Loopy_S wrote
(Date Posted:12/11/2011 11:27 AM)
I hate to be the bearer of bad news but your daughter *may* yet face a medical if my own experience is anything to go by. To be sure one way or another she needs to phone up and ask.
My own case:
Round 1:
ESA50 sent in
Put in support group without medical.
I later learned that this was under the "special rules". I was so sick that I was considered unable to have a medical. However, what they didn't say is that you can only receive ESA for 6 months under these rules.
Edit: special rules don't just apply to terminally ill people. They also cover people too sick to have medicals.
So, 6 months later:
Round 2.
ESA50 sent in.
After a bit of confusion due to lost forms, put in support group without medical.
Then after several weeks received a call up for a medical. It turned out that they look at your ESA50, estimate which group you are likely to be in and put you in that pending your medical. Or, if you are already in receipt of ESA, you continue receiving it at that rate until your medical.
Had medical as a home visit.
Was put in support group. Doctor asked for me to be left in it for the longest time allowed without review.
Regarding the amounts, ESA is the replacement for both incapacity benefit and income support. It includes disability elements such as enhanced and severe disability premiums.
I imagine it should also include premiums for child allowances although can't be sure as that isn't something that affects me.
So now, instead of getting an incapacity payment and an IS top up, she will just get one single ESA payment.
Incidentally, you may have heard about all this issue of ESA only being payable for one year for people in the WRAG from 2013 onwards. This will NOT be the case for your daughter if she is receiving the income support element of it. People who receive the income element don't have a time limit on it. Just thought you would like to know that in case you hear of it and start to worry. ;)
