MadeSupp Grp On B/date Decis - New ESA5O Received

All

Hope you are well and thanks for all previous advice on the forums. Please note questions are in italics to make this easier.

Am sorry to get this in just before the deadline but due to a rather strange set of circumstances I seem to have been sent a limited capacity for work questionnaire – ESA 50 from April this year as above.

To explain, I appealed a decision regarding the aware of ESA when my contribution based esa changed to income based ESA in May of this year 2014. I was awarded the backdated payment and in addition I was retrospectively applied to the Support group from May 2013 and have been placed in it from this period.

I have asked for a full statement of the reasons but on the phone they said it was I had been wrongly placed in the work programme in the first place and this on referral had been overturned by committee.

I have been doing permitted work of some 10 hours a week currently earning £60 per week and this is known to DWP and is running until the end of March.

I have been having trouble with the work provider programme who were putting pressure on my because of my permitted but this has now ceased. As I have been placed in the support group I am going to send them a letter ending my association with the work programme (who call once a month) and removing their rights to my data.

All of this sounds great. However this decision was taken on the 8th December and on the 10th December I was issued with a letter from ATOS wrongly claiming that I was due to be transferred from IB to ESA when this had already happened and had to fill in a new, what appears smaller ESA 50.

I phoned DWP who claimed that because I had been referred to the support group, my reassessment date had moved forward from early 2016 to early 2015 and despite the letter outlining what it was for being wrong, I should fill it in and return.

They just said it was coincidence and it was nothing to worry about? Is this true or am I being paranoid? Surely they cant take a decision that I have been previously wrongly not assigned to the support group and then reverse it a month or so later?

I have to return the Limited Capacity for Work for 5th Jan 2015. I have been suffering terrible flu the last few weeks – is it possible to get a delay on the return of the form?

I have a hospital operation which is coming up in the new year as well which will require 3-6 months recoup as other ongoing issues – however should i quit the permitted work prior to the medical although I have been told that the permitted work isn’t taken into account?

Also if I am in the support group, and remain so following on from any medical assessment (whether by interview or just from the form), is it possible that my permitted work can continue beyond 12 months?

Also should I be really worried here or is it more of a formality (I hope), given the circumstances outlined above?

I mean that they surely cant find that i should have been allocated to the support group previously and this was a misinterpretation and then decide immediately to reassign me, can they?

Does anyone have any experience of similar circumstances – it is kind of strange.

Apologies to only get this in so close to the deadline.

thanks for that - it is most helpful - should i include any details about my permitted work - currently 10 hours a week freelance copywriting from home earning 60 per week within the esa 50 - or ignore it

the work is manageable with my physical and mental conditions but isnt secure and has recently been cut hours wise due to the loss of a client.

is there a advantage to ending the permitted work or even as above letting DWP know that the work isnt entirely secure, and has been lessened, for any appraisal

and judging by that provided I remain in the support group which i now I am, permitted work can continue past the 12 months?

and finally, I called DWP and they confirmed that it was because my date to come again had changed because of the backdate but seemed to infer it was unlikely having just been placed in the support group this would be overturned so quickly.

Thanks for help. Thought this might be useful, as the original return of the form fell over Xmas and I became ill with the flu that has been going around I managed to get a delay on the form.

Firstly I phoned Atos on the 30th Dec and the guy was very helpful. he said that they give up to two weeks as a general rule and not to worry. I also informed DWP of this who made a note on the file and equally were amenable given the circumstances (needed to get medical evidence, illness, over xmas and ny)/

My recommendation would be to ring both up if you're gonna be late and get it nailed on / down in advance.

Interestingly someone else i know phoned Atos and they were most unhelpful so it proves its just a case of who you get.