Hello ! I'm Sinkingship .. How would monthly inheritance payments impact my ESA?

Sinkingship

Need help with ESA and inheritance , sciatica operation, pain management and reduction of opioid meds and anti depressants 

chiarieds

Hi @Sinkingship - & welcome to the community. As far as your medication goes, then, as I'm sure you know, you should only do this on your GP's advice. They are in the best position, knowing your medical history, to advise you how to gradually taper them.

I'm interested myself in pain management, again your GP could be helpful with a referral to a pain management course, tho the waiting lists can be long.

In the meanwhile I'd recommend having a look at the following links because self management is important. It seems that often more than one modality is the most helpful. Please see: https://ppa.csp.org.uk/content/links-people-living-pain

https://www.nbt.nhs.uk/sites/default/files/attachments/Diaphragmatic Breathing.pdf

https://livewellwithpain.co.uk/ten-footsteps-programme/

poppy123456

Sinkingship said:

Need help with ESA and inheritance

If it's Income Related ESA you're claiming then any savings of more than £16,000 will end any means tested benefits you maybe claiming, this includes housing benefit. If any part of your ESA is contirbutions based then this isn't affected.

For every £250 or part there of over £6,000 there's a £1/week deduction.

If you're claiming council tax reduction then all local authorities have their own rules and some have a maximum savings limit of £6,000.

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @Sinkingship

Welcome to the community! How did you come to find us?

I'm so sorry you are having some trouble with esa and your health. Is there any specific advice needed? Can I ask, do you have a good support network around you? 

Sinkingship

Hannah_Scope said:

Hello @Sinkingship
"Welcome to the community!  How did you come to find us?"

Hello Hannah and the community , thanks for the welcome .
I found the site through a search for information on rules about ESA and inheritance ,  advice on a medical procedure now that epidurals are no longer available in my area and pain management and also what to do if I can no longer work my 3 hours per week due to ongoing health issues  and it conveniently led to one of the posts here. I'm 54 this year and have been on ESA for many years now and I try  to think of my 3 hours a week as 'physio' but I'm mainly forcing myself to keep up with it now , as my symptoms have become even more unpredictable , and I can't tell if it's down to long term use of  pain and anti-depression meds, figments of my imagination or   something more serious going on.
I absolutely loathe talking about this to 'professionals' and dealing with the DWP, who frighten the life out of me tbh-I've been through an appeal tribunal which was successful but the whole process makes me very, very wary of what I actually disclose to them in the future due to their own dishonesty with Atos assessments, that bore no resemblance to virtually everything I had told them at the medical . I am a male yet there was consistent references to 'she' and 'her' etc.. in their point scoring routine/ evidence , as if they'd got their papers mixed up with someone else's, it was incredible really ,  and receiving poorly printed photo copies of evidence submitted and most of it disappearing off the side of the pages, that was really a step too far tbh. Telephone to DWP is impossible and in the end ,I got banned from the Job Center so had to deal with them via Citizens Advice which was a huge relief for how the DWP had no choice in complying with them to address my issues, so there was no more 'accidentally'  dropped lines and feigned ignorance on their part.
The inheritance part of this would be payed on a monthly basis , not as a 'lump sum' and , I wasn't included in the will of my deceased relative, but a family member has decided that I should get something regardless.
My concern now is that although it would cover my ESA allowance , I wouldn't have enough to cover my Housing , Council Tax , treatment and prescriptions . 
I want to do the right thing concerning disclosure rules, deprivation of capital etc , and obviously do not wish my claim to become fraudulent in anyway whatsoever,  but it's no use accepting money that will , in effect , make me worse off by becoming homeless due to not being able to pay my rent.  
So there we go ,many questions which can be directed to the appropriate Scope Forum topics , so just an outline of some of my concerns and as an introduction .

Thanks for your time all.

Cher_Alumni

Hello @Sinkingship and welcome from me, how are you keeping? 

I'm sorry to hear about your sciatica and chronic pain. You mention that your:

symptoms have become even more unpredictable , and I can't tell if it's down to long term use of  pain and anti-depression meds, figments of my imagination or   something more serious going on.

Is this something you've discussed with your GP or hospital team?

In terms of how the inheritance would impact you, I'd recommend using a Benefits calculator in the first instance to get an idea of what would happen to your benefit eligibility. Plus, Scope's Inheritance and benefits webpage has more useful advice.

Whilst, I've renamed your thread and moved it to our Employment and Support Allowance category to help others spot it and offer their advice.

Wishing you all the best.