ESA and Income Protection Insurance

Its heartening to know I am not alone in this. I loved my job and went through 12 months of various rehabilitation and return to work programmes but it was my employer that finally asked me to accept the situation and accept the insurance.

I have read all the helpful links (thank you) and intend to start the appeal process. I note that I am expected to attend the WFI's and it will be interesting to see how understanding/pushy they are.

If you'd like to stay in touch, OnlyaDog, let me know how you get on.

It would still be very helpful to hear feedback from anyone who has experience of their insurance companies reaction to them being put in WRAG.

cuckoobird wrote:

Its heartening to know I am not alone in this. I loved my job and went through 12 months of various rehabilitation and return to work programmes but it was my employer that finally asked me to accept the situation and accept the insurance.

I have read all the helpful links (thank you) and intend to start the appeal process. I note that I am expected to attend the WFI's and it will be interesting to see how understanding/pushy they are.

If you'd like to stay in touch, OnlyaDog, let me know how you get on.

It would still be very helpful to hear feedback from anyone who has experience of their insurance companies reaction to them being put in WRAG.

Hi CB,

If you are requested to attend WFI's, you can inform them of your limitations, and ask for the WFI's to be deferred.

I must point out though that they do not have to defer the WFI's.

Also, many members have had their WFI's over the phone.

bro58

Thanks everyone. My insurance is for "own occupation" so in that respect its less threatening than "any occupation".

My experience of annual medicals is the same as your friends (I also had a 5 year review on Incap). Insurance companies abide by their own rules, which sometimes appear to play with the boundaries of what is legal. One piece of advice I would give to anyone is to NEVER be seen by anyone assessing you ON YOUR OWN. In that case it becomes their word against yours. I made this mistake once. But never again!

In past years I have had seen some very aggressive tactics and unfair play by them to cease my rightful claim. I fought back with medical and legal support but it was harrowing. Since then I try to stay one step ahead.

Hence the desire to make contact with someone whose already getting the backlash of ESA/WRAG from their insurance.

Thats very helpful to know about the phone option. many thanks.
Cuckoobird.

Hi,

Why don't you check your policy to see if your DWP payments were to stop, then will these be topped up by your insurers??? as i am sure they were quick to take them off your payments!!!

Furthermore,did your insurers state that they will only pay you if you got IB???

I would also like to bring to your attention that if you are on ESA(CB)and due to change in welfare legislation(Govt cut backs)and 12 month ESA(CB)applied to you and you could not claim ESA(IR) for what ever reason,and were still unfit for work how can your insurers stop your payments due to a change in legislation????

Hope that made sense.

Radhika.

Hi,

Just noticed that your PHI is for own occupation like my friends, so yes you like her do have less to worry about than others who may have policies that state "Any Occupation",

However, you must remember that DWP are assessing you for ANY OCCUPATION and not your Own Occupation. My friend tells me that she is more worried about the new ESA criterias than she is of her own insurers criterias.

However, she is adamant that if due to change in govt policies and the fact that she will not be able to cliam (IR)ESA, she will not allow her insurers to use this to stop her payments.

She has already started to get the ball rolling by getting her financial advisor to thoroughly go through her policy for any "Loop Holes" and is also considering contacting the Insurance Ombudsman for advise.

Radhika.