ESA: the terribe ESA blunders — Scope | Disability forum
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ESA: the terribe ESA blunders

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Otto
Otto Community member Posts: 5 Listener
If there is anybody who still has an unresolved  historic issue, read this in full and then make a fuss.

https://www.nao.org.uk/report/investigation-into-errors-in-employment-and-support-allowance/

1. Since 2011, the Department for Work & Pensions (the Department) has
underpaid an estimated 70,000 people who transferred to Employment and
Support Allowance (ESA) from other benefits.

The error related to people who may have been entitled to income-related ESA but were instead only awarded contribution-based ESA, and therefore may have missed out on premium payments.

This issue is most likely to affect those with the most limiting illnesses or disabilities,
who transferred to ESA from older-style benefits between February 2011 and the end
of 2014, by which point the majority of the transfers were complete and the Department
had changed the process

4 The Department estimates it will need to pay a total of between £570 million
to £830 million more ESA than it previously expected by the end of the 2022
‑23 financial year.

Its central estimate is £680 million more. This is because, in addition
to the £340 million in arrears payments, people affected will receive higher amounts
of ESA after their claim is corrected

12 In July 2017, the Department recognised that it had a legal responsibility
to identify the people affected and developed a response.

The Department first undertook an exercise to review a sample of 1,000 cases and has paid arrears where they were due in those cases. Using the information it gathered through this exercise, it has developed a detailed plan to pay people affected by April 2019 (paragraphs 2.17, 2.18 a n d 3 .14).





Comments

  • audreysabol
    audreysabol Community member Posts: 1 Listener
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    I was receiving ESA i was born disabled with Arthrogryposis always on crutches I couldn't walk @all with out them,last year I went in hospital to have a hip replacement didn't go as planned he removed my hip but didn't replace it ?There was to much tissue damage from previous operations,so now I'm permanently in a wheelchair,had a accessment and they've stopped my ESA,citizens advice wrote a letter on my behalf,got a letter the decision is the same I'm not entitled to ESA,my doctor says it absolutely disgusting,going back to citizens advice 2mo to see what I do next?,how long it would take to go for tribal?they stopped my housing & council tax benefit as well
  • al1b0y13
    al1b0y13 Community member Posts: 13 Connected
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    someones failure to see our worth makes us no less valuable.in the first instance appeal the decision to stop your e.s.a.seek advise from citizens advice and/or a welfare rights professional.the dwp stop these awards because until the claimant gets a tribunal decision that they are indeed unfit to work,they can withdraw financial assistance,and all the help(rent/council tax) there-in a part of that assistance.more often than not,upon a tribunal decision,the benefit is restored,but until such times as that,and it is usually some lengthy time,perhaps 7/months or more to tribunal hearing.the dwp can exercise their right to keep back money from you.dont give up,its hard i know,but go and get help from the aforementioned and appeal against the decision to remove you from e.s.a.all the very best.kindest regards.
  • anth22
    anth22 Community member Posts: 188 Courageous
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    Hi Otto im one off those people that have missed out on this since 2011 its been nearly 5 months and im still waiting for my arrears :(.
    DWP do not care about disabled people at all, even though my arrears are waiting to go into my bank im starting to feel its never going to happen as its been 5 weeks already and DWP are saying they can not hit the button until they receive the legal letter zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz tired off hearing this now:(.

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