esa mental health

Rachie wrote: Just read somewhere that you can only get points for mental health section on esa if you have been diagnosed with a mental health problem.I thought the form didn't matter what diagnosis are more about symptoms.Well anyone with chronic ill health woulld have mental health problems. I have not seen anyone for this. My gp is on longterm sick leave and no consultant. Also no cab appointment.Does anyone know if this is correct i am being transferred from Ib Many thanks

The ESA Descriptors and Regulations were updated in January and one of the changes was to separate the two sections of the ESA50 form, so in principle it is now only possible to score points for questions 11-17 if you have a Mental Health problem.

However, there is no document in the public domain that clearly identifies whether any particular condition is a Physical one, a Mental Health one, or a combination of the two, so all we can advise is for claimants to complete the ESA50 as they see fit and see what happens.

Please have a look at the latest ESA Claim guides for more information on this and advice on how to complete the ESA50.

Gordon