Any advice would be greatly appreciated — Scope | Disability forum
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Any advice would be greatly appreciated

VictoriaBeasley04
VictoriaBeasley04 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
Hi everyone, it's great to become a member on this forum, and hopefully I can give and receive advice both too and from yourselves, thank you .

Comments

  • VictoriaBeasley04
    VictoriaBeasley04 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    I was receiving ESA and in the support group , i received a message via my daughter, which she had from the DWP. Regarding a work focused interview. The call was made 2/3 days prior to the appointment.I telephoned them straight away explaining that it was not only too short notice.Abd part of my mental health includes agoraphobia but that i had an appointment with my psychiatrist and that worse of all my mom had passed away only days before. My ESA wasn't stopped until 3/4 months after the initial assessment. I was told that there was nothing i could do and that my claim was closed permanently. I was left with no choice but too claim UC and had too wait 12 months before assessment, I am in the sick group , the whole thing has caused me emotional, physical and financial distress, any advice would be greatly appreciated.
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @VictoriaBeasley04     Pleased to meet you.
    Thank you for joining and sharing.
    Sorry to hear this, I hope we can give you lot of support, compassion and empathy.
    I am one of the team of community champions.  We guide, advise and help members of our community.
    Please may I suggest contacting the following mental health charities. Even you may have treatment they can still help you.
    I used these three mental health charities. Can help with benefits, wellbeing an health.
    https://www.richmondfellowship.org.uk.
    https://www.mind.org.uk.
    https://www.rethink.org.
    Please consider having a look on the websites. Understand you can self refer.
    They might not be in all areas.
    I am going to tag in my friend @poppy123456 who is a member of our team, please if the lady can advise further with anything else.
    Has exceptional knowledge and expertise on benefits and problems.
    I wish you well please if I can help with anything , contact me any questions on mental health be happy to be supportive. If I do not know the answers speak to one of the team.
    Please take care.
    @thespiceman

    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,358 Disability Gamechanger
    HI and welcome,

    I'm assuming you were found fit for work when you were claiming ESA, is that correct? Unfortunately, if that decision was made more than 13 months ago then you won't be able to do anything about that now. 13 months is the maximum amount of time you have to appeal a decision.

    I'm sorry it's caused you so much stress, those assessments are definitely very worrying for everyone.

    You say you're in the sick group for Universal Credit, there's 2 groups for UC, please may i ask if you're claiming LCW or LCWRA?
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • VictoriaBeasley04
    VictoriaBeasley04 Community member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thankyou for the reply, i was placed into the support group, and was still in the support group when my ESA claim was closed down. I only found out that it had been closed down when I was told to contact them if I had not heard anything about having my disability premiums being reinstated and back dated.This was due to my PIP being reinstated which again was an error on there behalf .So up until 4 days prior to me calling the DWP my claim was still running, I was then told that it had been closed down over the telephone. I have never had a letter confirming my claim closing. My claim was closed on the 5/5/18, the interview I didn't attend but did telephone them to explain the reasons for why I was not able to attend was on the 27/2/18. I have made several attempts to understand the reasons for the delay in the time between the two dates .And all I've managed to find out is that although I was still paid ESA up until the claim being closed, they have said that it was in the February. I was backdated the disability premiums from the deceDeceto the February , but I couldn't be back dated upuntil they closed down the claim.Its all been very confusing ,I have been placed into the LCWRA group on UC.Thank
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,358 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome.

    The mostly likely explanation why your ESA ended was because DWP found you fit for work for failing to attend despite ringing them to tell them the reasons why. Unfortunately, because this happened 20 months ago then i'm afraid there's nothing at all that you can do about that now. You're outside the maximum timescale where you can appeal that decision.

    The good news is that you're now claiming LCWRA for UC which is exactly the same as Support Group for ESA.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.

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