Support group with no medical after 12 months

Hi everyone

I have been on ESA since July 2013 and I had been waiting all of that time for my assessment. I was on contributions based ESA so my last payment was due yesterday due to reaching the maximum 52 weeks permitted. I had receved several letters telling me it would end and even a phone call from DWP to check I understood it would end-they also said that I would still be on the waiting list to get assesed at some point in thr future.

Well, yesterday I logged onto my internet banking to check my last payment had come through and to my suprise there were two payments-one for £216.30 and one for £1,300!!!! I had no idea what this was for but after logging on the DWP website I could see that £216.30 was the amount paid to people in the support group! I then worked out that the £1,300 would be back payment owed if I had been in the support group!

I didn't want to get my hopes up too much so tried calling-unfortunetly they were on strike yesterday so I wasn't able to speak to someone until this morning. They confirmed that I had been placed into the Support group until June 2015!

I then got my letter through this afternoon and it says 'we have looked at your claim following a recent change'. I'm not sure if the fact my 52 weeks was coming to an end had prompted them to look at my claim or if that was just a coincidence!

I'm so pleased that I have been put into the support group without having a medical and I want to say a massie thank you to Benifits and Work as I doubt this would have happened if I hadn't had followed your fantastic guide when completing the application form a year ago!

I'm still not entirely sure what has happened or why but it is a gigantic weight off my shoulders.

Has this happened to anyone else at the 52 week point?

Kells81 wrote: Hi everyone

I have been on ESA since July 2013 and I had been waiting all of that time for my assessment. I was on contributions based ESA so my last payment was due yesterday due to reaching the maximum 52 weeks permitted. I had receved several letters telling me it would end and even a phone call from DWP to check I understood it would end-they also said that I would still be on the waiting list to get assesed at some point in thr future.

Well, yesterday I logged onto my internet banking to check my last payment had come through and to my suprise there were two payments-one for £216.30 and one for £1,300!!!! I had no idea what this was for but after logging on the DWP website I could see that £216.30 was the amount paid to people in the support group! I then worked out that the £1,300 would be back payment owed if I had been in the support group!

I didn't want to get my hopes up too much so tried calling-unfortunetly they were on strike yesterday so I wasn't able to speak to someone until this morning. They confirmed that I had been placed into the Support group until June 2015!

I then got my letter through this afternoon and it says 'we have looked at your claim following a recent change'. I'm not sure if the fact my 52 weeks was coming to an end had prompted them to look at my claim or if that was just a coincidence!

I'm so pleased that I have been put into the support group without having a medical and I want to say a massie thank you to Benifits and Work as I doubt this would have happened if I hadn't had followed your fantastic guide when completing the application form a year ago!

I'm still not entirely sure what has happened or why but it is a gigantic weight off my shoulders.

Has this happened to anyone else at the 52 week point?

Hi K81,

What great news, and such a pleasant surprise for you !!!!

I am not sure that being placed into The SG is tied to your 365 days entitlement of payment to CB ESA coming to an end, it may be pure coincidence.

The DWP should financially assess you for payment of Income Related (IR) ESA once your CB ESA payments cease as above.

The important issue is that you are in The SG, and as it seems that the SG decision has been backdated, your 365 days of entitlement to CB ESA, whilst not in The SG remains in tact.

As you are in The SG you may also be entitled to : ESA Premiums.

However, to be paid any "Premiums" you would need to be entitled to payment of IR ESA on top of your CB ESA.

Have a look at a previous post of mine : Here.

It may give you a better understanding of how and when ESA Premiums are paid.

Thanks for your comments regarding B&W, they are appreciated.

bro58

Hi K81,

Just to clarify your position,

Was your claim for ESA last year a fresh claim, (not a transfer over from IB, IS or SDA) and have you been in receipt of CB ESA at The Assessment Rate (awaiting an assessment decision) since July 2013 ?

bro58

bro58 wrote: Hi K81,

Just to clarify your position,

Was your claim for ESA last year a fresh claim, (not a transfer over from IB, IS or SDA) and have you been in receipt of CB ESA at The Assessment Rate (awaiting an assessment decision) since July 2013 ?

bro58

Hi Bro

Yes, exactly that. I have been receiving CB ESA on the assessment rate since July 2013. This was a brand new claim and I had not received any benefits before that. Sorry my rambled initial post wasn't very clear-I meant to say 'assessment rate' when I was writing it!

Kells81 wrote:

bro58 wrote: Hi K81,

Just to clarify your position,

Was your claim for ESA last year a fresh claim, (not a transfer over from IB, IS or SDA) and have you been in receipt of CB ESA at The Assessment Rate (awaiting an assessment decision) since July 2013 ?

bro58

Hi Bro

Yes, exactly that. I have been receiving CB ESA on the assessment rate since July 2013. This was a brand new claim and I had not received any benefits before that. Sorry my rambled initial post wasn't very clear-I meant to say 'assessment rate' when I was writing it!

Thanks for the clarification K81,

In that case, the information in my original posts stands.

Cheers.

bro58

bro58 wrote:

Kells81 wrote:

bro58 wrote: Hi K81,

Just to clarify your position,

Was your claim for ESA last year a fresh claim, (not a transfer over from IB, IS or SDA) and have you been in receipt of CB ESA at The Assessment Rate (awaiting an assessment decision) since July 2013 ?

bro58

Hi Bro

Yes, exactly that. I have been receiving CB ESA on the assessment rate since July 2013. This was a brand new claim and I had not received any benefits before that. Sorry my rambled initial post wasn't very clear-I meant to say 'assessment rate' when I was writing it!

Thanks for the clarification K81,

In that case, the information in my original posts stands.

Cheers.

bro58

Thank you once again and I cannot emphasise enough what a complete lifeline this website has been. You have saved me so much hassle and stress and I am truly grateful.