Support Group - Are sick notes needed /Review

Good morning everyone

Does anyone know if sick notes still need to be provided when you are in the Support group?

Also, can I find out when they will review me again - as I just got a sheet telling me that my rate was changing and on a back sheet it said I was in the support group - no explanation etc. Also my GP told me they had written to them telling them I as in the Support group.
The DWP in the only note I got included how to appeal JSA, which is interesting as I have never claimed JSA in my life, only ESA while ill.

I thought about writing to them, but none of my letters have ever been replied to - not one of them.

Thank you

Tilly

Hi Tilly

You do not need to continue sending sick notes when you are awarded either WRAG or support group components.

The letter telling you that your rate was changing is probably the annual letter that all claimants get informing in the new payment rates.

It's impossible to know for certain when you will reassessed but your ESA85 medical report may give some indication under the prognosis section, of when it may be.

Hope this helps

Derek

Can I get a copy of the ESA85 - is this their report? I have not asked for any further information, should I have asked for this without a certain period of time of the medical, as it may be 2.5 months ago now - I just got this letter telling me before Xmas that I was getting back payments at support rate (over £90 - I dont have the letter to hand, as my husband has to manage our paperwork)(they had paid me assessment rate previously - something over £60) and loooking on last page, my husband noticed it was mentioning me being in Support group (previously I was on assessment rate and had my medical late 2010 - when the assessing doctor did mention he was going to advise them to put me into Support group due to severity of some of my conditions).

You are entitled to your medical report at any time. Simply phone JCP and request it.

Forget what I said earlier about the letter informing you of an annual change. It now sounds like you have been placed in the support group, you get the support group component (currently £31.40) in addition to the basic payment, and it should be backdated to 13 weeks after your initial claim.

That's odd - my decision (WRAG) also had a JSA leaflet in it.

Best!
pikelet

Why isn't the first 13 weeks included in the backdated payment ? If you are found entitled to ESA over that period, then surely your are also entitled to the ESA rate for that period too. I say this because when I went from JSA to ESA my benefit was reduced by £37.25 per week, this reduction included the 13 weeks in question so why don't they pay me back my entitlement?