New to the Forum and would like advice thanks

Hi
I’m new to the community. So glad I came across your site as can read at my own leisure try and learn about all the new benefits. I don’t read newspapers, don’t watch the news, so it’s all been a huge shock to my mental state as I would imagine many others.

Prior to the changes I had been on DLA and IB for about 12 years now, previously had worked since day I left school. I'm now 55. I received a letter to say IB stopped 30/9/13 I don’t know if I have to put in for something else.


I filled out the form they sent me out, I filled it in not making a very good job of it, and included typed written pages rather than tick boxes as was really confused with it all. I have recently been awarded ESA and placed in WRAG.

CPN thinks this is wrong. I’m still learning what all these letters mean. I’m due tomorrow to have a telephone interview here at home rather than the face to face meeting at job center. This was arranged via my CPN yesterday.

As I have great difficulty in retaining information/concentration span very poor my concern is I will forget what has been discussed. During this interview I am wondering if I can ask them to record it and post it out to me.

I want to be able to relay this information to my CPN, I’m really lost and confused by this whole matter, could anyone please point out any links that would help me prepare me for tomorrow morning. I will take extra medication to get me through it but it will make my inability to take in information worse.

I will be grateful for any advice given, thank you

kiltylyn wrote: Hi
I’m new to the community. So glad I came across your site as can read at my own leisure try and learn about all the new benefits. I don’t read newspapers, don’t watch the news, so it’s all been a huge shock to my mental state as I would imagine many others.

Prior to the changes I had been on DLA and IB for about 12 years now, previously had worked since day I left school. I'm now 55. I received a letter to say IB stopped 30/9/13 I don’t know if I have to put in for something else.


I filled out the form they sent me out, I filled it in not making a very good job of it, and included typed written pages rather than tick boxes as was really confused with it all. I have recently been awarded ESA and placed in WRAG.

CPN thinks this is wrong. I’m still learning what all these letters mean. I’m due tomorrow to have a telephone interview here at home rather than the face to face meeting at job center. This was arranged via my CPN yesterday.

As I have great difficulty in retaining information/concentration span very poor my concern is I will forget what has been discussed. During this interview I am wondering if I can ask them to record it and post it out to me.

I want to be able to relay this information to my CPN, I’m really lost and confused by this whole matter, could anyone please point out any links that would help me prepare me for tomorrow morning. I will take extra medication to get me through it but it will make my inability to take in information worse.

I will be grateful for any advice given, thank you

Hi kl,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

As it appears that you are in The WRAG of ESA, and you are having your first Work Focused Interview (WFI) carried out over the phone tomorrow, the following links may help :

Work Focused Interviews

The Work Programme

Changes to ESA Sanctions

The JCP Adviser may not choose to forward you to The Work Programme, and may simply carry out further WFI's over the phone, as with this one.

However, as it seems that you were previously in receipt of IB, if you were paid IB alone, with no Income Support (IS) top-ups, then that would mean that you are now in receipt of CB ESA alone in The WRAG.

What will I be transferred to?

If this is the case, you should be aware of the following :

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

If any part of your ESA is Income Related (IR), then the 365 day rule will not apply.

If you feel that you should have been placed into the SG instead of the WRAG, and have the support of your CPN/G.P., then you could appeal The WRAG award, to be placed into The SG.

This ideally should be done within one month of the date of the letter informing you that you were in The WRAG, but a late appeal can be made up to 13 months after any adverse decision.

You would have to show "Good Cause" for a late appeal, but you could use the fact that you did not fully understand the ESA groupings and the added implications, as your reasons.

This is explained further in The GL24 Appeals Form, which can be downloaded from the link on this page :

How to submit an appeal

If you are to appeal, then you would have to show that you fulfill at least one of The SG Descriptors, which is explained further below :

Qualifying for the Support Group

If you are to appeal, you may also wish to the request the documentation used in coming to The WRAG decision, as a separate issue. :

ESA medical – what forms to ask for?

You could also inform the JCP Adviser that you are going to appeal, when you speak to them tomorrow.

See also :

Is there any risk to challenging a decision?

Do I have to attend WFIs while I appeal?

&

What will I be paid while I appeal?

From our : Appeals FAQ’s

You will find an ESA Appeals Guide on this page : ESA Claims Guides

See also :

Disability Rights UK Factsheet - Appeals and reconsiderations

&

MOJ Video of ESA Appeals Process and Tribunal

You may wish to seek professional advice, potential sources can be seen here :

Where to get advice?

See also : Sending Documents to the DWP or ATOS

A lot to take in, I know, but as you say you can read it at your own convenience.

You might want to Favourite/Bookmark this page in your internet browser.

You can then find it again easily, and post any further queries by replying to this post.

bro58

thank you for getting back to me , yes a lot to take in but can read a bit every day. This is all new to me , just went on the ESA around a month ago, took letter to CPN, she took it off me as think she was trying to get in touch with them on my behalf. I remember the word appeal from her but I've done nothing about it, maybe too late now, like i say lots to learn. I can maybe tell them tomorrow that I want to appeal the decision but i'm over the month now im sure so maybe to late, its all so confusing.
I used to be on DLA and IB both low rate im sure, checked online bank today and nothing appears to have changed up to now anyway. My work history was social work so came away with a pension, without that it would be a real struggle, but as i've got that its still full mortgage, council tax etc. My mother used to keep eye on things for me but she passed 3 years ago now so alone, no brothers sisters, hubby or children, live a pretty reclusive life , have to be doped up to get out to see my CPN.
So hope to get some sleep tonight and prepare for the telephone call tomorrow morning, will do some reading of the links you gave me in the morning to try and prepare for it. Will try and take notes if i can and don't have a clue what i shall do next will post again once i've had my phone call, if anyone is online who has experienced the phone calls it would be helpful to me if i knew if its scary thing or not. thanks

Well, I expect that you have had your interview by now, I do hope it was better than you anticipated.

I just want to pick up on something you said in the above post. Although it is more than one month since the decision was made on your ESA claim, it is not too late to submit an appeal if you wish to do so. As has been said, you would have to show 'good cause' for the delay but DWP are allowing a lot of very late ESA appeals at the moment.