New ESA50 Form

Hope this is of some help

Is this what you’re looking for?

http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@money/documents/digitalasset/dg_195544.pdf

Thanks for this but I don’t think it is the newest form.  I’m sure I saw a client a couple of weeks ago who had a form where in descriptor 13 (Initiating and completing personal action), the question had in the text whether they could complete ‘2 sequential personal actions’ (as described on the new descriptors).  This isn’t on the form you sent or the one I saw at JC+.  Dave

It is the latest as far as I’m aware and has the new descriptors from the 2011 amendment regs as Activity 1 is moving rather than walking and there’s a total of 17 descriptors rather than the previous 21. the date code is given as 3/11.

There may very well be a newer one but I don’t know why they’d replace it.

The other one was pretty bad and declared unfit for purpose. Maybe the one in the link is ‘too user friendly?’

As its ‘live’ on directgov.uk I would think it was up to date and not an archived version

But note, like previous versions, it fails to ask questions relevant to all of the activities - particularly those physical activities that score 9 points. If DWP fail to ask the right questions at square one its not supprising they make so many poor decisions.

It would be interesting to know DWPs reasoning for failing to address the activities clearly when the whole thrust of post Harrington report is supposed to be about gathering the relevant evidence, giving claimants clear information about the process etc and putting decision makers back(?) at the heart of the decision making process. Difficult to see how this can be achieved if the form fails to gather relevant information.

WCA still fundementally flawed from start to finish. Hey Ho.

Back in 1999 or 2000 at a meeting with a Minister at the DWP offices in Birmingham, a question was asked as to why there were no questions on the IB50 re:mental health descriptors.

The answer was that ‘they’ were in the public domain.

This being when the ‘interweb’ was all shiny and new and for the few rather than the many.

David Feast - 27 May 2011 08:53 AM

Does anyone know how I can obtain the new ESA50 form (including the revised activities and descriptors)?  My local Jobcentre Plus office didn’t even know it had changed, their suppliers said I could only obtain them from JC+ (?) and processing offices will not send them if they are not related to a specific client - but I need it for training rather than for a client.  Any advice or a link would be appreciated.  Dave Feast

If you go to this web site via google it should have the most up to date form:

Limited capability for work questionnaire
http://www.direct.gov.uk

Peter Turville - 27 May 2011 02:48 PM

But note, like previous versions, it fails to ask questions relevant to all of the activities - particularly those physical activities that score 9 points. If DWP fail to ask the right questions at square one its not supprising they make so many poor decisions.

It would be interesting to know DWPs reasoning for failing to address the activities clearly when the whole thrust of post Harrington report is supposed to be about gathering the relevant evidence, giving claimants clear information about the process etc and putting decision makers back(?) at the heart of the decision making process. Difficult to see how this can be achieved if the form fails to gather relevant information.

WCA still fundementally flawed from start to finish. Hey Ho.

DM’s were never at the heart of the DM process, I used to be one and we used to get told if we revised too many decisions, also we were then advised to discuss all new medical evidence with an ATOS doctor before revising a decision.

Just want to add that, while the ESA50 continues to lack the WCA scores, the new (post 28 March 2011 changes to the WCA) descriptors and scores are in SI 2011 no 228 - but that seems to be the only place the public can find them!

While looking up the DWP information for advisers about Employment and Support Allowance I saw that The Work Capability Assessment (ESA214) (a detailed 31 page guide) at http://www.direct.gov.uk/prod_consum_dg/groups/dg_digitalassets/@dg/@en/@disabled/documents/digitalasset/dg_177366.pdf
is still based on the WCA descriptors that predate the 28 March 2011 changes to the WCA.

I wrote to DWP to say how this document is essential for people who want to know about the WCA scoring system and that it is important that it is up to date. They have now amended the online document with the heading “The information in this ESA214 PDF is out-of-date. We will update it soon. (DWP – May 2011)”