Moving with boyfriend's parents, how will this effect ESA?

helping

Hi, I am looking for some advice.  I am trying to help a vulnerable adult with her benefits.  We have the DWP coming to do a home visit next week. The relationship between them and their Mum has broken down.  We know that she receives PIP and are presuming ESA but we have no paperwork.  She temporarily moved in with her boyfriends parents in July following the fall out and now it is a permanent move as the fall out hasn’t been resolved. How will this effect ESA please ? 

poppy123456

Can you check her bank account to see what money she has coming in? It will where it's from next to the payment, such as ESA or Universal Credit (UC)

Although the move in July was only temporary, as she's now still living there with her partner then she should have reported the changes to which ever benefit she's claiming (potentially ESA) PIP isn't affected.

It is difficult to advise without more information. If you can tell me what benefits exactly she's receiving, besides PIP. Is her partner claiming any benefits? does he work? Then i will be able to advise you further.

Or she can get some expert advice from an agency near her. https://advicelocal.uk/welfare-benefits

helping

Thank you both.  Her mum currently receives the benefits and pays them over to her.  Her boyfriend works full time and doesn’t claim anything. I suppose we will have to see exactly what benefits she gets on friday, it’s tricky as she has no idea besides pip nor would she know how to go about what and when to report a change in circumstance, that’s why we rang them to try and get some information and to let them know of the move.   

Hannah_Alumni

Hello @helping

I'm so sorry to hear about the fall out. I see Poppy has given advice and linked to advice local, who can be a great support! I also wanted to ask if they have ever had a needs assessment before? I wondered if that could be a way to help support your friend seeing as they now have a permanent residence again?

poppy123456

If her benefits are paid into her mums bank then there's a possibility that she's her appointee. If she no longer wants her mum to continue with this then she will need to ring PIP and any other departments that pay her benefits to get the appiontee cancelled. If she has an appointee is the DWP rep visiting her home or the home of the appointee? I'll be very very surprised if it's not the latter because when you have an appointee, they are responsible for their benefits.

As the partner is working, if there's an overpayment then this will need to be repaid back but it will be the appointees responsibility and not the claimants.

Hannah_Alumni

That's a good point Poppy, I didn't think about an appointee. 

I hope all this advice is helping @helping?

helping

thank you all! Her mum is the appointee yes but the claimant doesn’t want her to be she wants to try and do it herself with both mine and her sisters support.  We rang and told them that’s why they are coming out on Friday (to the new address. They apparently will visit mum also separately.  I will have a look at the assessment needs as I hadn’t heard of that and it could be beneficial.  So it looks like mum will be the one who has to pay any overpayment of ESA back?

helping

You have all been amazing ! Thank you ! 

poppy123456

That's helpful information about the visit and does confirm exactly what i thought. This means that yes it would have been mum's responsibility to report all changes.

Going forward as her partner works full time if all of her ESA is Income Related then there will be no entitlement to this and payments will stop because of her partner working full time. If any part of her ESA is contributions based then this will continue (£129.50/week)

They can use a benefits calculator to check entitlement to Universal Credit.

helping

I see ! That’s good news for her then at least I can reassure her that she isn’t going to be in trouble at all. So am I right in thinking that because she has never worked would likely be in the income related group?

poppy123456

helping said:

So am I right in thinking that because she has never worked would likely be in the income related group?

No. If she was claiming Incapacity benefit before ESA then part of her ESA could be contributions based. ESA will be able to tell her what her claim is made up of. PIP won't be affected.

helping

right okay, I hope that is the case for her then. Thanks again for all of your help