Not fit for work in WRAG group and job centre!

Newbie here and would really appreciate some advice please. Was on IB and forced into this new catagory. Had ATOS medical and passed. Resulting in being put into the WRAG group. I missed out on the 1 month opportunity to appeal as my forms had gone adrift and couldn't get replies from Job centre plus.

I asked to see the doctors statement and one sentence states 'unfit for work', unlikely to change for at least 2 years.

So it beggars belief that I had to attend a job centre for an interview. Told by JC that I can appeal. Can I, is it too late? No way could I work.

The medical I had was in Aug 2011 having been on incapacity benefit for 12 yrs having being medically retired from my job. 8 operations in 7 years, 2 serious. 50/50 whether I would walk again.

Circumstance has changed since my medical. I am now on waiting lists for 2 more operations, one spinal and a complicated hand surgery. Most certainly unfit for work.

Appreciate some pointers.
Thankyou.

sickasachip wrote:

Newbie here and would really appreciate some advice please. Was on IB and forced into this new catagory. Had ATOS medical and passed. Resulting in being put into the WRAG group. I missed out on the 1 month opportunity to appeal as my forms had gone adrift and couldn't get replies from Job centre plus.

I asked to see the doctors statement and one sentence states 'unfit for work', unlikely to change for at least 2 years.

So it beggars belief that I had to attend a job centre for an interview. Told by JC that I can appeal. Can I, is it too late? No way could I work.

The medical I had was in Aug 2011 having been on incapacity benefit for 12 yrs having being medically retired from my job. 8 operations in 7 years, 2 serious. 50/50 whether I would walk again.

Circumstance has changed since my medical. I am now on waiting lists for 2 more operations, one spinal and a complicated hand surgery. Most certainly unfit for work.

Appreciate some pointers.
Thankyou.

Hi S,

A late appeal can be lodged upto 13 months after a decision see page 10 of the GL24 appeals form here :

www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/gl24dwp.pdf

You may need face to face advice on this, as you may well have mittigating circumstances, see :

Where to get advice?

On the other hand, if your medical conditions and resulting limitations have deteriorated, or been added to, and you have relevant evidence of this, you could ask for a review of your ESA Award, however there is some risk involved here, in that your ESA WRAG award would be reassessed.

Please see :

Welcome to Benefits and Work

You can also access our FAQ's from here :
FAQ’s

Where you will see useful information on ESA and Appeals.

You can also access all our ESA Guides, including our recently updated ESA Appeals Guide Jan 2012, from here :

ESA Guides

You may wish to read this FAQ page also :

Qualifying for the Support Group

Please come back to the forum, if after reading the above, you still have any questions.

bro58

Many thanks.

Don't forget that, while you ARE obliged to co-operate with the work focussed interviews in the WRG, you are NOT olbiged to work.