WCA Telephone Assessment

Hi Shemarie

The answer is yes you get a WCA once you send in a ESA50 / UC50 form unless DWP do a paper review.

Our ESA/UC Claim guide has a section (page 134) on the questions you are likely to be asked during the call. Look at pages from 116 in connection with a telephone assessment. Read the whole guide before you have your assessment. www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/help-for-claimants/esa1

If you have any further questions please come back to the forum.

Gary

Hello Shemarie,

You are quite right, the list of questions on p134 was written before covid and the suspension of face to face assessments. So the questions about travelling to the assessment will not be asked in that form, although you might find they ask you about a different journey such as going shopping. The remaining questions are likely to be similar. We must however add the caveat that the questions given on that page are what people are often asked. You might have some additional questions based on your condition(s) and / or the answers you give.

I have sometimes known the assessors go through the questions on the ESA50 form, so it might be worth reading that through to remind yourself exactly how you have explained the problems you have.

You should be given a chance to explain how things have changed, but if you are not, then make it. As the assessor winds the assessment up, if you have not had the opportunity to tell him/her what you think is important just say something like ‘before we finish, I would like say that ….’.

I have not heard of anyone being penalised because treatment had to be suspended because of the pandemic, but again, if they mention your current treatment grab the opportunity to explain what treatment you were having before the pandemic started and, if appropriate, state that you are expecting it to start again as soon as possible.

Feeling blocked, panic stricken and generally in a right state is something many people experience. Please don’t apologise for it, or think any the worse of yourself for not coping as you might like.
Catherine

Hi Shemarie

Contact the DWP, unlike PIP you will have to wait until a decision has been made before you can ask for a copy of the assessors report (ESA 85) if it was a ESA assessment or (UC 85) if it was a UC assessment and at the same time a copy of the recording.

You can try and get a copy before a decision is made but you will more than likely get knocked back, we have been informed on this forum of a few members getting a copy of the WCA assessment before a decision has been made.

Gary