work programme while awaiting ESA appeal!?

I am awaiting my ESA appeal and receiving ESA at the assessment rate at the moment.
I never had any appointment with any advisor from jobcentre since I claimed ESA,but today I have received a letter from a provider regarding starting work programme,it says in the letter if I don't attend the appointment my benefits could be affected.

how can I be referred to work programme when my ESA claim is not even finalized? I am at the appeal stage and not allocated to activity group and never had any appointment with my advisor at job centre?

(one thing to mention is that prior to becoming sick and claiming ESA,I was on JSA and was referred to this provider by the jobcentre,but I never started work programme)

Alex wrote:

I am awaiting my ESA appeal and receiving ESA at the assessment rate at the moment.
I never had any appointment with any advisor from jobcentre since I claimed ESA,but today I have received a letter from a provider regarding starting work programme,it says in the letter if I don't attend the appointment my benefits could be affected.

how can I be referred to work programme when my ESA claim is not even finalized? I am at the appeal stage and not allocated to activity group and never had any appointment with my advisor at job centre?

(one thing to mention is that prior to becoming sick and claiming ESA,I was on JSA and was referred to this provider by the jobcentre,but I never started work programme)

Hi A,

Please see information on this FAQ page :

Do I have to attend WFIs while I appeal?

You are correct, you cannot be forced to comply with the conditions with regards to being in the WRAG of ESA, and mandatory attendance of WFI's & WRA, if you are not in receipt of the WRA Component of ESA.

bro58

bro58 wrote:

Alex wrote:

I am awaiting my ESA appeal and receiving ESA at the assessment rate at the moment.
I never had any appointment with any advisor from jobcentre since I claimed ESA,but today I have received a letter from a provider regarding starting work programme,it says in the letter if I don't attend the appointment my benefits could be affected.

how can I be referred to work programme when my ESA claim is not even finalized? I am at the appeal stage and not allocated to activity group and never had any appointment with my advisor at job centre?

(one thing to mention is that prior to becoming sick and claiming ESA,I was on JSA and was referred to this provider by the jobcentre,but I never started work programme)

Hi A,

Please see information on this FAQ page :

Do I have to attend WFIs while I appeal?

You are correct, you cannot be forced to comply with the conditions with regards to being in the WRAG of ESA, and mandatory attendance of WFI's & WRA, if you are not in receipt of the WRA Component of ESA.

bro58

Hi A,

If you have a look at the information on the page from the link below, regarding WFI's, you will see a link at the bottom of the page, which will take you to the relevant ESA Regs, you may wish to print off the appropriate extract from the Regs as back up :

Work Focussed Interviews, (WFI’s)

See also, : Work Programme

bro58

If you were to refuse to participate in the Work Programme,and were sanctioned because of this, would you still receive benefits at the basic assessment rate, without the WRAG component?

summertrain wrote:

If you were to refuse to participate in the Work Programme,and were sanctioned because of this, would you still receive benefits at the basic assessment rate, without the WRAG component?

Hi ST,

See 53050 in this document :

webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20100...gov.uk/docs/ch53.pdf

bro58

I think the point is that the OP is still in the assessment phase, hence not getting the WRAG component anyway.