Confusing Letter Cancelling Assessment
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hi all
I've had a letter today cancelling my f2f for tomorrow. It says I will be contacted for a new appointment AND if I want to know why my assessment is no longer required?
This would be my second year of claiming and I am still very unwell, I know my doctor has filled in a form they sent to her. Would they have decided just on that?
Why do they send out so many pointless letters? I've also had incorrectvtexts previously saying I do not need to do anthing and my benefit will continue (was incorrect as I was being assessed the next week!)
Does anyone know what this means? It's so scary not knowing if they have just decided to stop my ESA.
Thankyou
0 likes, 13 replies
denise15811 Sunnydays79
Posted
Hi,
It can be 1 of two things. Your assessment was canceled because they have decided they have enough of evidence to do a paper based assessment. Or it was canceled for a different reason and you'll be sent another appointment.
The good news is with ESA you can NOT be found fit for work without a face to face assessment. The only way to find out what's going on is to ring the number on the top of the letter. Unfortunately, anyone here could really only guess the reasons.
Sunnydays79 denise15811
Posted
denise15811 Sunnydays79
Posted
You're very welcome.
Twiglet.12 Sunnydays79
Posted
Thanks Twiglet,
denise15811 Twiglet.12
Posted
Sunnydays79 Twiglet.12
Posted
I will update when I know. I hope it is that they have assessed positively on paper- I really could use the breathing space at the moment!
This is the first time I've ever had to claim benefits, I feel sorry for anyone having to do all this long term!!
denise15811 Sunnydays79
Posted
As this is your first ESA claim it's much less likely that you'll have that paper based assessment. It's very rare for ESA if you're on assessment rate. You would have had to have sent it a large amount of evidence to have this.
Fingers crossed for you.
Sunnydays79 denise15811
Posted
Thankyou, when I say first time it will be going into my 2nd year with my 2nd round of being assessed, but the first time in life I've had to stop working . Ofcourse I'd hoped to be much better before I needed to be assessed again, but there you go!
Sunnydays79
Posted
Just updating for those who were intrested. Sadly I have been given another f2f appointment, so I suppose they were waiting for my doctors to send back the forms.
It's quite funny because since that firm will have been filled in I've been diagnosed with another condition that I've been to a fro from hospital with, and been refused a new MH referral as they they are not seeing anyone now unless they are hurting themselves due to lack of resources. Oh great joy!
denise15811 Sunnydays79
Posted
Good luck with the assessment. Did you send evidence to support your claim? If you didn't i'd advice taking it with you to the assessment and hopefully they'll accept it because sometimes they will refuse.
If this new condition wasn't mentioned on the ESA50 form then make sure you mention it during the assessment. If you don't and you have to take it to Tribunal (hopefully that won't happen) they won't be able to use any evidence regarding the new condition for the Tribunal. They will only be able to take into consideration what you were likely during the assessment.
Yes, i heard the lack of funding is terrible across the country.
denise15811
Posted
Are you in the Support Group or WRAG? If it's the Support Group then it would be very useful to know the reasons why you were placed in there. This will help you for this assessment. Remember being placed into the Support Group isn't about scoring points, it's about satisfying at least one of the Support Group descriptors or reg 35 (special circumstances)
Sunnydays79
Posted
Thanks for your reply.
I don't really understand much of it to be honest, I concentrate on surviving day to day as many do I'm sure!
I belive I am in the support group (the one where you don't have to attend ?)
My doctor said they filled in lots of paper work for them. I don't really have any evidence. I don't even know what they are assessing me for anymore, I stopped working due to severe depression. But I have other ailments too. It's a bit chicken and egg and egg I suppose.
Thanks again for your replies.
denise15811 Sunnydays79
Posted
No problem. That's would be the Support Group.
The reason they're assessing you is to see if you're fit for work. ESA is about the work you can do and not what you can't do. They assess everyone regular, unless you have a condition that is not expected to improve and they you won't be re-assessed again. This new rule came out last year but unfortunately it's a tick box procedure and depression most likely wouldn't tick the relevant boxes. I really don't mean that harshly or anything because i know what depression is like. What is most likely to tick those boxes is MS and motor neuron disease, severe autism, things like this.
Good luck with the assessment.