is it right to be on contribution based for this long?

fishman
fishman Online Community Member Posts: 4 Listener
edited July 2018 in Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
hi, i have been on ESA contribution based for about 3 years. i have been ticking the esa income box on prescriptions not relising there where different parts to esa so now owe a fortune. is it right to be on contribution based for this long? thanks in advance

Comments

  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Online Community Member Posts: 2,621 Trailblazing
    fishman,

    As Mike says, it's fine to be on cont ESA for years as long as you are in the support group.

    As regards prescriptions:

    1) check whether you are entitled to income-related ESA too. The benefit calculator can help you check this. If you are entitled, alert the DWP as soon as possible & ask for a revision because there is also a national scandal about people on contributory ESA who have missed out on income-related ESA

    2) if you are not entitled to income-related ESA, then you could still be entitled to free prescriptions via the low income scheme. 

    As for ticking the box when you didn't realise, I agree with Mike that face to face advice is the best idea - try Citizens Advice. I know that you can pay back penalty charges (which are a lot more than the prescription charges themselves) in instalments, but advice could help you as you might, for example, be able to complain about the wording of the prescription form/wording of your ESA letters and challenge the penalty charge.

    Will

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