ESA - "No further assessments required" award

Hi all
Just to say that the DWP have awarded my severely disabled daughter after a paper based reassessment, Support Group with "no further assessments required". Her condition is life-long and is incurable.

I realise that hardly any claimants will have been awarded similar as it's come about after a recent policy change with the DWP - common sense prevailing - no more unnecessary reassessments for some. So, hopefully this post will be of interest to others out there in a similar position. Good luck all.

Buster

buster wrote: Hi all
Just to say that the DWP have awarded my severely disabled daughter after a paper based reassessment, Support Group with "no further assessments required". Her condition is life-long and is incurable.

I realise that hardly any claimants will have been awarded similar as it's come about after a recent policy change with the DWP - common sense prevailing - no more unnecessary reassessments for some. So, hopefully this post will be of interest to others out there in a similar position. Good luck all.

Buster

Buster it's good to hear this news as I was beginning to wonder if it was just another Government smokescreen and lying tacktic surrounding these exempt assessments.

I hope more members will also let us know if they recieve this type of results.

Thanks for letting us all know it gives a little hope and relief for your Daughter. X

Hi Gordon and all

Just to update - the ESA award letter has arrived (although they don't call it an award letter or even mention the word award). As you might expect, it is quite brief, and with the usual DWP ambiguity.

Anyway, the interesting bit: under a heading - "Future Work Capability Assessments." It says, "We won't ask you to go for another assessment unless there is a change in your health condition."

This is different from the phrase used over the phone, which was, "no further assessments required."

The letter indicates that my daughter won't have to undergo any more Work Capability Assessments. However, this doesn't necessarily mean she won't have to undergo any more ESA50 assessments? That is one possible interpretation - from my understanding.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Finally, whether or not she is to be exempt from all future Work Capability Assessments or future ESA50 assessments, how will this all fit in under Universal Credit when she is transfered over under natural migration probably in just 2 or 3 years time? Will her no further assessments status be effectively "torn up" as it won't apply to a different kind of benefit? Do you have any thoughts on this scenario also? Kind regards.

Buster

Buster my understanding of this is only if a change in circumstances and she sould be left alone if no change? I don't trust this lot one bit.

I reckon Gordon will be best placed to answer this one. I myself got PIP for ongoing period and a review set for over 10 years unless change which there won't i will only deteroate further so I won't be changing cc as I'm on Enhanced for both.

GOMHWTG

Thank you for your kind words. I suppose it's early days regarding this new change of DWP policy and we'll just have to wait and see how things pan out. For now I'll take the advice given on here - cheers to your good-self and to Gordon. And to be honest I need to forget all about ESA now - for the foreseeable future at least It's a very tiring process and I'm just the appointee. God knows how vulnerable people who are ill and disabled themselves actually cope with all of this repetitive upheaval when they are already suffering both physically and mentally? It makes my heart bleed!

Good luck GOMHWTG and to everyone else in your own dealings and struggles with the DWP - all the best!

Finally, like I said, I'll wait and see how things pan out, or at least until their is another cull of the disability budget by any future government (probably not the next one expected in office but the one after that). yes, I wont be surprised at all if a future Conservative Government simply revert back to assessments for all - once again! Call me cynical