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Do I have to declare money if I get ESA?
honey2kk1
Member Posts: 4 Listener
I want to know if you get some money monthly payment do you have to declare to employment and support allowance thanks
Replies
Warmest best wishes to you
Richard
@JennysDad
Face to face advice can not only avoid an unnecessary declaration and benefit suspensions but can also ensure that, if declarations do need to be made, they are made with sufficient detail about the payments that any suspension is minimal.
Mike's advice is good & practical. I completely agree that if you declare it, then you need to be specific about what it is. Not all income makes a difference & there is a danger that if you don't explain, benefit could be suspended with all the knock on effects Mike has mentioned. On the other hand, if you don't tell them, investigation & overpayment is a possibility, so it really is best to get advice first, & if you report something, make sure you are really specific & give details to avoid any suspension.
If you get contributory ESA only, you only need to declare certain sorts of payment (occupational and personal pensions, and some types of health insurance and pension protection payments).
If you get any income-related ESA, then there are many more types of income which are likely to affect your benefit. But even then, if you get a regular charitable or voluntary payment (such as every month), then those are ignored. A voluntary payment is one made without the payer getting anything back from you.
Will
DWP often use such interviews to persuade people that they have been overpaid and are likely to be prosecuted for fraud. They then offer you a way out of prosecution by suggesting if you agree to end your claim, agree to relay the overpayment and pay an administrative penalty on top. They may have a case but in my experience it’s a con. A way to bypass your appeal rights. I’ve dealt with one IUC after another over the years where the threat of prosecution was wholly false.
None of this means the threat in your case is false though. It could be very real. Take a witness; go see what they want. Get professional advice before you go if at all possible; don’t agree to anything on the day. The people who interview you are not the decision makers. They’re just gatherers of evidence. Get further advice after.
In the meantime, have a read of https://www.advicenow.org.uk/guides/how-deal-interview-under-caution.
I hear your declaration that you’ve done nothing wrong but you started the thread by asking a very specific question. One that suggests there is at least a legitimate question you need to answer.