Medical Certificate needed but in ESA support grou

Hi, I’ve been on ESA since Feb 2013. I was reassessed in April 2017, stayed in support Group. In all that time, I’ve never been asked to send a medical certificate. I got a copy of my ESA85A in April 2017 and it recommended 2 years before I could work. So I was expecting an ESA50 any time now. Then on Friday, I got a letter asking for a medical certificate as the last one I sent runs out on 9 April (but I’ve never sent one before, just had ESA50 form and paper assessment).

I rang the DWP and they said their was a random end date put on my computer record when I was moved from IB to ESA in 2013 and it was 9 April 2019. Which seems coincidental as the decision for this claim for 2 years was made on 11 April 2017 and so would end on 10 April 2019, the day they want my sick note from now.

They also said that the Review date for my current ESA claim is 8 April 2021 and so the letter requesting a medical certificate was a mistake and not to send one. And that my money would continue.

I’ve got a medical certificate from my gp anyway but it’s only dated until 30 September 2019.

My questions are:

Do I have to send a medical certificate even though I’m in the support group (although due for reassessment according to the ESA85A but with a review date of April 2021?).

Is this a new thing the DWP are doing to save themselves from having to reassess via an ESA50?

Will they continue to ask me for medical certificates now until the review date of April 2021?

Hi Gordon,

Just reading this has got me wondering. I phoned the ESA helpline early last year and they told me my next assessment had been moved forward to December this year after it had been looked at and moved because off my condition.

Fair enough, now my query is: is it possible that this could be moved forward once more?

Or are reassements only deferred once?

Given the fact that I will be almost 64 if they send for me in December and my GP has more than once told me to stop worrying as there is no way I should even contemplate working again.

Any advice would be really appreciated.

Thanks,

Phrank.

Thanks Gordon,

I think I'll phone the helpline near the time but relax a bit. That's my trouble on top of everything else I'm a born worrier.

Phrank.

Thank you so very much for your recent posts Phrank.

My ESA50 is almost two months late, I too am in the SG, so it could be that I too have been deferred!

Any more information out there re; deferments?

Kindest of regards
P.