ESA Tribunal

When I was first assessed earlier this year I was placed in the WRAG, I appealed against this decision. But the appeal was not accepted. I rang up the local Job centre plus, to find out when my first interview to find me a job. (I am 63 and was diagnosed with Parkinson's when I was 49.) I was told that I didn't have to attend the interviews.

I asked to appear before a tribunal. The tribunal was last Thursday, the clerk to the court rang me upat 9:30am to say that my appeal was successful.

I argued that the WRAG was for disabled people who were not working but could work. In the first assessment the ATOS assessor wrote that I was unlikely to work in the long term. I assumed the longer term was from now till I was 65. I also mention that in reality I was in the support group because I didn't have to attend WRAG sessions. This meant I was getting slightly less money per week, but more importantly I would only be on ESA for ONE YEAR, then I could apply for income related ESA.

Now that I am in the support group I will get Contributory ESA till I am 65.

I also detailed factual mistakes they had made in the documents I was supplied with and argued that although I didn't satisfy the criteria to be in the support group I had 30 points that qualified me for ESA.

The irony is now that I am in the support group there is no support.