Existing UC claim new partner and ESA

weeyin556

I am currently on UC and also currently receiving ESA support group also, I’ve just added my new partner to my claim, he is currently on ESA support group we have 2 children in our household how much will we recieve also they have asked him to attend an appt to check Identity but he suffers with agrophobia but they still says he has to attend is this correct?

Kimmy87

Try in putting your details into a benefits calculator:

https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators

DancingGaye007

when I was asked to go in I told him I couldn’t - then under the equality act 2010 - I needed to have a phone or phone video appointment. or relay with the speech to text option or a home visit - but you are entitled to ask for a reasonable adjustment as part of the mental health protected characteristics in the equality act - so write on his journal on line the equality act for a reasonable adjustment for a phone call instead of going in. You can’t avoid the appointment because they will cut off your benefits cause they’ll say you’re not complying with the commitments they give you - so I went in with the proviso they check my documents quickly and then I did the phone appointment - but what I did was write down everything I wanted to say - because they try and trip you up - like do you go out often? How often do you go out? If you can get to the job centre then you can mobilise ? They try to prove you can work - I.e., There’s nothing wrong with you. So take your time. Pause. They ask - How do you get to the doctors or the hospital? So they asked me lots of questions like that and then what I said was that I had a local Charity if I have to go to the doctors they come and pick me up and take me there because I don’t have a support worker yet. I got my universal credit no problem because I did phone appointments and then I got my full Disability because I had it transferred over from my ESA into my universal credit.

DancingGaye007

I hope that makes sense ? I found it incredibly stressful as I am ADHD ASD and have joint pain form hEDS so sitting is excruciating 😣

weeyin556

thank you for your reply he said on the telephone to them that he doesn’t go out and can get fight or flight mode their reply was there is a room right at the door to help so looks he have to go she says doing it that way processes the claim quicker. I tried the benefits calculator but doesn’t make sense because I do t know which one or both of us will still get ESA?

Kimmy87

Couples claims aren't my area of expertise as they can be quite complex, try a local advice service or perhaps the scope helpline

https://advicelocal.uk/welfare-benefits

https://www.scope.org.uk/helpline

Albus_Scope

Heya @weeyin556 and welcome to the community.

I can see some folk have given some top advice already, but I just wanted to stop in and say a quick hi. 😊