ESA reassessment

A few months ago I made a Subject Access Request to obtain everything that was held about me by the DWP for my ESA claim. Amongst the buncle of papers was a couple of pieces of information that I had made rge SAR for. One was that my WCA was due on 06.01.19 (which I already knew) and secondly that in my case control notes was an entry with a date of 05.11.18 "AUTOMATIC ESA REFERRAL" (or words to that effect).

My understanding is that on 5/11 an automatic referral should have been made to Maximus along with an ESA50 being sent to me. The WCA process is supposed to start two months before the WCA date, hence this November date in my case control. To date I have not received an ESA50. I was going to contact the DWP to see what the date for my WCA is now in case it has changed but thought I'd take the easy route and phoned Maximus to see if an ESA50 had been sent / if the WCA process had started. To my surprise I was told there was no WCA action ongoing at the moment and no ESA50 had been sent.

I had originally moved from IB/IS to ESA in January 2013 and my reassessment, which was due in January 2015 was deferred as was the next one in January 2017. I know that some people have been lucky and have had a further deferrment but mostly the reassessments are now taking place. In the past few months has anyone here had the good fortune to have another deferrment or know of anyone who has had a one? Or does anyone know if there is a backlog at the DWP re: ESA (though that referral trigger point is supposed to be automatic and no clerical intervention should be needed). I would phone the DWP but the hold times are ridiculous plus I always seem to get someone who doesn't know where to find the WCA date. I may leave it for a few weeks and then just go to my local JC+ (which is what I had to do last year to find out my current WCA date as several phone calls over a couple of years to the DWP had proved to be fruitless, I could never find out the information) if I've not heard anything.

I'm currently having my PIP reviewed and am just about to send off the AR1 form so I'm anxious enough to start with without the prospect of a WCA looming too.

It's probably just some sort of delay but I'm crossing my fingers that it could be a deferral. That said I've probably jinxed myself by posting this!

Just correcting an error I noticed I had made. The entry in the case control was "05.11.2018 S 370 Automatic WCA Referral" not not Automatic ESA Referral. Also on the line below that entry is another entry which is undated that says P 024 FCC PROCESSING DEFERRED. I looked up what FCC could mean. In the DWP Corporate handbook of abbreviations FCC is listed as First Contribution Condition. Perhaps that's what FCC means here (I'm in WRAG so my contributory ESA on conversion from IB became time limited). But then again FCC could mean something completely different.

I used to work for the DWP a long time ago (back when it was the DHSS/DSS/BA) so am largely able to understand what is on the print outs but this FCC entry has got me guessing. Before I looked up the abbrevaition in the DWP handbook I had guessed it might mean "Further Case Control" but it seems improbable that it would mean that.

Hi Robbie
I’ve just read that you’ve been deferred as well. I believe I have as well as I have not heard anything from the dwp either. My 3 years in support group without ftf says I should have been reassessed jan 2017 so it will be coming up to 5 years this January. But I have not had any letters or my money has never been stopped. So if I don’t hear by jan 2019 I will give them a ring. I have to say without this site and Gordon’s invaluable knowledge going back to when I joined this site , which is a few years now I don’t believe I would have got through it and passed with out having a medical. But il be back as soon as my esa reassessment forms drop through the door. I don’t post very often as I was also awarded enhanced on both for 10 years without a medical also. But I come on every day to read up on any changes that the dwp may change or alter the goal posts again. and also to read other peoples stories . Many which are good news and some poor people are put through the mill.But I wish everyone had an easy time of it like I did on both of mine. Maybe next time I won’t have it so easy. But il always be a member of this site as it invaluable. Thank you so much Gordon for your time and your knowledge esp when your not well yourself. This site couldn’t run without you . Il jinx myself now and il get my esa papers posted through my letterbox sooner than I think.

billybeaver wrote: Hi Robbie
I’ve just read that you’ve been deferred as well. I believe I have as well as I have not heard anything from the dwp either. My 3 years in support group without ftf says I should have been reassessed jan 2017 so it will be coming up to 5 years this January. But I have not had any letters or my money has never been stopped. So if I don’t hear by jan 2019 I will give them a ring. I have to say without this site and Gordon’s invaluable knowledge going back to when I joined this site , which is a few years now I don’t believe I would have got through it and passed with out having a medical. But il be back as soon as my esa reassessment forms drop through the door. I don’t post very often as I was also awarded enhanced on both for 10 years without a medical also. But I come on every day to read up on any changes that the dwp may change or alter the goal posts again. and also to read other peoples stories . Many which are good news and some poor people are put through the mill.But I wish everyone had an easy time of it like I did on both of mine. Maybe next time I won’t have it so easy. But il always be a member of this site as it invaluable. Thank you so much Gordon for your time and your knowledge esp when your not well yourself. This site couldn’t run without you . Il jinx myself now and il get my esa papers posted through my letterbox sooner than I think.

I'm not sure if there has been a deferrment in my case. The only way for me to find out is to contact the DWP but I'm going to leave it for another few weeks. Like yourself I'll probably wait until January to get in touch with them in case there's just a hold up and an ESA50 is sent out / the WCA process starts before then.