24 April 2009
Benefits and Work has now published the only step-by-step guide to limited capability for work on physical health grounds available anywhere on or offline.
The 65 page members only publication is a uniquely comprehensive guide to the whole process of completing the ESA50 questionnaire and attending a medical.
The guide takes you page-by-page through the ESA50 questionnaire explaining how to complete each box and providing sample answers for a wide range of different descriptors. It alerts readers to misleading questions and explains how Atos health professionals are trained to interpret the law when deciding if descriptors apply to you.
A series of ‘Assumption alerts’ warn you when something you say or do at the medical may be misinterpreted by the Atos doctor and used to unfairly prevent you scoring points.
The new guide also explains who should be exempt from the work capability assessment and how to show if you should be found to be eligible for ESA even if you don’t score enough points because of the exceptional circumstances rules.
In addition, the guide also highlights opportunities to give evidence relating to the higher paying support group.
Along with our 88 page guide to limited capability for work on mental health and learning difficulties grounds it allows effective claims to be made for virtually any health conditions.
There’s also a detailed list of the issues which will be covered in the work-focused health-related assessment that most claimants will have immediately after their medical and which is designed to begin the process of moving you back into work. How you answer these questions will have a direct bearing on what is included in your action plan at the six work-focused interviews most claimants will have to attend.
If you aren’t yet a member of Benefits and Work, you can download 7 page sample from this link.
Members can download the full guide from this page.
If you're an advice worker or support worker, find out about out training day in June devoted entirely to claiming ESA on mental health and learning difficulties grounds.
