ESA

Hi, I am currently receiving ESA cont in Support Group since End of April 2012. Today, I received a letter from ATOS, saying if you currently receive IB ect, your current award of benefit will be converted to Empoynent & Support Allowance (ESA) only if certain conditions are satisfied. How can I be converted when I am already converted from IB to ESA of April of this yera? What do I need to do? Many thanks for any advice.

Thanks Gordon, would I contact the Job Centre Plus that is dealing with my cliam? Not Atos who the return envelope is addressed to?

Hi Gordon, I have been told that the letter and form I have received is a ESA50 form for reassessment! Nice Xmas present. I am in my second year of memebership with B & W. You have been a great help. I am still unsure of a couple of things. Can I stress what descriptors and why I feel they should put me in the support group on the ESA50 form?. Nothing has changed, So can I leave some of the original information on the new ESA50 as it stilll applies? I will get new upto date supportung evidence. The ESA50 obviously goes back to ATOS. Do I send a copy of everything at this stage to The DM? Thanking you once again, I thoought id survive till 2013.

mrbluesky wrote: Hi Gordon, I have been told that the letter and form I have received is a ESA50 form for reassessment! Nice Xmas present. I am in my second year of memebership with B & W. You have been a great help. I am still unsure of a couple of things. Can I stress what descriptors and why I feel they should put me in the support group on the ESA50 form?. Nothing has changed, So can I leave some of the original information on the new ESA50 as it stilll applies? I will get new upto date supportung evidence. The ESA50 obviously goes back to ATOS. Do I send a copy of everything at this stage to The DM? Thanking you once again, I thoought id survive till 2013.

Hi MBS,

Yes it is O.K. to use evidence that you may have used before, but it is important to bring the ESA50 up to date, as they will be assessing you, regarding your limitations as they are now.

The best way to approach it, which can be rather tiresome, is to treat it as if you were being assessed for the very first time.

It is perfectly acceptable to give an account of your limitations and to tie them in with the actual SG descriptors that you consider to apply to you.

You may wish to consider : Using The PDF Version Of The ESA50 Questionnaire , if you are not already doing so. Whilst referring to the corresponding sections of our : ESA Claims Guides , 3rd and 4th links down.

See also :

How long do I have to complete the ESA50?

ESA50 too big for the envelope

Sending Documents to the DWP or ATOS

With respect to sending a shadow copy to the DWP DM, that is dealing with your reassessment, as you may know, this is not obligatory, but can be used as a back up to ensure that The ESA DM has access to exactly the same evidence as the ATOS HCP.

You can simply address this shadow copy : FAO The ESA Decision Maker, at the address of The DWP Benefits Office that is dealing with you.

Don't forget to allow for Xmas and New Years Hols when returning the ESA50.

Good Luck.

bro58