ESA

justine98x

I've been on income related esa for about 5 years due to my mental health which I still suffer with very much, it makes it impossible for me to leave my house and there for look for work. back in December I received a letter from the job centre about my new claim for the new ESA and a date for an appointment I needed to attend, I never made a new claim and also the national insurance number on the letter wasn't mine. I got my mum to call up as I can't talk on the phone and they said that there was nothing on my file about the new claim and the national insurance number wasn't mine and to ignore it. however today I received a letter saying I missed my interview with my work coach in December and I needed to call up and explain why. I'm now very worried that they are going to end my ESA and try and start not the new ESA, has anyone had a thing like this happen, I've gotten my self in to quite a bit of panic over this.

rebel11

Hi Justine

Welcome to Scope Online.

No need to panic, stay calm.

What you need to do is write in to the DWP, explain what's happened, that it's caused you stress and that you want them to provide you with the correct information. Make sure you get Proof of Postage.  

You could also consider sending them a Subject Access Request, they will provide all the data they have on you over a 6 year period. Again make sure you get Proof of Postage.

justine98x

thank you for your response I will definitely do this I'm just worried that they are  going to try and change me to the new ESA even though I never made a claim. 

rebel11

justine98x said:

thank you for your response I will definitely do this I'm just worried that they are  going to try and change me to the new ESA even though I never made a claim. 

In today's letter was it your NI number? (it doesn't matter because they gave you the wrong information, this will be proven if you send a SAR, they will / should have the notes from the telephone call made by your mum last year, you also have the previous letter they sent you).

If they are going to change you to the new ESA, they need to tell you before doing it, they haven't done that, you were told to 'ignore' the previous letter.  

poppy123456

They can’t just change you to New style ESA. You would need to claim it yourself, which you haven’t. 

New style ESA is a contributions based benefit and as you haven’t worked and paid any NI contributions you won’t be entitled to it anyway.
You mention the NI number not being yours, is the name on the letter yours or someone else’s? 

justine98x

the name on the letter was mine, when my mum called up they said there was nothing on my file about a new claim and to ignore the letter as it was sent by mistake, I never made a new claim haven't heard from dwp since the beginning of the pandemic. I know from what I've read that I'm not eligible for the new style esa so unsure why it would say I made a new claim and make me an appointment to talk to the work coach.

rebel11

justine98x said:

the name on the letter was mine, when my mum called up they said there was nothing on my file about a new claim and to ignore the letter as it was sent by mistake, I never made a new claim haven't heard from dwp since the beginning of the pandemic. I know from what I've read that I'm not eligible for the new style esa so unsure why it would say I made a new claim and make me an appointment to talk to the work coach.

It sounds like an Admin error, only way to sort it out, is to write to them.

Make sure you send a SAR, that might show what's happened.