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6 years 11 months ago - 6 years 11 months ago #185438 by slugsta
Replied by slugsta on topic ESA claim
Hi Cruella,

You need to do your best to get the award you deserve without going to appeal and you believe you have a better chance of this with a targeted letter from your GP.

It seems to me that you have more to gain than to lose by furnishing your GP with a copy of the descriptors!

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Last edit: 6 years 11 months ago by slugsta.

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6 years 11 months ago #185481 by Perdita
Replied by Perdita on topic ESA claim
I will indeed furnish my GP with a copy of some of the descriptors. But I am a little nervous of her reaction, maybe I could explain how targeted the evidence needs to be to prevent me from needing to appeal, I could not cope with an appeal. Regarding the PIP my GP put I cannot walk any length of distance without pain, when I spoke over the phone to a DM , they said the GPS 'cannot walk any length of distance without pain' statement was insufficient 'woolly' evidence and that distances needed to be given by the GP or words like walking severely restricted needed to be used by the GP. ( I put variable on the PIP form and wrote several pages explaining in great depth regarding variability of pain on walking and lengths of walking involved) This is why I am worried about the ESA GP evidence not being targeted enough because it is one thing not getting PIP mobility but a completely different much worse thing failing ESA. For ESA and incontinence, do you think that the diagnosis 'incontinence' from the GP would be enough, or would the GPs evidence have to state number of toilet accidents per week even if the claimant had explained those nitty gritty details on the ESA form50 ?

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6 years 11 months ago #185487 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic ESA claim
Cruella

Two things for the ESA.

ESA Mobility is not a walking test, it is a Mobility test! In addition to your walking it considers your ability to self-propel a manual wheelchair over the same distances, you do not need to be using a wheelchair or even to own one for it to be considered. SO even if you can show your walking is restricted, unless you can also show that you cannot self-propel the wheelchair you will still not score points.

The Incontinence Descriptors have multiple elements all of which must be met in order to score points, it also assumes the use of aids such as incontinence pads.

In both cases your GP would need to understand the criteria in order to be able to comment.

Gordon

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6 years 11 months ago #185525 by Perdita
Replied by Perdita on topic ESA claim
Thank you. Wouldn't it be nice if GPs were automatically trained on the criteria for ESA and PIP? I am starting my ESA claim by telephone next week without fail. ( before the 3rd April).

1) Will I have to tell the telephone advisor all my health issues, can I just tell her or him the main one?
2) How soon after that phone call will I get the ESA50, is it a week or so?
3)I understand you then have 4 weeks to complete the ESA50 with a possible extension of 2 weeks like with the PIP?
4) I feel that I will not know what further evidence I will need (other than my PIP evidence) until I have filled in and really got my head around the ESA50 form. Bearing this in mind alongside my GP taking several weeks to produce a letter of evidence I am wondering if there will be time to send extra evidence in after I have submitted the ESA50. I mean will there be time to send evidence in between submission of ESA50 and face2face/home visit/paperbased assessment ?

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6 years 11 months ago - 6 years 11 months ago #185535 by slugsta
Replied by slugsta on topic ESA claim
Hi Cruella,

1) You won't have to give a lot of information to initiate your claim. Just naming your main problem will be fine.

2) Yes, you should expect the ESA50 to arrive after a couple of weeks - although there are occasionally delays.

3) Yes, you will have 4 weeks from the date on the form in which to submit your completed form (this includes postage both ways). There are no extensions given for ESA50s, the legislation does not allow it.

4) You will probably have plenty of time to get additional evidence in but I cannot give you a guarantee.

5) If you want to, you can start on the PDF version of the form now, then you will have more time to get things done.

Using The PDF Version Of The ESA50 Questionnaire

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Last edit: 6 years 11 months ago by slugsta.

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6 years 11 months ago #185537 by Gordon
Replied by Gordon on topic ESA claim
Cruella

1. You only need to give them a summary of your conditions, the ESA1 that you are completing either in writing or over the phone is not used as part of the assessment process.

2. I would expect you to receive an ESA50 by week 5 of the claim.

3. Claimants have 4 weeks to complete the ESA50, this includes postage time from and to the DWP. There is no extension available for completing the ESA50.

4. I disagree with you on this, if you start reading the claim guides now you will be ahead of the game by the time the ESA50 arrives. You can continue to submit evidence up to and including the day of any face to face assessment.

Gordon

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