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ESA Work Related/Support Group & Meet A Work Coach

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7 years 5 months ago #169924 by Jul
Hi Everyone, back again, this time it's the approximately six monthly ESA 'review'.
Got a letter today entitled HELPING YOU PREPARE FOR WORK IN THE FUTURE
You must come and meet your work coach.

Is this a new letter format and what should I be aware of? I've never had a letter like this or heard mention of a work coach.

It's frustrating as I can't find my ESA claim letter but know that I am in the Work Related Group and this is confusing me as I believe I should be in the Support Group. I don't know what to do. I'm to have a phone call from an adviser on Friday morning and it always freaks me out though I know lots have it worse and have to go to the Job Centre.

As I have recently been transitioned from indefinite DLA (middle care/lower mobility) to a four year award for PIP (enhanced daily living/standard mobility) all of it on mental health grounds, why do Job Centre Plus/DWP think I'm going to get any better? I've been 'broken' and unable to work since 1997 when I was retired from my job at the request of my then GP. So why am I in the Work Related Group? I honestly thought I was in the Support Group but have no recollection of the assessment except someone from welfare benefits filled in the form for me.

So I read the guides on the Forum here and firmly believe I qualify for the Support Group on the grounds that:

(12) I can't cope with change, any change, due to mental disorder to the extent that day to day life cannot be managed (so I hide indoors with the agoraphobia) and

(13) Engagement in social contact is always precluded due to difficulty relating to others or significant distress experienced by the individual.

So the question is, when the adviser rings me on Friday, should I query my placement in the Work Related Group, suggest I feel I qualify for the Support Group, or would that trigger an entire reassessment for ESA? (I don't know how long I was awarded it for). I mean, the very fact I can't make it to the Job Centre should indicate my mental state.

Please, please, please, any advice on this would be most welcome as I'm already climbing the walls having just sort of 'got over' the PIP nightmare.

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7 years 5 months ago #169932 by Gordon
Jul

There is no point you discussing the SG with your JC+ coach, they will likely have no interest and importantly they have no authority to do anything about it.

If you think you should be in the SG then you have two options;

First you can appeal the last Decision on your claim providing it was made less than 13 months ago. However, I note that you cannot remember when that Decision was made and that your claim form was completed by an advisor, so it may be very difficult for you to show that you met that SG criteria at the time that the Decision was made.

Alternatively, you can ask for your claim to be reassessed because your conditions have deteriorated. You will need to have medical evidence that show the deterioration or the DWP may refuse to look at your claim again and you need to be aware that this will be a full reassessment of your claim, new ESA50 which you will need to complete in detail and I would expect you to have a face to face assessment.

If you want to appeal, then the first stage s for you to request a Mandatory Reconsideration, have a look at the ESA MR & Appeal guide for more information.

If you want to be reassessed then write to the DWP office that deals with your claim and report a deterioration in your conditions such that you believe you now meet the Support Group criteria.

Gordon

Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
The following user(s) said Thank You: Jul

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7 years 5 months ago #169937 by Jul
Thanks for your advice, Gordon. My claim started more than 13 months ago and I don't think I could face another form. I know I didn't get called for a face to face and that ESA was based on the form the welfare benefits lady filled in. I just don't understand why they think an agoraphobic who can't make it to the Job Centre has use for a job coach. More wall crawling..... :unsure:

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7 years 5 months ago #170303 by unBat412Fd
Hello Jul, hope The call on Fri morning wasn't too bad. Please let us know. You seem to keep getting hit with one thing after another, I hope you are managing to cope ok. With a bit of luck there's no more new nasties lurking round the corner for you and this is the last of it. All the best PP :)

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