Pathways to Work...no longer??

This is all very confusing. I read several months ago that DWP were cancelling Pathways to work interviews mainly because of workload & no doubt costs involved. This thread includes some posters saying that they've just had an interview & others saying that its been cancelled when they've arrived & wont now be required ??
I have received a letter asking me to attend a P to Work interview on 7th March at my local Job Centre. I have been claiming ESA for just over a year due to developing Parkinsons Disease (PD) giving up work as a consequence. I've had 42 years Full Time employment & will be 60 years old in 8 weeks time. PD is a neurological degenerative disease & I can confirm my condition isn't/wont be getting any better. The letter I initially received confirming I'd 'passed' my ESA medical & was allocated to the WRAGroup didn't have any reference to a review date so I'm suprised I've been invited to start the process of returning to work via the Pathways to Work route. The DWP's recent decision to time limit ESA claimants in WRAGroup (contributions based claimants - me) means my benefits will end in approx 1 years time anyway if I haven't found a job. I'm nearly 60 & amongst other symptoms can no longer write due to PD !! with 2.5 million unemployed this seems a broad brush strategy to abandon those with a legitamate need for a little support, sorry for the lengthy post but I feel disgusted !! John

thanks for your prompt & respectful reply Gordon. However there is certainly a contradiction in the DWP's 'middle class' (those that will be fit for work) for people like myself who have degenerative illnesses which by definition will only get worse. This being especially true with Parkinsons Disease where there is no known cause, cure or even treatment to delay the progression of symptoms.
This anomaly should be addressed sooner rather later by the DWP but their haste to drastically reduce benefits probably places it down the queue !

Hi John, a Mod hopefully will put me right if this is the wrong advice...

but if your condition is worse now than when you applied for ESA before, then you can now put a fresh claim in.

I know how stressful it is but I think it would be worth it.

Have you looked at the special circumstances?

Best wishes,
Rachel

This is just wrong. Anyone with a degenerative illness who is now in the WRAG on the basis of that illness should have been put in the Support group from day one. These people aren't going to get better, they're only ever going to get worse, that's the nature of a degenerative process, it degenerates! It's inaccurate to suggest they're going to be able to return to work in a few weeks, months or ever.

my thanks to Rachel & Bill for your support & advice.
Its inevitable that I will ask for a reassessment in due course. In the short term I intend to write to my local MP expressing my concern about those people (& me specifically) being asked to attend Pathways to Work Interviews whilst having degenerative diseases such as Parkinsons Disease. I think in these cases people should either be put into the support group or if allocated to WRAGroup because at early stages of their degenerative illness then Pathways to Work Interviews should be regarded as optional & not mandatory.