Hello, I am looking for some help/ESA advice tia

Lesley25
Lesley25 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
edited February 2023 in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
I have been off work since January 2022, I contracted covid 19 in December 2021. I have been diagnosed with long covid for the last 12 months. My employer is now supporting me through ill health retirement. I have been receiving half pay (SSP) since September 2022 and I have been informed that all payments will finish on 28th February 2023. I have been receiving contribution based ESA since September 2022 and had an assessment on the 13th February 2023 for a decision to be made about this benefit. My employer has indicated that they would be willing to start to pay me my accrued leave to assist me financially until the process for the ill health retirement is completed. If I was to accept the offer to be paid accrued leave would this affect my ESA claim or any other benefits? Any help or advice would be gratefully appreciated

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 63,734 Championing
    If your earnings from your employer included SSP since September then i don't understand how you could receive ESA payments at the same time. New style ESA can't be paid at the same time as SSP.

    As you're not currently working then any annual leave paid from your employer will not affect your ESA. Are you claiming Universal Credit as well?
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    edited February 2023
    poppy123456 said:
    If your earnings from your employer included SSP since September then i don't understand how you could receive ESA payments at the same time. New style ESA can't be paid at the same time as SSP. 
    I inferred that OP has probably mixed up contractual sick pay with SSP.

    Lesley25 when did you stop working?
  • Lesley25
    Lesley25 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    Hi poppy, thank you for your response. I’m on contribution based esa, I sent the SSP1 I. In September.  I have been receiving that and half pay (which is our companies policy for sick pay if that makes sense).

    I am not in receipt of anything else. When I queried this with ESA they confirmed that I was entitled to contribution based due to NI payments I’ve made.

    I’ve been told I’m not entitled to claim U/C once my payment from work stops.  I’ve worked for 40 years and I’ve never been in this situation ever so I really don’t know what I can or can not apply for.
  • Lesley25
    Lesley25 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
      I inferred that OP has probably mixed up contractual sick pay with SSP.

    Lesley25 when did you stop working?
    ————————

    I have been off sick (I am still on sick) since 3rd January 2022
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    Lesley25 said:.
    I’ve been told I’m not entitled to claim U/C once my payment from work stops.  I’ve worked for 40 years and I’ve never been in this situation ever so I really don’t know what I can or can not apply for.
    If you are single and have no other income then UC would pay a bit extra in addition to ESA. You are excluded from UC of you have savings over £16,000. If you have a partner UC would have to be claimed by you both and would be based on your joint circumstances.
    Lesley25 said:
    .., I sent the SSP1 I. In September.  I have been receiving that and half pay (which is our companies policy for sick pay if that makes sense).
    As SSP1 was issued you are no longer receiving SSP, it are getting contractual sick pay.
  • Lesley25
    Lesley25 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    calcotti said:
    Lesley25 said:.
    I’ve been told I’m not entitled to claim U/C once my payment from work stops.  I’ve worked for 40 years and I’ve never been in this situation ever so I really don’t know what I can or can not apply for.
    If you are single and have no other income then UC would pay a bit extra in addition to ESA. You are excluded from UC of you have savings over £16,000. If you have a partner UC would have to be claimed by you both and would be based on your joint circumstances.
    Lesley25 said:
    .., I sent the SSP1 I. In September.  I have been receiving that and half pay (which is our companies policy for sick pay if that makes sense).
    As SSP1 was issued you are no longer receiving SSP, it are getting contractual sick pay.
    Thank you for this, so I can accept the offer for accrued leave, once I receive my last payment of sick pay.  Would I need to apply for U/C if I’m receiving holiday pay or do I leave it until my leave is used up.  I don’t have any savings and it’s just me and my son he is over 18
  • calcotti
    calcotti Online Community Member Posts: 10,005 Championing
    Receiving your sick pay doesn’t prevent you claiming UC - whether or not you are entitled to anything depends on how much sick pay you receive. Your holiday pay will presumably be more than your sick pay so if the sick pay means that you have nil UC payable then the holiday will also means no UC is payable. If that’s correct then the correct time to claim UC is after you have been paid the holiday pay.

    Are they going to pay you your holiday pay as one lump sum.
  • Lesley25
    Lesley25 Online Community Member Posts: 5 Listener
    calcotti said:
    Receiving your sick pay doesn’t prevent you claiming UC - whether or not you are entitled to anything depends on how much sick pay you receive. Your holiday pay will presumably be more than your sick pay so if the sick pay means that you have nil UC payable then the holiday will also means no UC is payable. If that’s correct then the correct time to claim UC is after you have been paid the holiday pay.

    Are they going to pay you your holiday pay as one lump sum.
    I have to sort that out, they have said I can take 10 days per month spread over 5 months which is equivalent to the sick pay I was receiving 

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