ESA

Hello,

I applied for Income-related ESA last year while in hospital (and for 3 months of backdated ESA). I wasn't sent an ESA form for the medical assessment, although at one point I was sent a letter saying I had been sent one and had to ask a family member to phone up and explain that I hadn't received one.
I have been on ESA assessment rate since then (over a year) and haven't been sent a form. I thought I would just leave things be and not try to get a form because I'm so anxious about attending an ESA medical and not sure how I'd cope with it BUT I'm even more scared of Maximus and wondered if I should send in one of the form that you can obtain online? What will happen if I don't?

Thanks!

Hi Gordon/Mods,

I was just wondering- what is likely to happen if I don't contact Atos? I don't really mind being on the Assessment rate and can't face the ESA assessment due to my mental health issues.

Oh dear, that would be awful- I'm not sure I can cope with going to an assessment centre anyway but doing it without them having the form would be worse.

One issue I have is that after three years of weekly appointments, the CMHT want to discharge me so I'm worried about getting more evidence for my conditions. I find it very difficult to go to the GP so haven't had much to do with the Medical practice since my referral to secondary services. I have hospital letters as I spent months in hospital (tertiary care/specialist services) last year but am not sure the letters will count as evidence for my ESA form as I was discharged 11 months ago).

Hmm.. really not sure what to do.

Oh also do many people get granted ESA without an ATOS assessment by submitting the form? My mental health conditions are completely crippling but not considered Serious Mental Illnesses (i.e. not schizophrenia, bipolar or schizoaffective disorder).