount given in the letter although it does not refer to an assessment rate but perhaps that is normal.

The big problem is of course I am not sure what the DWP are saying as I have only received what I take to be a standard ESA award letter. It makes the completion of the Appeal form more difficult.

Thanks Gordon.

I think you are right to get your appeal in promtly, despite everything else that is going on. You do not need to provide much information at this stage, there is a template letter in the 'appeals' resources that is a good place to start.