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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

problems claiming new style ESA

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Daphne
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That is terrible - I have escalated via stakeholders - will let you know if I get anything back…

hkrishna
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John-Paul - we had a meeting with senior DWP Scotland staff last week where they assured us this should not be happening and if it was that they wanted to know about it. See message I’ve sent you for further info.

John-Paul
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Thanks for the responses.

I will have an update hopefully later today as I’m waiting for the JCP in question to let me know If I can hand in the client’s documents instead of her having to attend.

Benny Fitzpatrick
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John-Paul - 11 December 2017 12:32 PM

Thanks for the responses.

I will have an update hopefully later today as I’m waiting for the JCP in question to let me know If I can hand in the client’s documents instead of her having to attend.

Having very similar problems in Manchester. I too have a completed ESA1(UC) but am meeting a brick wall as JCP insist cl should claim UC before they can arrange an interview to take the forms. Complaint via MP not much help, as MP just repeats the JCP line back to me instead of questioning it (He’s a nice guy, but not a benefit expert).

John-Paul
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Chased up the JCP today, they’re allowing me to attend in my client’s place as long as I can bring the relevant ID documentation, signed ESA1 and DS1500. Whilst there I intend to ask what their actual policy is in regard to these situations as no one seems to know, which I guess is yet another side-effect of the shambolic implementation of UC.

Going forward I am extremely concerned over the potential treatment of other special rules claimants and equally claimants with curative cancer diagnoses. Are they going to have to fit these appointments in around their chemo/radiotherapy sessions?

John-Paul
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Attended appoint at JCP today:

- Initial advisor wanted client to claim UC. Queried this and passed to her manager
- Manager took ESA1, Bank Payment Form and DS1500 to be scanned on

However:
- Client will still need HV to verify ID (even though I brought some in) and will need to sign a claimant commitment
- Client will still therefore have a work coach
- Workcoach will contact client in 3 months to see “how she is doing”, which in itself is utterly ridiculous for terminally claimants.

I got the impression that they were taking the paperwork from me as a “one off”. It also seems that EVERYONE will need to have a face to face and 3 monthly “keeping in touch” contacts will happen whether special rules or not. Home visits will (apparently) take about 7 days to organise. Only way to avoid this delay is for client to attend JCP appointment.

In the main the manager I spoke tried to help, but the office seemed utterly chaotic with staff asking questions of others, being unable to upload documents etc. It doesn’t bode well at all in my opinion.

In short, it’s an absolute shambles.

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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John-Paul - 12 December 2017 04:26 PM

- Workcoach will contact client in 3 months to see “how she is doing”, which in itself is utterly ridiculous for terminally claimants.

There are no words I can safely post on this forum to describe how angry I feel about the utterly inhumane behaviour of these officials.

Benny Fitzpatrick
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Welfare Rights Officer, Southway Housing Trust, Manchester

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“Hello Mr Bloggs. Are you dead yet? No? Well what steps have you taken towards death? None? OK, Im going to sanction you for 6 weeks”

Utterly outrageous!

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
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Back in the good old days, you could usually find some kind and empathic individual within DWP who would say “Look, leave this with me, I’ll sort things out, tell your client not to worry” in these type of situations.

Now we’ve got a bunch of complete idiots with no regard for human dignity and an absolute inability to do anything other than follow their instructions no mattter what.

John-Paul
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Benny Fitzpatrick - 13 December 2017 10:00 AM

“Hello Mr Bloggs. Are you dead yet? No? Well what steps have you taken towards death? None? OK, Im going to sanction you for 6 weeks”

Utterly outrageous!

As ridiculous as that sounds, one of my other cases (which I’m passing to Macmillan as a Case Study) involves Medical Services refusing to accept a DS1500 because it is 9 months old. The client is now being asked to go through the ESA50-Medical Assessment process, basically because he has the temerity to still be here. I asked for an updated DS1500 from his disbelieving GP and sent it to ESA with a polite request for the claim to be processed immediately and an apology.

A further update from the main case, received an email from the DWP Service Innovation Lead thankfully confirming that this claim has now been sent for processing and the client will not need to have a face-to-face. I have queried what the actual procedure should be for ESA New Style Conts Claims.

 

 

Catblack
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Benefits specialist - South Somerset District Council

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Still trying to get a CESA claim processed that was submitted in May. Escalated it, multiple calls to the DWP and still no joy.

John-Paul
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Catblack - 14 December 2017 11:00 AM

Still trying to get a CESA claim processed that was submitted in May. Escalated it, multiple calls to the DWP and still no joy.

Was it special rules? If so, that’s a totally unacceptable and pretty unusual.

If it’s a standard claim, depressingly it’s not uncommon. I have an ongoing case where I sent in the client’s ESA50 in January, Assessment wasn’t until November, still not had a decision.

John-Paul
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Case seems to have finally been resolved with an awarded of ESA (SG) with appropriate backdate (after several calls chasing up).

Part of the arrears paid include an amount for “SDBP”. Has anyone heard of this? I thought it might be SDP for a moment, but it shouldn’t be as it was Conts only and client lives with partner. However the totals for the arrears added up do tally with a total backdate of Conts ESA I’d expected. Is it some payment code DWP use for arrears? I’ve checked their list of abbreviations with no joy.

TIA

bristol_1
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Could it be ‘same day benefit payment’?

Madamejones
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Benefits Take Up officer - Cheltenham Borough Council, Gloucestershire

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Same issue here! We went Full Service on 6th Dec here in Cheltenham.

My customer tried to claim new style ESA before she came to see me. Was told to claim UC as her postcode indicated she MUST do so. When she told our HB dept they directed her to me for advice. I am holding drop-in surgeries at the job centre since the new year & this is where she attended.

I gave her the claim phone number & a JCP worker helpfully closed the UC claim down via back office. We did a change of circs form for HB (was getting SSP) so all done I thought!

My customer phoned me several days later to say the 0800 055 66 88 number got her through to a very rude adviser who told her “I am not taking your claim, I have 35 yrs experience & won’t be told how to do my job. You must claim UC”. My customer persisted as I told her to do. Claim was taken!

Next day she gets a letter saying ESA claim was refused. 0800 328 9344 was printed on letter telling her to claim UC as she was now in a FS area. I have phoned the number to test. It was all about UC with a brief mention at the end about ESA & JSA new style. It then tells customer the call will end and go to gov.uk for more info.

So you go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance - Again information not very clear but does list the 0800 328 5644 number giving the options 2 and 6.

So I tried this.Too much about UC and if a customer I would hang up thinking I was calling the wrong dept. BUT I persevered! Got to a part that asks for the phone number I used when I set up my UC account???? So on I continue & finally after 30 mins speak to someone. I relay the story & he casually tells me an Eform
is emailed to the customer. I double clarify this then phone my customer to give her the good news!

Next morning she came to see me at my drop in, in tears. She said she did as instructed to be told that as her ESA claim had been refused, a form could not be sent and to claim UC!!!!

I just decided to print off a claim form (ESA 1) and said I would put a supporting letter in.

My frustration is the appalling customer service from Lisa with 35 yrs experience! Why could she not politely tell my customer the number she had called was incorrect and to try this correct one with option 2 & 6? That to me is simple & courteous.

This needs to be fed up the appropriate channels and recommend that the phone message/options are changed immediately to make it very clear to customer. The webpage info needs changing too.

I feel my customer is being forced to claim UC and this is wrong. Luckily her HB is still in payment so her housing is not being put at risk. However I am now totally confused and I am worrying that if we do the new ESA form that I have found on this thread, it will trigger a UC claim and her HB will cease?

Can anyone give me some kind words please????