Obtaining work-related disability benefits in the UK: ESA and UC general guidance and advice

I am starting this thread to bring together all the links to guidance and advice for claiming the main UK disability benefits of Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and the new Universal Credit (UC). This thread is intended for general links and advice, not specific to any individual's circumstances. Many ESA claimants will be transferred over to UC over the coming years. Guidance to help members through their transfer to UC will also be posted here.

 

This is the link to where you can find some information about the training the Health Care Professional who will be assessing you has received:

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2014/september/wca-assessors-how-much-training

 

This organisation provides some of the best guidance for ESA and UC (as well as PIP and DLA). They have been mentioned and recommended in this forum across many threads and posts, but I'm putting a link here too so that it can be readily seen by members needing working age benefit advice:

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/

It is well worth the £20 annual subscription, which includes downloadable copies of all their guidebooks and access to their forum to ask specific advice from the moderators and other members.

 

Other members have mentioned Fightback4justice as being very useful. I don't know much about this organisation, but hopefully members who do will post more information about them on this thread.

 

Any reason for leaving out PIP?

I think I started a thread with useful PIP-related information in here somewhere ...

Ah yes, here it is: https://www.s4me.info/threads/uk-pip-appeals-advice-recommendations.8305/

 

Yes, I am going to start a similar thread soon for PIP/DLA. ESA/UC is assessed differently to PIP/DLA and this is reflected in the various legislation. I plan to explain this and how to approach the different benefit assessments. They each need their own thread to do them justice and keep the clarity for the reader.

Edit: I have previously started a comparable thread for obtaining social care, which I am also going to add to over time.

Edit 2: I have amended the thread title to show this thread is for 'out of work' benefits (whereas PIP can be claimed if the person is either in or out of employment).

 

Also, it will take me time to build up the information on the threads, obviously other members should feel free to add their own posts too. But it would be great if the threads can keep to general information, guidance and advice, so that the reader can easily locate the information they are seeking from the thread.

I have specifically put these 'general advice' threads in the public area of the forum so they can help the maximum number of people, including our guest visitors.

 

Excellent, thank you very much, Simbindi.

 

Unfortunately it's not that simple as PIP is assessed differently from DLA. DLA still applies to children under 16. DLA still applies adults born before 8 April 1948 who already have an award but may need to have it looked at again. The ME charities seem to have forgotten that DLA still applies to these adults, who will not be transferred to PIP.

 

I know this, but I was explaining why I was seperating in and out of work benefits.

Edit: Once these threads have actually 'taken shape' I may ask members to go back and delete some of these 'question' posts, just to keep the information threads easy to read. Sorry, it will take me a few weeks to put enough information on them all to demonstrate what I am fully intending to acheive!

Edit 2: I am aware about the DLA situation because of my involvement with autism advocacy. I'm also planning to cover attendance allowance for retirees.

Edit 3: It makes sense to keep PIP and DLA together as often people are on DLA to start with and then get transfered to PIP. Also, to cover AA in the same thread as all these benefits are about extra money for care and disability cost needs, even though assessed differently (however, on reflection, I may decide to create a thread for each and cross-reference them - I will think about this over the next few days when I review the legislation and case law)

 

Members can put links on these public threads to any relevant threads in the membes only area, that is, those member-only threads where people have been discussing their personal experiences in relation to claiming these benefits. Non-members will not be able to access or read the posts, but obviously members will be able to.

I'm not sure if I've worded that very well - I may come back and edit this statement!

 

Here is the link to the latest version of the 'assessor manual' for ESA and UC:

https://assets.publishing.service.g.../attachment_data/file/777221/wca-handbook.pdf

Edit: I need to put a warning on reading this. I have just reviewed the appendices 6-7 and my blood is boiling.

 

Here is the link to further information explaining the changes in Work Capability reassessments (2017):

https://www.disabilityrightsuk.org/...-capability-assessment-reassessment-published

The main link contains further links to PDFs of the relevant DWP guidance.

 

I don't have time at the moment to give a summary, but here is a link to some useful information given to a parliamentary select committee [Edit: correct link inserted]:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmworpen/829/82902.htm

There are more links if you click on the reference numbers in the reference section at the end of the doc. For example, the training schedule for Maximus HCPs is given, along with other statistics and useful things to know:

http://data.parliament.uk/writtenev...tee/pip-and-esa-assessments/written/75946.pdf

 

Thanks, Simbindi. But it doesn't go as far as appeals, by the look of things

 

I'm currently helping someone try to get a home assessment (called a DV in the DWP guidance) for his ESA. The parliamentary enquiry above got Maximus to reveal they agree this in less than 1% of face to face assessments. Their argument is that if someone has needs that require a home visit it is likely their 'filework' review would have given them a paper-based assessment.

It is good to know what the goalpost is - in Maximus's case it's about 4 inches (so, smaller than the ball).