- Posts: 464
ESA50: Meeting a descriptor
- MariW
- Topic Author
- Offline
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Gordon
- Offline
- Posts: 51287
Each of the the WRAG descriptors is divided into sub-descriptors, each with a differening level of capacity and an associated score.Does a claimant meet a descriptor only if he/she ticks a 15-point box and this self-assessment is accepted? Or are there other ways of meeting a particular descriptor? I know two young people with inflammatory bowel disease. I don’t think they could tick a 15-point box on any section of the ESA50 but they are seriously unwell and need to be in the SG until their conditions stabilise.
You qualify for the WRAG by scoring a total of 15 points or more, only the highest scoring sub-descriptor from each descriptor is taken into account.
So you can qualify by scoring 15 points from one descriptor, 9 points from one and 6 from another, 6 points from 3 different descriptors, etc.
I hope this explains it better.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- MariW
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Posts: 464
As I understand it, a claimant is placed in the Support Group rather than WRAG by meeting descriptors not according to the number of pointed scored. To meet any one descriptor does a claimant have to tick the highest scoring 15-point box? Are there other means of meeting a descriptor?
The people I know will certainly total 15 points but they might not tick the highest scoring response to the questions relevant to their conditions.
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- slugsta
- Offline
- Posts: 9439
Qualifying for the Support Group
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- MariW
- Topic Author
- Offline
- Posts: 464

I’d hoped that a claimant might qualify for Support Group having totalled 15 or more points across the ESA50 form but without having to score 15 points on one descriptor. The information here suggests that two seriously ill people will be allocated to WRAG. This would be pointless. If/when their conditions stabilise they’ll both go back into education!
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.
- Gordon
- Offline
- Posts: 51287
I once totalled it up and if I remember correctly, a claimant could legally score over 200 points and still not be placed in the Support Group.Thanks Mrs HB!
I’d hoped that a claimant might qualify for Support Group having totalled 15 or more points across the ESA50 form but without having to score 15 points on one descriptor. The information here suggests that two seriously ill people will be allocated to WRAG. This would be pointless. If/when their conditions stabilise they’ll both go back into education!
The example you quote, simply qualifies a claimant for the WRAG.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Please Log in or Create an account to join the conversation.