ESA and Inheritance

noodle1138

Hi all… I'm new here and I have a question.

My wife is registered disabled - she has Cerebral Palsy and a couple of other medical conditions and claims Pip (both top rate) and ESA - Contribution based and some Income based.

I am due to receive a substantial amount of inheritance soon (£100k+) and my wife is worried that she will lose the ESA - even though we have our own, seperate, bank accounts. Will she be penalised for me receiving the inheritance? I've looked through several forums and they're all dated from a few years ago, is there any up-to-date guidance?

Kimi87

Your circumstances are calculated as a couple so yes it will effect your wife's ESA. It's not her being penalised, it's the system expecting couples living together to support each other rather than getting means tested benefits from the state.

Only the Income Related ESA will end, the Contribution Based ESA (£276.40 a fortnight) will continue.

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/employment-and-support-allowance#Existing-claim-for-income-related-ESA-click

noodle1138

Thank you for your reply. Having looked through her ESA letter, it looks like my wife no longer receives the Income based component… her "pay" is going up to £140 per fortnight in April, so we're assuming theres only the contribution bit coming… that might explain why she no longers gets free dental or eyecare

Thanks again :)