ESA support group what does this mean?

Hello all, I have received a dreaded brown envelope, envelope of doom I call it. I filled out a claim form for ESA and returned it back in March.

Today I opened the brown envelope and it is from the job centre and my benefit is changing to employment and support allowance.

It says it will be paid from 18th of this month and I have been placed in the support group.

I don't really understand it, does this mean I will not be having the dreaded Atos assesment?

How long do I stay in this group before I have to fill in another reassessment form?

What happens now, do they contact me again or leave me alone?

I have no wish to raise my head above the parapet by ringing them up. I prefer to keep a low profile and hope they go away.

Hi ff,

Congratulations, this means that you have been awarded ESA without a face-to-face assessment. ATOS obviously believed that you had provided enough information for them to do this.

The Support Group does not carry any obligation to attend Work Focussed Interviews with a JobCentre advisor, although you could do so if you wished. Nor is time in the Support Group limited in the way that time in the WRAG is.

ESA is an indefinite award that can be reassessed at any stage after 3 months up to 3 years from the decision. It is unlikely that you would be reassessed this quickly as you got straight into the Support Group without being seen, I would hope that it would be more like 2 - 3 years. However, the only way to be sure is to contact DWP, either by phone (and ask for the 'prognosis' from the computer screen) or by letter (and ask for a copy of the ESA85a that ATOS will have completed). Failing that, you can only wait and see.

I cannot thank this Benefit and Work website enough. I have mental health problems and was not optimistic at all of passing the assessment as I am not in regular touch with any doctors since my psychiatrist decided 3 years ago he didn't want to see me again, nothing else he could do for me.

I filled in the forms with the member guides as an aid and help. I would never have been able to fill them out accurately without all this help and without all the advice given.

I actually feel physically and emotionally exhausted right now, it has been such a weight on my shoulders for the last few months. It sounds silly but for the last couple of months I have been stockpiling food and reducing my expenditure, getting used to living on limited income in anticipation for losing my benefit.

The day I sent off my form, I had a crisis, I have self harm issues as well. I was so upset I actually sent the form off stained with blood, that is how bad these forms affect people and what the government doesn't see.

Anyway, I just want to say thank you to everybody who is responsible for all the help given on this site, I and many many other people would never have got through without your help and guidance.

Thank you for sharing your good news with us - and for your kind words about this site