Strange letter today re; ESA while on DLA

Now i have to admit I'm not that great on understanding these benefit things but i'll explain the best i can.

I have been on incapacity benefit for some time now and about 2.5 years ago was advised to apply for DLA which i got in the form of lowest care (no mobility) then a few months ago i got another application form saying it was coming to an end and i had to reapply which i did and again was awarded DLA low care (no mobility again) for an indefinite period.

However today i got another letter from Baird Street in Glasgow telling me IS was being withdrawn and new ESA was being bought in for me but to be honest i can't work out how you can get DLA and then be reassessed for ESA, does anyone know the way this works?

It's just left me feeling confused as hell right now, i know there trying to cut the budget and what that means for everyone in our shoes but how can you get DLA and be fit for week it seems crazy.

ESA is an 'out of work' benefit for people who meet very specific criteria. DLA is an 'in work' benefit that helps pay for the extra costs associated with having an impairment. Many people who claim DLA are working as the criteria for the two benefits are very different.

Qualifying for the Support Group

Qualifying for the WRAG

The ESA criteria are also very different from those for IB so you should make full use of our guides when filling in your ESA50 form.

ESA claims

If you have the 2013 version of the form, you might like to download and complete the online version of the form.

Using The PDF Version Of The ESA50 Questionnaire

In addition, you might also find the IB/ESA transfer FAQs helpful

IB/IS/SDA transfer FAQs

If you have any further questions during the process, please come back and ask them on this topic/thread as it does help us if everything is kept in one place. You will be able to find it easily in the future if you mark it as a favourite, or bookmark it, now

Jesus so much reading, no wonder some folks don't bother applying for something there entitled to, ok marked as fav and if i have more Questions i'll post back here.

If anyone has already been through this process i'd be grateful if you could give me some feedback on the process no matter how good or bad it was, i'm sorry but these kinds of things just scare me to hell).

Hi Baj,

Good advice from MHB.

You may find this Guide :

"Being transferred from incapacity benefit to employment and support allowance
A 22 page guide to the transfer process."

particularly helpful, in the first instance.

At the top of this page :

ESA Claims Guides

The next step after the initial "Conversion Notice" letter would be a phone call, which you may or may not choose to answer.

Then within around a fortnight of receiving the initial letter, you should receive an ESA50 Questionnaire through the post.

bro58

Bobajob wrote: Jesus so much reading, no wonder some folks don't bother applying for something there entitled to, ok marked as fav and if i have more Questions i'll post back here.

If anyone has already been through this process i'd be grateful if you could give me some feedback on the process no matter how good or bad it was, i'm sorry but these kinds of things just scare me to hell).

Hi Baj,

The vast majority of our members have been, are going through, or are expecting to go through, the ESA transfer process.

If you have any queries, simply post them here, and the Moderators will try to help.

bro58

Bobajob

I sense your panic. I felt the same. I found out about B&W after I had sent off the ESA application, and was placed in WRAG when I believed I should be in support group. Following the guides and advice from forum I got the decision changed at review stage of appeal.

If you have the advantage of having access to the guides and forum before submitting the ESA form, I suggest you stay calm, fill it in in stages, get plenty of evidence to support your application, come back to the forum for advice on what you don't understand, and make a strong case for your award.

The moderators here know their stuff, and were endlessly patient with what must have seemed like my dopey questions. I have learned so much from the B&W site and will be better prepared next time I get one of the dreaded forms.

Good luck

P C