Reduced ESA(?) payment!

Fletch69

Hi, I have read couple of previous posts on subject but it doesn't answer my predicament!

On Thursday last, 6th April, received credits early due to Easter weekend, these amounts were CA (my wife is my carer) £76.25 (uprated amount) and £305.25 (which is the ? reduced credit in question, noted on statement as ESA).

Previously account credited as usual on 4th April, with £627.60 (PIP old amount) and £69.70 CA (old amount) 3rd April.

Then, previous time ESA credited was 2 weeks before the unusual credit in question, £305.25, which was 27th March, £312.30.

I know there may have been some difference in payments/credits from DWP, over the uprating period, but even this wouldn't make mathematical sense, as for past year usual ESA credits were £312.30 per fortnight. New uprated credit as per uprating letter should be £343.80 (= £171.90 per week as per letter).

Is anybody, anyone, able to tell me why I received £305.25 instead of £343.80 which is a fortnightly reduction of £38.55? (which has disappeared into the ether, somewhere!

My first thought was that it maybe the 1st 'cost of living' payment which is around £301.00, but then that wouldn't answer where my 'next' ESA payment was!

Hate to batter your heads with these figures but beleive that more information provided would give fuller picture and help understand query. For completeness, do not have any payments to dwp, or any monies taken from source for any debts. All bills are paid on/within time, and although we are just managing, we are (usually) on top of all bills.

Many thanks for reading and for any replies/advice helping to put minds at rest. Like others, I am loathed to contact dwp in any form. Will await, hope for, answers.

poppy123456

It will be impossible to tell you why your payment was reduced. Unfortunately the only ones that can answer that are ESA so you will need to ring them. 

It will not be the first CoL payment because that’s not due until between 25th April and 17th May. It will also be paid separately to your usual money, like it was last year and will have the letters CoL next to it. 

Fletch69

About the CoL payment, that is what I thought, Poppy! Again, loathed to contact them, like everybody else. I will wait for the next scheduled payment to see if this includes any amount that should have been over and above usual ESA of £312.30, or even if receive a small 1off payment, which might explain mistake & hoping make a little sense of the unusual credit of £305.25.

Many thanks for reading and info given.

Still looking forward to any further replies of any potential answers or people in same situation!

poppy123456

I’ve just re-read your post again because with all those numbers it’s very difficult to follow it. 

ESA is paid 2 weeks in arrears so I wouldn’t have expected you to receive the full uprating amount until your next payment. 

I can’t answer why you received slightly less than you usually do though but there was someone else here that also received slightly less than they usually do. 

Tess37

Could it be the reduction of £7.05 in the esa could be linked to the increase of £7.05 in the new rate of carers allowance as carers allowance get subtracted from esa. As updated amount of carers allowance is £76.75.

poppy123456

Tess37 said:

Could it be the reduction of £7.05 in the esa could be linked to the increase of £7.05 in the new rate of carers allowance as carers allowance get subtracted from esa. As updated amount of carers allowance is £76.75.

Well spotted, thanks,  I completely overlooked that. When claiming carers allowance if you receive payments weekly then it’s paid in advance and not in arrears. 

When receiving it 4 weekly it’s paid 3 weeks in arrears and 1 week in advance.