ESA1 Form

Should any medical documentation from doctors / consultants etc be sent in with the ESA1 form at the first stage of starting a claim?

The notes seem to encourage you to do this phase over the phone - is there dissadvantage of using the pdf form that can be downloaded from the website?

Thank you.

As you are claiming ESA, in this situation the burden of proof is for the claimant to show that they may be entitled to the allowance, so it is a good idea to send in any copies of documentation from doctors/consultants with the claim form, although you should be subject to a medical assessment within thirteen weeks from the commencement of the claim, at which point in time the documentation should also be sent with the ESA50 if appropriate, as it will be more relevant and indeed possibly crucial to the WCA?

You can still make papers claims for ESA which is precisely the reason why there is a download for the ESA1 form. The DWP may advise you to the contrary that all claims have to be made by telephone, but this is incorrect and you are entitled to insist that a decision is made on a claim which is submitted on the official claim form..

Thank you for this information.

Is it correct that the ESA1 form gets sent to your local JC Plus as opposed to a central office? If that is the case is it possible to make an appointment to see a DEA or equivalent and hand in the forms and associated documentation personally?

The address you send your form to isn't the address it ends up at - it gets passed onto a central sorting office and then shipped in batches to the relevant office.

You may try to hand in your form at your local jobcentre, but there is no guarantee that the DEA will accept it from you and it will not be any greater guarantee that the relevant decision maker will get it than sending it by registered post and at least if you send it by registered post, you have a receipt and a signature to prove you sent it.

I submitted my ESA1 form and associated medical documentation.

Received a letter today stating that I cannot be paid ESA as I have not paid enough National Insurance contributions for tax years ending 5 April 2009 and 5 April 2010.

During these two tax years (and prior)I was on Incapacity Benefit and for a short period of time doing Supported Permitted Work.

Are the appropriate class of NI contributions not paid for you while on IB?

Thank you.

You would have received class 1 NI credits whilst in receipt of IB.