Assessment for ESA

Hi all,

Sorry I tried to use the search facility on this web site but it was not working.

I have been sent a letter because I am to be assessed for ESA. At the moment I receive Income Support on the grounds of being disabled. In the letter it says I need to phone them because they need to ask me a few questions and they do not have a phone number for me. After that they say they will send me a Limited Capability for Work questionnaire.

I think I read somewhere on this forum that it is best if one avoids a phone call and answers the questions they want to ask in writing and that it is possible for this to be requested and they have to conform with one's request. Am I right in this matter and if so how does once request that the questions be put in writing and for what reasons?

The truth is I am epileptic and also have severe mental health problems and under stress I get very bad panic attacks and my anxiety causes me to become breathless and I am afraid of having a seizure. I literally cannot think logically and am afraid I will not answer the questions correctly.

I am also a partially deaf and find using the telephone very difficult. I do not have a text phone and usually use texting on a mobile phone to contact people.

I have searched the private members area but cannot see anything on this subject. I did find the guide to filling in the Limited Capability for Work questionnaire but that was all on this matter.

I would appreciate any help anyone could give me.

Many thanks in advance,

Avalon

avalon wrote:

Hi all,

Sorry I tried to use the search facility on this web site but it was not working.

I have been sent a letter because I am to be assessed for ESA. At the moment I receive Income Support on the grounds of being disabled. In the letter it says I need to phone them because they need to ask me a few questions and they do not have a phone number for me. After that they say they will send me a Limited Capability for Work questionnaire.

I think I read somewhere on this forum that it is best if one avoids a phone call and answers the questions they want to ask in writing and that it is possible for this to be requested and they have to conform with one's request. Am I right in this matter and if so how does once request that the questions be put in writing and for what reasons?

The truth is I am epileptic and also have severe mental health problems and under stress I get very bad panic attacks and my anxiety causes me to become breathless and I am afraid of having a seizure. I literally cannot think logically and am afraid I will not answer the questions correctly.

I am also a partially deaf and find using the telephone very difficult. I do not have a text phone and usually use texting on a mobile phone to contact people.

I have searched the private members area but cannot see anything on this subject. I did find the guide to filling in the Limited Capability for Work questionnaire but that was all on this matter.

I would appreciate any help anyone could give me.

Many thanks in advance,

Avalon

Hi A,

After receiving a ESA migration letter, the claimant usually receives a phone call about a week later.

This phone call is just to explain the migration process, and see whether the claimant has any questions.

A week or so after that the claimant should receive the ESA50 questionnaire.

It is possible to go through the whole process without any phone contact, if that is what you wish.

You do not have to provide them with your phone number if you do not want to.

The only thing that I would say is that if you do not receive your ESA50 through the post within the next couple of weeks it may be advisable to contact them to ensure it has not been lost in the post.

As you are now starting the ESA migration process, you could start filling in the ESA50 Questionnaire Pdf version accessible from here :


www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=vie...imit=6&start=6#70879

It may also help if you have a look at our FAQ's from here :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=vie...id=10&id=70444#70444

You could start filling in the ESA50 now, to relieve time constraint pressure, as you will only have 4 weeks to fill it in and return it from receipt, by using our ESA guides from here :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/esa

Hope this helps.

bro58

Hi A,

Please see from the link below a list of all the threads that came up, when I put ESA Migration into the search engine :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=adv...name=1&childforums=1

Did you use this search facility? :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=search

From the "please search before posting" box, above the log out box.

cheers

bro58

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I tried to put text into the search engine box - I didn't realise that I had to press the magnifying glass!

I will look at all the links and definitely learn how to fill out the questionnaire before the real one comes and that will help with my anxiety.

I hate the way they only give you seven days to reply. A person may be in hospital or something. Still I suppose pressure is the name of the game now.

An optimistic friend thought I might get a raise in what I am getting since I have been using a mobility scooter for the last two years but am still only getting the lower rate of the mobility component of DLA on other grounds. Now I know my physical mobility problems are permanent I was thinking of applying for the higher rate but was put off since I didn't want to upset my claim and cause the Benefits Agency to look at it. Now, it appears that they have pre-empted me in that and I can go ahead any way.

Can anyone tell me? Does the Benefits Agency target an area for the change over to ESA because many people here are suddenly having to go for interviews?

Any way again many thanks for the help given.

Avalon

avalon wrote:

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies. I tried to put text into the search engine box - I didn't realise that I had to press the magnifying glass!

I will look at all the links and definitely learn how to fill out the questionnaire before the real one comes and that will help with my anxiety.

I hate the way they only give you seven days to reply. A person may be in hospital or something. Still I suppose pressure is the name of the game now.

An optimistic friend thought I might get a raise in what I am getting since I have been using a mobility scooter for the last two years but am still only getting the lower rate of the mobility component of DLA on other grounds. Now I know my physical mobility problems are permanent I was thinking of applying for the higher rate but was put off since I didn't want to upset my claim and cause the Benefits Agency to look at it. Now, it appears that they have pre-empted me in that and I can go ahead any way.

Can anyone tell me? Does the Benefits Agency target an area for the change over to ESA because many people here are suddenly having to go for interviews?

Any way again many thanks for the help given.

Avalon

Hi A,

If you read all the info on the FAQ regarding the Pdf ESA50 you will see that you can actually fill in, print off and post back the Pdf version to ATOS.

Many members have, they find it much easier, simply post it back to ATOS, at the address given, by the date given, when you receive the ESA50 through the post.

You can even use the envelope that ATOS provide to cut down on postage costs.

See Here :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=vie...imit=6&start=6#71520


With regards to when and why the DWP are migrating people over to ESA, I,m afraid that there is no pattern to this. See Here :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?func=vie...id=10&id=70444#70550

This is why it is advisable to read all the pertinent FAQ's at the top of the yellow spotlights section, above the forum.

There is much useful information to be gained from there.

cheers.

bro58

Yes thanks I understand.

I responded in the way I did because I was so anxious I could barely think straight enough to read all the FAQS. In future I will have to learn to calm down into a state where I can take all the useful information in.

I posted my query about ten minutes after getting my migration letter after fifteen uninterrupted years of getting disability benefits. I will obviously have to learn to deal with the system as it is now.

Again many thanks for all the info and links. We live in uncertain times indeed.

All the best,

Avalon