Told she does not qualify for any ESA payment

Michelleapril
Michelleapril Online Community Member Posts: 1 Listener
edited October 2024 in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

Good afternoon,

Wonder if anyone can help me?

My daughter was my mother's carer for 4 and a half years - this was classed as an unpaid carer by the government. Within this time she received 4 years full Class 1 National insurance credits.

She is autistic with a limited capability to work.

She has tried to claim ESA and has been told that she does not qualify for any payment just more NI credits?

Can anyone advise where to go from here as currently she has no income whatsover?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated

Comments

  • luvpink
    luvpink Online Community Member Posts: 1,943 Championing

    @Michelleapril

    What reason did esa give for turning your daughter down?

    She could apply for pip if she meets the criteria of how her condition affects her.

    If you post in the esa/pip area of this forum you will get more advise.

  • Adrian_Scope
    Adrian_Scope Posts: 11,748 Online Community Programme Lead

    Good afternoon @Michelleapril

    Did they assess your daughter and place her in a group on ESA? Either Support Group or WRAG?

    New claimants can no longer apply for income-related ESA, so your daughter would have applied for New Style ESA, which is contribution based.

    Unfortunately what they have said is correct, your daughter would not be eligible for New Style ESA with just the Carer's Allowance NI contributions. However, she may be entitled to Universal Credit.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/918273#Comment_918273

    There could still be entitlement to payments because ESA very often get this wrong. To be entitled to NsESA yes, usually you need to have worked at some point in the previous 2 tax years.

    It's really complex but there's some information here.

    https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based

    Relaxation of the first contribution condition

    The rules are complex and there are situations where the first contribution condition can be relaxed for certain groups of ESA claimants meaning that these specific groups can use National Insurance contributions paid in any tax year to satisfy the first contribution condition. This could apply to you if:

    • you were entitled to Carer's Allowance in the last complete tax year immediately before the benefit year in which your Limited Capability for Work began

    However, if the daughter has never worked then they will not qualify for NsESA.

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