Support group without WCA

After a lot of hassle. Thank you for all the help on here. After 7 years I was sent a new ESA to fill in. Used the guide on here again, sent it back with all my medical evidence and an up to date consultant report. Was told I had to go for a WCA. Needed to postpone the date due to a death in the family. Meanwhile my GP wrote a letter and sent that off. They wrote back and said still not enough medical evidence and would still have to go to the WCA but they would organise a taxi for me. Then sent the template letter asking for the WCA to be recorded and stating which dates I couldn't go if they needed to reschedule. Phoned up two days before the medical to see if the date was changing or not and was told I didn't need to go as they had got my GP letter. So I didn't go. And then worried as I'd had nothing in writing. 3 weeks later I had a decision and am still in support group.

So if anyone else is going through this - get up to date medical evidence and see if your GP will write a letter explaining how things affect you. The best bit in my GP's letter was the terminology "unable to weight bear". Which says it all - much more than - I have a painful foot -or I have to walk with a walking aid. If you can't weight bear, you can't walk and only a Doctor can use that term authoritatively.

It was very hard to get a GP letter though. At first they said they don't do that any more. Eventually one GP said she would if she had time to get out my paper notes. Chased it up and got it eventually and paid £10. It arrived long after I had to send the ESA 50 back so I sent it on afterwards. It made a difference.

Well done Eleanor. I was lucky, DWP sent a report to my GP to 'tick' the boxes and she added a note to the end of it which I'm certain added weight to my claim.