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ESA WRAG - Work Focused Interviews

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6 years 3 months ago #202531 by Glasgow Girl
ESA WRAG - Work Focused Interviews was created by Glasgow Girl
I was originally received Incapacity Benefit and was migrated onto ESA-Contributory for 1 year then had to apply to be put onto ESA-Income Related, I was called for a medical assessment in February 2017 and failed the medical, my ESA-Income Related ceased on 3 April 2017. I submitted a Mandatory Reconsideration Request and the decision to stop my ESA-Income Related was unchanged. An appeal was then submitted to Tribunal, during this period I was lucky enough to have savings that I could live on and didn't have to claim job seekers allowance which i think is a contradiction to being unfit for work, albeit I know it doesn't go against you. Once the appeal date was received I submitted a medical certificate (or fit note) from my GP which I hadn't been required to do for years in order to receive the phasement rate of ESA-Income Related which I understood was only a requirement until an appeal was heard. The medical Certificate was due up on 3rd October 2017. I went to the Tribunal on 22 September 2017 and my Appeal was upheld, I won by the skin of my teeth as I don't see consultants as my conditions were diagnosed many years ago and my GP doesn't offer much in the way of support. The Tribunal placed me in the WRAG and deemed that I shouldn't be assessed for another 12 months. I received a letter from DWP on 3rd October 2017 dated 28 September 2017 asking me to submit another medical certificate or my benefit would be stopped or suspended. I managed to get an emergency appmt with a new doctor in practice who supplied me with a six month med cert (as original doctor had left) and forwarded this to the DWP with a covering letter informing them that I wasn't aware that I had to submit further med certs after an upheld appeal and queried if further would be required as of yet I have still to receive a reply. A few days later I received a letter from local Job centre inviting me to attend an interview with a Job coach, I have read that this is purely voluntary and it's just a conversation but the paperwork states about sactioning and that it's an interview. I met with who I thought was the Job coach called Liz but it turns out that she seems to be the person who susses you out and then filters you out to other people/places. She started meeting by saying the purpose of this interview was that I'd been for Tribunal and they had deemed that I be placed in WRAG therefore it's he DWP job to engage with me to get me ready for employment within 12 months before I am reassessed again. She asked me if I was submitting med certs advised her yeas but only to receive phasement rate but had been asked for further med cert after my appeal, she didn't comment, she asked to see my med cert then took a note of my conditions and stated I had some conditions that may stop me from working but commented that she had a similar condition and could work and her son had anxiety and depression and could work is that standard procedure for DWP to state their own opinions also I am due to see actual Job coach on 7th December 2017 who deals solely with ESA and she apparently will go through my conditions with me, does anyone have any advise on how to get through this interview my sister is going with me to give moral support and is a second set of eyes and ears. I've been looking through info on Benefits and Works website and I'm not good at thinking on the hop if asked questions, is it a case they will try and catch me out as I've seen on Latest News Topics about sanctions, I live alone and rent my house, will DWP be out to sanction me for the slightest thing!can you be forced to do as they say for example go on placements? Has anyone else been through this and how did things go? Thank You

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