ESA

lulufred

I’ve just been told I’ve been put in the support group of esa I also claim carers allowance for my child will it affect the severe disability element? Tia

poppy123456

SDP and carers premium will both continue as normal. I’m assuming you were in the WRAG previously? 

This means your ESA will now increase and will include the Support Group component.

How much it will increase to will depend on whether your ESA included extra for the WRAG. 

lulufred

Thankyou yes I wasn’t in support group before I asked for a review about 13 weeks ago and I got a call today to say they put me in support group 

poppy123456

Then the extra money will be paid from the date you rang to report the changes. How much is owed will depend on whether your ESA claim started before or after April 2017.

lulufred

ok thankyou my claim started well before 2017 I think I should of been in suport group all along but they said b4 covid I’m not in support group because I walk my child to school which is only round the corner 

poppy123456

When you mentioned the severe disability element above, i thought you were talking about the Severe disability Premium. Having read your comment again were you talking about the Severe disability element of child Tax credits?

Are you currently claiming a disability benefit yourself? of so what award do you have please?

lulufred

Hello my child is on middle rate dla and I get the extra on child tax credit and I have pip low rate care and high mobility 

poppy123456

There's no low rate care PIP, it's standard or Enhanced. Your disabled child element will not be affected. If your ESA includes the SDP because you're treated as living alone and no one claims either carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after you then this will also continue.

If your ESA claim is just for yourself then you will now be entitled to the Enhanced disability premium (single person)£19.55/week. As well as the difference between WRAG and Support Group component, which is £11/week.

lulufred

Sorry yes it’s standard care rate and yes I live alone I don’t get universal credit jusf the esa thankyou for your help so how much would I get extra it’s confusing 

poppy123456

Yes i know you're not claiming UC because you're claiming Tax credits. It's an extra £30.55/week. 

As you're not living with any other adults does your ESA include the Severe disability Premium? It should do unless someone is claiming either carers allowance or carers element of UC for looking after you.

Please also note that anytime from now up until 2024 you'll be invited to claim Universal Credit as part of managed migration because they are dealing with those that are claiming Tax credits first.

lulufred

Ok thankyou I’m not sure if it’s included no one claims carers for me I get £254 every fortnight esa and carers on a Monday of £74 

poppy123456

I can't work out what's included with that £254 because everything i do doesn't match to any of my figures. Do you have any deductions with your ESA for anything at all?

lulufred

They have deducted some off  because I have carers allowance 

poppy123456

Yes, i included that. Ok i think i have the calculation correct now. I was working out the rates for your claim starting before April 2017 but according to the amount you're receiving your claim started after the rule changes in April 2017 because you weren't receiving any extra money for being in the WRAG.

Your current breakdown for the WRAG is as follows...

Personal allowance 25 and over.. £84.80

Carers premium £42.75

SDP £76.40 Total amount before deductions = £203.95/week - £76.75 carers allowance = £127.20/week (£254.40/fortnight) which confirms your ESA includes the SDP.

The breakdown for Support Group is as follows...

Personal allowance £84.80

Support Group component £44.70

Enhanced disability premium (known as disability Income guarantee) £19.55

Carers premium £42.75

SDP £76.40

Total before deductions £268.20/week - £76.75 carers allowance = New amount £191.45/week (£382.90/fortnight)

You should be owed the extra money from the date you rang to report the changes. Hope this helps.

lulufred

Ok thankyou I Defiantly have had esa for a lot of years before 2017 do you think dwp have got my amounts wrong for what I’ve been getting up untill now ?

poppy123456

It's possible yes. However, i can only advise based on the information you give. All the figures i did that included the WRAG component weren't matching your fortnightly amount of £254. It only matched when i removed that component.

Maybe you have some other deductions that you've forgotten about. If you have a recent breakdown of your ESA award for the WRAG then it will tell you everything that's included in there.

lulufred

Lovely thankyou il look into it as I’m not sure now if they calculated it wrong for all this time thenkyou for you help 

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @lulufred

Just wanted to welcome you to the community! I see Poppy has been a great help to you. I hope the community can continue to be a place of support and friendship  

lulufred

Thankyou 

lulufred

Evening I’m still a bit confused about the calculatons ware it says the carers allowance and deductions is the carers paid separately like it is already if so what would the esa amount be as I’m not sure if the Carers is deducted off the amount ?thankyou 

poppy123456

lulufred said:

Evening I’m still a bit confused about the calculatons ware it says the carers allowance and deductions is the carers paid separately like it is already if so what would the esa amount be as I’m not sure if the Carers is deducted off the amount ?thankyou 

My calculations say that carers allowance is deducted. Care premium is then added. Carers allowance then pay you separately. 

What I can’t see is the extra money for the WRAG because the amount of ESA you’ve been receiving in my opinion doesn’t include this. 

As I advised yesterday it would be helpful if you can find your last ESA letter with all the calculations included.