Benefits and Work is continuing to receive reports of medical assessments for ESA and PIP not being carried out correctly.{jcomments on}
Missing ESA50 forms
Following a recent article on the issue, we have now heard from over a dozen people who have been asked to attend a work capability assessment without first completing an ESA50 form.
People who challenge Maximus about the lack of an ESA50 claim they have been given explanations such as:
“Not everyone will get a form.”
“One isn’t needed in your case.”
“You don’t need to fill one in.”
In most cases, however, people have not queried the lack of a form, even if worried and puzzled by it.
One member rang Maximus and insisted that they wanted to complete an ESA50 and would download one, complete it and forward it. They did exactly that and the health professional had it there when they had their assessment.
In another case a member who had an assessment without being sent an ESA50 was afterwards contacted by a decision maker who was unhappy about the lack of a form. The decision maker insisted on sending out a new form and beginning the assessment process all over again.
We’re now taking this issue up with Maximus and we’ll let you know what response we get.
Meanwhile, we wouldn’t advise anyone to attend a WCA without completing an ESA50, even if you have to download it yourself and take it in on the day.
If you complete it using our guides it really does help ensure that you give accurate evidence both in the form and at your medical.
Missing qualifications
In addition, we have also heard from three members whose PIP report carried out by Capita doesn’t give the type of qualification held by the health professional. Instead, in the box for ‘Type of professional’ it simply states ‘Health professional’.
We’re not sure if this is now standard practice, but we don’t think it is in any way acceptable and we’ll be talking to Capita about it. We’ll let you know what they say.
Distant medicals
We haven’t heard from anyone else whose medical was cancelled because all the venues were too far away, but we have heard from several people who had to travel upwards of forty miles for their assessment. We’d be interested to hear from more readers on this issue.
