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ESA appeal rate - unsigned Med-3
I’ve just had a disabled client come in to the centre with a taxi and leave unsigned med certs for me at reception. In your experience, will the benefit centre pay anyway? He’s not had any payments since May so I’m reluctant to delay further whilst waiting for him to come back in again
Are they stamped with the address of the practice?
Yes they’re signed by the GP; he just hasn’t signed the declaration himself. Presume it should be ok? It’s just normally a battle to get our local JCP to scan them without a signature. Thanks in advance
The guidance just says “signed” which is less than helpful.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fit-note-guidance-for-employers-and-line-managers
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fit-note-guidance-for-gps
To be honest, I would expect an issue.
Thanks Mike. I’ll probably do a home visit then rather than risking it then. Cheers
I’ve had related personal experience of this in the past couple of years. GP, who inevitably knows zilch about my eye conditions, listed one of them as the cause of an absence from work; completely failed to comprehend the condition and went on what she thought she heard. Essentially wrote down a made up word. Not a peep from my employer. A year later the same GP got the name right (after I dictated it) but failed to sign the declaration. Employer on my case immediately.
Given the recent thread we had re: overpaid prescriptions or similar I can’t see why DWP wouldn’t object given that employers and the NHS certainly do.
A jobcentre staff member once told me that anyone can sign a MED3 on the claimant’s behalf, but I have no other authority for this.
I’ve just had a disabled client come in to the centre with a taxi and leave unsigned med certs for me at reception. In your experience, will the benefit centre pay anyway? He’s not had any payments since May so I’m reluctant to delay further whilst waiting for him to come back in again
They accept them here in Oldham provided GP has signed or its surgery stamped, i have encountered the very same issue numerous times and had no problems.
The customer statement is not part of the prescribed form so it shouldn’t be a problem. I have had issues with people lacking capacity but they’re usually resolved when I explain this.
Thanks all. In the end I just signed the med cert and added “signed by rep” and the claim been was paid. May just have been lucky!