ESA assessment process starts again

I have received an ESA50 form (01/13 version) to start the dreaded assessment process again. My last face-to-face assessment with Atos was in January 2012, and later I found out I had an 18-month prognosis in the WRAG.

I thought it would be useful for readers to know that the latest letter from Atos, with the ESA50, was generated 16 months minus one day after the date of that face-to-face assessment. This is two months exactly before the end of my 18 months which appears to have begun on the day of that face-to-face assessment.

fairf

I would have expected that the time period should be counted from the first day that ESA was paid at the full rate. However, the time in ESA is actually open-ended and in reality the DWP can reassess whenever they like, as long as 3 months has passed since the first decision! It is usual for the new ESA50 to be sent out several months before the reassessment date, in order to give DWP time to get assessments done and a new decision made - your ESA will continue to be paid until that time, subject to the WRAG time limit.

Just to remind you that the regulations changed slightly in January 2013, so be sure that you use the newest edition of the guides.

Last F2F was at the beginning of Sept 2011 and the prognosis was 2 years. I received my form a couple of weeks ago, as Mrs HB says it looks like they can be sent out anytime.

mumsgirl wrote: Last F2F was at the beginning of Sept 2011 and the prognosis was 2 years. I received my form a couple of weeks ago, as Mrs HB says it looks like they can be sent out anytime.

That is a bit sooner than we would expect. I do hope that this is not going to be the norm