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claiming new style ESA - content of email accompanying ESAUC1
If claimants phone UC to obtain a claim form these are sent by email with attachements - see https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/11629
Is there any other information in the email such as an instruction to the claimant to call the contact centre to arrange their first appointment at the Jobcentre (or is this just a verbal instruction given during the initial call)? If so could someone post a copy please.
We have been providing claimants with the ESAUC1 etc and telling or assiating them to make the call to arrange the initial interview (which has not been a problem in practice).
However, as an issue similar to that in https://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/12879/ has arrisen it would be helpful to see any additional info. claimants are sent.
This is an email we saw 12 months ago (the phone number is different now):
Hi
Please find attached all the forms that we need you to complete and take with you to your appointment. Once you have completed the forms please ring 0345 600 4272 to book an appointment.
Thanks
[NAME]
They are meant to attach to the email 4 documents:
- UCESA1 form (Record the initial date of contact)
- Confirming your identity
- Confirming your housing situation
- DPGen
In this particular case, the call handler somehow mistakenly attached their own internal script as a pdf to the email, instead of attaching an ESA1. I can therefore reveal that the exact instructions in the script is:
Record within the email
“Contact us on 0345 600 4272 to book your appointment.
Please advise the agent that you are calling to book a New style ESA appointment only.”
As I said, this is 12 months old now, the process may have changed.
As of 1 month ago, email is even shorter. Just says:
“Contact us on 0800 328 5644 to book your appointment. Please advise the agent that you are calling to book a New style ESA appointment only.”
This is despite being expressly told by the call handler that the email would contain instructions on how to complete the form and what to do next. (I suppose technically they do say what to do next, but it’s not very helpful.)
Then there’s several paragraphs worth of small print (“This message is strictly confidential” etc).
As described by Jon, four attachments. I haven’t seen anyone mistakenly attach the script, though it looks like they’re now just copy and pasting that but of the script.