ESA GP wants to speak to DWP

Cath

Like Mrs H I have not heard of this before although I agree that it does not mean that it cannot happen, my main concern would be what the GP intends to say!

An immediate point of order, the Decision Maker is not going to speak to anybody until an assessment has been done and it is this process that the GP's input is really needed for.

It's also important to note that ESA is not awarded because the claimant is Unfit for Work, but rather because the claimant meets specific criteria, if the GP is prepared to show how this is the case, then it could be an advantage for them to speak to the Decision Maker (or the assessor), but if they are only going to address issues of opinion or matters not specifically related to the ESA criteria, then it may not help and may actually harm your claim.

Gordon

Cath

Taking the following at face value

the GP's point was that the things he wrote on the fit note and that they are lifelong profound disabilities would easily demonstrate he could not work and would need to be in the support group

This would not even result in an award let alone a Support Group one, it is not the conditions that enable an award but limitations that result and even then only in relation to the ESA activities.

If your GP is prepared to understand how ESA actually operates, then there speaking to the DM could be a positive thing, assuming that the DM is prepared to listen in the first place.

Gordon

Cath wrote: I understand it is the limitations, but I think what was on the fit note on top of the original diagnosis was being non verbal, incontinent with profound and multiple learning disabilities as a consequence of his conditions definitely puts him within the support group criteria. I don't suppose the GP knows about ESA criteria as it isn't really their job to, but if we could explain this to him we still have the problem of where does he ring and to whom does he need to speak.

As I said earlier, the DM may have no interest in speaking to the GP, there is no requirement for them to do so, but even if they are willing to take a call, it will not be until after an assessment has been done by Maximus which could be weeks or months.

Gordon