Esa underlyning contribution/income related payment

sto

Hi i need help please i have rang esa and carers 25 times i get income related esa myself it was just changed over from contribition based now this is the problem i still have a underlyning entitlement of contribution based esa but i dont get a payment of it i only get income related with contribition based underlying now i claim carers for my 5yr old son its underlyning carers no payment but now my esa as changed to income related i was told i can get a payment of carers now esa are telling carers i get contribution based esa because its underlying but are telling them that i recieve no payment its only underlyning my payment i recieve is income based.but esa and cares are saying because i have a underlyning entitlement to contribution based i cant have carers but i dont get a payment for it i only get income related could anyone please help surley i cant have underlying carers and underlyning esa but get get payments for none.

Pippa_Alumni

Hi @sto, welcome to the community! Sounds like quite a complicated situation you're in at the moment.

Hopefully our benefits advisor will have some advice for you going forwards, but in the meantime some resources that might help are Scope's guide on Carer's Allowance, and also some more information on ESA.

There's also a benefits calculator that might help to clarify what you could be entitled to. Hope this helps and good luck!

CockneyRebel

As I understand it
Because you originally quailified for  ESA(CB) that entitlement remains so you can go back to it in the future. That means it is an underlying benefit but you don't get paid for it
You claim ESA it doesn't matter whether it is IR or CB Carers allowance is an underlying benefit because either of these pay more than CA although you still qualify for it it cannot be paid. However you should still be able to be paid Carers Premium £34.95 pw

CR

sto

Hi but income related is not listed as a benefit that stops payments of carers.

sto

Ive looked on carers uk an it says there to income related is not classed as a overlapping benefit

CockneyRebel

Income related is means tested ESA but it is still ESA.
Carers Allowance becomes underlying but Carers Premium should still be paid

CR

sto

Yes thats correct i  have a underlyning entitlement to carers so my means tested esa includes carers premium but you can still get paid carers on ir but im getting told i cant because i have a underlyning entitlement to contribution based even though i dont get payment for it so it cant overlap.

CockneyRebel

Hopefully one of the advisors will be able to answer better than me

CR

sto

Esa said on phone also the contribution based is underlying for the future incase i come income related i dont get any contribution money in my payment.

sto

Incase i come off income related that is ment to say in last part

BenefitsTrainingCo

sto,

Contribution-based ESA does overlap with carer's allowance. You can't get both, but you should get one or the other. I wonder if your contribution-based ESA might have stopped because you have had it for a year and you are not in the support group? But if so, you should then be able to get carer's allowance. Income-related ESA doesn't overlap with carer's allowance, you are correct about that.

You're still getting the carer premium, which sounds correct. But I would wonder in this case if you are better off on income support as a carer? That can include not only the carer premium but also a disability premium if you get PIP or DLA yourself. 

The reason I say this is because it would make no difference to the amount of money you received if you DID get contributory ESA or carer's allowance. All that would happen is that your income-related ESA would go down to reflect the difference. 

Still, it would be good to understand why your contributory ESA stopped. It may be because you have had it for 52 weeks and you are not in the support group. Contributory ESA is worth more than carer's allowance so you would expect to get contributory ESA if you are still entitled to it.

If contributory ESA is definitely not payable then you should get your carer's allowance, with income-related ESA paid on top to the same amount of money as before (including the carer premium). As you can see, it wouldn't give you any more money than you currently have, so it may not be worth continuing to discuss with the DWP. But you could take your award letters to a local advice agency, such as a CAB, because it would be good to understand it all and make sure it's right.

Will