ESA Renewal

Heĺlo All I am just in the process of filling in my ESA renwal form and would be grateful for your help. Under Physical Capacity, question1 moving around, can i leave all the tick boxes unticked and just explain how i walk, speed, support needed etc. I just want to be sure if i do that would i be penalised for not ticking any boxes .
Many thanks

Hi Mistake,

We do recommend leaving the tick-boxes blank if you feel that none of them accurately reflect your limitations. Write a brief explanation of why you have left them blank and then go on to explain your limitations.

The first Question and Tick box of the ESA50 and the wording of the answer for it could possibly entrap a claimant into stating that they can walk/move 50 meters.

"How far can you move safely and reportedly on level ground"

The first tick box answer is

50 meters when it should say Less than 50m

Any one ticking this box are saying they can move 50 meters which I have no doubt would mean the HCP and DM concluding that you were not entitled to the 15 points( probably even if you are quadriplegic.(eg a thalidomide victim was highlighted this week in the press, having failed a F2F, the HCP was not aware of the scandal, I know the scandal happened 40years ago but I would have thought an HCP would be aware of it).

This must affect many claimants who do not have the advantage of a B & W subscription or other adviser and probably think that at least one box must be ticked.