Esa Face To Face

mairit wrote: My son who is a drug resistant schizophrenic recently received a capability work assessment
form albeit that he has been on esa for nearly 4 years now. I am worried about the face to face assessment as the form alone brought on anxiety and he has started openly replying to his hallucinations. I am worried that the face to face will make him tilt the full way. I have supplied a letter from his GP and one from his consultant psychiatrist who both have declared that he is not fit for work. Taking in all the above can he avoid the face to face ?

Based on what you have posted I'm afraid I think it unlikely although not impossible.

Your GP and the consultant need to revisit their letters and explain the impact that an assessment is/will have on your son and the potential dangers involved, statements that he is not fit for work with no further explanation (there maybe these and you have not mentioned it), are I'm afraid, next to useless and will do nothing to avoid an assessment.

In particular they should have a look at the requirements for Regulation 35.2(b), this is covered in either of the ESA Claim guides under the section on Exceptional Circumstances, on the following link.

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/esa1

Gordon

mairit wrote: Thanks Gordon, the consultant has stated that he has a treatment resistant illness and remains troubled with chronic and persistent psychotic symptoms despite maintenance treatment. In the context of his illness his ability to manage a range of daily activities is impacted and he requires considerable support. His GP also stated that my son had been in a psychiatric unit from 2002-2008 and is still continues to experience persistent auditory hallucinations. Surely, this would suffice? thanks for your reply Gordon

Neither appears to have explicitly stated the effects on his condition that an assessment might cause, without this you are reliant on a Maximus assessor being able to make the leap from symptoms to the actual effects that might result.

I would still go back to the GP for additional support.

I do want to stress that it is possible that what you intend to send back with the ESA50 will be sufficient, but I cannot offer any certainty of this, so you need to pursue all options available to you at the moment.

One last point, his GP may be of the view that Maximus will contact them if they need more information and indeed they may, but the likelihood is that they will not.

Gordon