Your Guide Descriptors For ESA

Hi there, I'm one of those being moved from IS/SDA, to hopefully, the WRAG of ESA.

I'm reading through your ESA_50 guide which is a bit confusing as it doesn't seem to correspond with the questions in the ESA50 01/13 Form.

In your guide you mention 'descriptors' and there's usually two for each question, but there are no such descriptors in the ESA50 01/13 Form.

So do I answer the questions just based on how they are asked in the ESA form, or your descriptors?

Cheers.

As you say, the questions on the form do not correspond exactly to the descriptors. The claimant will not be awarded ESA unless they show how they meet the descriptors. Sneaky eh?

Thanks for the replies.

The guide I downloaded was ph_wca_fullv1 which I think was the latest one.

My point was the ESA50 01/13 form doesn't list the two descriptors for each question that your aforementioned guide does.

For example question 1; Moving around and using steps, 50 metres, 100 metres, 200 metres or more, it varies.

Yet there is no mention of the descriptors that you mention in the guide, so where do these descriptors come from, and why aren't they mentioned in the ESA form?

I treat these forms like an exam paper, in that you have to study for them and, the 'examiners' are looking for certain answers to be answered in a certain manner.

Knowing what the descriptors are make it easier to answer as they go into more detail and explain exactly what is required. I'm going to be cynical and assume that is exactly why they have left them out of the form, as it currently stands the form is a very clear cut yes/no.

For question 1; Moving around and using steps (a) Cannot either. (i) Mobilise more than 50 metres on level ground without stopping in order to avoid discomfort or exhaustion. Then there's the second descriptor. (ii) Repeatedly mobilise 50 metres within a reasonable time scale because of significant discomfort or exhaustion.

People filling in the form who don't know what the descriptors are, because they aren't mentioned in the form itself, might not feel they could tick the 50 metre box based solely on what it says on the ESA50 01/13 form. However, they could confidently select the 50 metre box if they knew what the two descriptors actually were.

I'm pretty sure with older benefit forms you used to get a little booklet explaining how to fill out the form and what information they wanted. It therefore must be a deliberate policy not to inform the claimant of this vital information.