Changes to ESA in October 2013.

Please would kindly tell me how the new rules and changes to ESA in October 2013 will affect the following:

People already awaiting reconsideration, supersessions, appeals ( which I believe will become mandatory for DWP to decide if you can appeal) and the changes to the 13 month rule (from the original decision date)?


After October 2013 will anyone lose payments altogether when asking for any of the above?

And finally will any of these rules affect the submission of any new evidence that’s has been made after the original decision was made (reconsideration or appeal)?

Thank you.

It seems that the new rules currently only relate to income-related ESA as a part of Universal Credit, it does not apply to anyone else at the moment. Certainly anyone who is already awaiting a reconsideration or appeal will be unaffected.

Hi b2c,

Mandatory reconsideration will only affect IR ESA recipients as/when/if they are taken over to UC, so it will be on a case by case basis.

You should also take into account that even if mandatory reconsiderations were in force for ESA, it would only adversely affect claimants who were appealing a fit for work decision, as those appealing WRAG to SG would still receive their WRAG rate of ESA whilst awaiting the mandatory reconsideration/appealing.

bro58