ESA to UC migration – DWP requesting fit notes

Hello,

Presently, I'm going through ESA to UC managed migration.

Having made my claim, today I found a message in my UC journal wrongly telling me that I haven't had a Work Capability Assessment and thus that I must provide fit notes. A claimant commitment appointment's been scheduled for me that seems to be focused on work.

The B&W managed migration guide says that ESA claimants wrongly being treated as job-seekers is a known issue. Knowing that it's a mistake doesn't make it any less worrying, though. I will be following the advice to urgently submit a complaint.

All the same, if anyone has any good advice to offer on how best to resolve this problem, I really would be very grateful to hear it.

A couple of questions come to mind...

1. Should you send in fit notes as requested or not?

Some time ago, a Citizens Advice Help to Claim advisor told me NOT to send in fit notes if this problem occurs, though they didn't say why.

2. If you accept your claimant commitment, should you be attempting to do things set out in it that you're not well enough to do?

The B&W guide cautions claimants to accept their claimant commitment for the time being so as to avoid their claim being closed.

Hi David,

Yes. Support group / LCWRA.

The claimant commitment appointment is a commitment review. My journal says, "This is to review your situation and agree new commitments."

Thanks, David.

In the past, you advocated complaining to the manager of the local Jobcentre Plus. Would you still?

It's been confirmed that this problem arises when there's a delay in the claimant's WCA outcome being transferred onto the UC system, which means that it's a central issue.

All the same, at local level, the problem may well be that staff are going along with whatever the system tells them, including that they must impose work-related requirements.