SDA-ESA: My journey has begun

I’m currently completing my ESA 50 and plan to send a duplicate of the form and attachments to the DWP Decision Maker. Everything will go Royal Mail tracked next-day delivery.

It was only when I received notice that the transfer process had begun that I realised that the address of my benefit office has changed from a JC+ in Chester to a Mail Handling Centre in Wolverhampton. The changes had taken place back in February when I received the standard letter about annual increases.

Does anybody work at a Mail Handling Centre other than mail handlers? Will the DM receive my claim form?

Mari W

MariW wrote: I’m currently completing my ESA 50 and plan to send a duplicate of the form and attachments to the DWP Decision Maker. Everything will go Royal Mail tracked next-day delivery.

It was only when I received notice that the transfer process had begun that I realised that the address of my benefit office has changed from a JC+ in Chester to a Mail Handling Centre in Wolverhampton. The changes had taken place back in February when I received the standard letter about annual increases.

Does anybody work at a Mail Handling Centre other than mail handlers? Will the DM receive my claim form?

Mari W

Hi MW,

Jupiter Drive Chester is/was a large Mail Distribution Centre.

I am not sure whether this site is still active, as it seems that nearly all DWP mail is now processed through one of the Wolverhampton Sites.

I would advise that you post the DM copy to the Benefits Office address on your most recent letter. If that is a Wolverhampton address, then use that.

Make it FAO The ESA Decision Maker, SDA to ESA Transfer Team, write your name and postcode on the rear top right.

Wolverhampton is purely a mail distribution centre. All DWP mail is opened there by Royal Mail and other private contractors. It is then distributed to the relevant Benefits Office/Centre.

bro58

Hi Bro,

Right. To Wolverhampton it will go. My covering letter is ready for printing as addressed according to your advice.

Thanks,

Mari

Erm, I didn't send a copy of our sda-esa esa50 to the dwp decision maker, just to the atos address. I didn't know that sending a copy to the DM was considered a Good Idea. Have I missed a trick not doing that?

Also, go to the Royal Mail website and put the postcode WV981 plus all possible letter permutations into their postcode checker for a bit of harmless amusement!

Well, thank you for that Gordon.

I DID have some extra pages but they were stapled to the back of the PDF ESA50 printout, itself stapled together, and it all got to ATOS with days to spare - I have an online receipt signature to prove it!

Any idea of the current lag time these days before something happens?
cheers, wc.