56 weeks Now...

Spending a lot of time worrying about the delay since I sent in
my ESA50 on my first IB to ESA migration . It is over 56 weeks since
They signed that they had received it.

I will not be chasing them or contacting MP, as I have convinced myself
news will be bad.

Is my 13 month delay, not one word from them more likely to mean good
or bad news. It is like a Chinese water torture waiting every day for
that brown envelope?

Is there any way this nightmare can actually mean good news?

Many claimants are experiencing extremely long delays at the moment - although your situation does seem to be extreme! I don't think you can draw any conclusions form this, positive or negative, I'm afraid.

l thought l was bad at 8 months wait phoned atos and they said it was with the dm if iam honest l thought the lady on the phone was maybe telling me a little white lie still not heard anything so at the weekend got in touch with my mp who is a Tory by the way to his credit his office did get back to me quite quick yesterday he said he would look into my long wait so will keep you posted of any outcome

I have noticed here many reporting decisions made without a F2F.

You have told new I cannot insist on a F2F, so my fear is that I
will be put into WRAG and be physically unable to do the activity they require
and have these sanctions.

If you are sanctioned I hear they stop your money but do
you get NI credits for this time or are they lost with sanctioning?

Thank you?

Hi b,

As MHB says, you are not alone, and it would not be wise to draw any conclusions from the excessive delay.

See my post regarding the ESA Assessment backlogs : Here.

The only way that you would have any idea of where your assessment process is up to would be to : Contact ATOS, and I gather that you do not want to go down that route.

bro58

billhan wrote: I have noticed here many reporting decisions made without a F2F.

You have told new I cannot insist on a F2F, so my fear is that I
will be put into WRAG and be physically unable to do the activity they require
and have these sanctions.

If you are sanctioned I hear they stop your money but do
you get NI credits for this time or are they lost with sanctioning?

Thank you?

Hi b,

I think that you are somewhat "jumping the gun"

They can place you into The WRAG or The Support Group (SG) without having a F2F.

They cannot find you "fit for work" unless you have had a F2F first.

If you were placed into the WRAG, Work Related Activity (WRA) includes Work Focussed Interviews. (WFI)

They cannot compel you to actively seek or take up employment.

They must take into account your medical conditions and resulting limitations when asking you to take part in any WRA or WFI's.

With a sanction, only the personal allowance part of your ESA is stopped, currently £72.40/week for a single over 25 year old. If you were in The WRAG, they would still have to pay you the WRA component, which is currently £28.75/week.

Only a DWP Decision Maker can sanction you, see :

Changes to ESA Sanctions

Work Focused Interviews

&

Work Programme

bro58