ESA50 - what’s the point?

The jobcentre just lost another ESA50 I spent ages completing for a client, and will probably have to again ( cant copy every single one, not enough paper in this office, scanner?- what scanner?)

It got me to thinking - why bother?, no one ever reads or takes them into account at the jobcentre or at medical services, and half the time at the appeal stage we are trying to mitigate the damaged caused by a badly completed form.

the only two reasons I can see are 1) to weed out exceptional cases that shouldn’t have to go through the WCA, however this could be done without subjecting claimant to the multiple choice section, and 2) to put people off of continuing with their claims.

anyone share these thoughts with me, or am I completely off track

I agree and want to add my concern about how hard it is for ESA claimants to find out about the WCA scoring system.

While looking up the DWP Advisers page on Employment and Support Allowance I saw that The Work Capability Assessment (ESA214) 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 version of the WCA that predates the 28 March 2011 changes.

(Anyone looking for the new descriptors, see http://www.newcastle.gov.uk/core.nsf/a/wr_esadescriptorslcwranew1#manual  or SI 2011 no 228)