DWP letter re Legacy ESA: is it Cost of Living increase, or a 'light touch' revi

Firstly, thank you for all the help and support.

My friend has received a letter of 6 pages dated 18 January 2024 and I can't tell if it's an early Cost of Living notification, or whether they've undertaken some kind of 'light touch' review of his Legacy IR ESA.

We'd be very grateful for your insight.

Key phrases include:

"We have looked at your claim again following a recent change" (actually, there's been no change)

"From 18 January 2024 your Employment and Support Allowance will be £149.05 a week.
This is because of:
* a decision on your capability for work. You have been placed in the Support Group.

From 11 April 2024 your Employment and Support Allowance will be £159.05 a week.
This is because of:
* a change in the rates of Social Security benefits.
You meet the eligibility criteria for Support Group..."

There follows much standard text about reporting any change in circumstances, how the money will be paid, what to do if you think the decision is wrong.
Page 4 gives an itemised breakdown of the various elements and their amounts which comprise the total.
Page 5 has more standard text and Page 6 is intentionally blank.

Hi Ivyfox

The letter your friend received simply sounds like the standard "uprating" letter that benefit claimants usually receive around this time of year notifying that their benefit rate is (usually) to increase in April.

"We have looked at your claim again following a recent change" (actually, there's been no change)

Regarding the above although it is confusingly worded it simply relates to a change - namely the increase in benefit rate - that has yet to come about - in April. There is nothing you've quoted that relates to cost of living payments and there are NO "light touch" reviews to ESA, these reviews relate to certain PIP awards but not to ESA.

Whilst it seems unlikely that the letter refers to anything other than ESA going up in April if your friend still has any concerns about it then they may want to contact the DWP for further clarification. I ought to add that I have received such a letter myself recently, the wording is not exactly the same, but has a similar meaning, and is simply the usual annual uprating letter for my ESA.

I hope this helps.

Kind regards

Mr B

Hi again ivyfox!

"From 18 January 2024 your Employment and Support Allowance will be £149.05 a week.
This is because of:
* a decision on your capability for work. You have been placed in the Support Group."

I have reread your post and have just noticed something I may have missed before, if so I'm sorry about that! Regarding the above quote it says a decision has been made to place your friend in the support group. I'm now wondering whether your friend was previously on ESA but was in the "work related activity group" and has now been moved into the support group? If so he will now receive more money than he got before and will no longer have to attend work focussed interviews or engage in work related activity. You did say though that there had been no change and this is why I thought the only "change" would be the annual increase in April. I don't of course know what your friend was getting before 18th January but whatever the case I don't think you friend has anything to worry about regarding this letter. I'm in the ESA support group myself having been transferred from the work related activity group and as mentioned this brings more money without the obligation to attend meetings etc which would not be appropriate given my health condition..

I hope this additional post may shed some more light on the letter.

Kind regards

Mr B