Firstly, just want to say how brilliant the moderators are on this site! Your comprehensive guides helped me to secure PIP through a mandatory reconsideration letter.

My reason for contacting is that I have received a letter from DWP 're ESA. I am at the pre-assessment stage, but I should have received a letter from the assessors giving me a date for face to face assessment, but I haven't. The letter states that my contribution related ESA claim will end after 365 days (10 November 2018), which I knew and I will get £73.10 weekly. However, I have secondary progressive MS and fit the descriptor of not being able to walk more than 50 meters and so should be put in the Support group and get a higher weekly amount.

Is this letter just stating their position, or is it stating that I am not required to attend assessment and have been put in working group (although it doesn't mention this). It mentions that I can request a mandatory reconsideration, which concerns me.

Has anyone come across this before? Do I just need to sit tight or do I need to do a mandatory reconsideration letter?

Regards
Ness46

Ness

From your letter this is a standard entitlement letter and not a Decision Letter, almost all letters about a claimants payments carry a right of appeal, that's why there is information about your requesting an MR.

There are considerable delays in the ESA Assessment process, you don't mention when you made your claim but members are reporting waits of 6-9 months for assessment appointment.

Please be aware, ESA is not a walking test, it is a Mobility test! In addition to your walking it considers your ability to self-propel a manual wheelchair over the same distances, you do not need to be using a wheelchair or even to own one for it to be considered. SO even if you can show your walking is restricted, unless you can also show that you cannot self-propel the wheelchair you will still not score points.

Gordon

Thanks Gordon. I had no idea there was such a backlog. I understand what you say about propelling yourself!
Thanks for your help. I will let the process take its natural course!