ESA underpayment

Trish56

Nothing else

JulianandFiona

Hi

My partner & I moved from ESA to IS which benefited us financially at the time; we have since moved to UC. I am not sure if you can help following the ESA wrong payments story in the news today. My partner whom I now care for Julian Pucci was on this benefit when it replaced IB, with me joining him in a joint claim when I needed to give up work to care for him. Do you think we might be due to any underpayments even though we no longer claim ESA but definitely did during the period stated and my partner did receive severe disability allowance element on ESA.

If you are not sure I would be very grateful if you could point us in the right direction.

Kind Regards

Fiona & Julian

poppy123456

Hi,

How many hours were you working when your partner was claiming Contributions based ESA? This will affect any income related top ups he may have been entitled to. I'll happily advise you further once you've answered this.

JulianandFiona

I have not worked for over 20 years, was on ESA support group from beginning. My partner gave up work to care for me so we made a joint claim.

Also receive pip enhanced on both components.

Julian

poppy123456

I meant your partner working, how many hours did they work? I see by your other question that you were receiving the severe disability premium on your ESA, is this because you were living alone? or does your partner receive a qualifying benefit too? This is the part i don't understand because this premium is not paid if you live with a partner unless they claim a qualifying benefit too.

Sorry, confusion sets in when you post 2 slightly different questions on 2 different threads. It's always better to start your own thread rather than ask questions on other peoples because it's confusing.

kopite64

Hi I don't know if I will be entitled to the refund. But I got moved from Incapacity benefit to ESA contribution rate for 52 weeks in 2011, after the 52 weeks they put me in the income related WRAG group. After a while they reassessed me and put me in the income related support group, which I still receive. I have read on another forum that they should have put me on the contributions and not the income related. So I am confused should I be on the contributions group rather in come related. Also would I be entitled to the refund. Thanks. 

poppy123456

Hi,

Nope you have it the wrong way round. They put people on Contributions based and didn't asses them for the income related part. As you were placed onto Income related then you were claiming what you should have been. If DWP have any doubts then they will contact you sometime in the future.

kopite64

 Hi,I was placed from incapacity benefit to ESA contribution based at first, without being assessed for income related.Then after being on it for 52 weeks,  they then said I was not entitled to contribution now  and placed me on the income related Wrag group. But after 8 months I was reassessed again and they said they would put me in the support group. Sorry to confuse you.

BattlingNan

Hi,
i was on incapacity benefit from approximately 1992 ish and was then transferred to ESA. I was place into support group and told I would not have to be reassessed. My ESA stopped in March of this year because I reached pension age. I don’t know which ESA I was on, I know national insurance was stopped out of it. Would I be able to claim any refund from the DWP??

poppy123456

IF DWP think you're one of those that were underpaid then they'll contact you sometime in the future.

BattlingNan

Will they still contact me even though I’m no longer on ESA? Assuming I am owed anything?

poppy123456

National insurance credits are paid towards your state pension through ESA they don't stop money from your benefit to pay your national insurance.

If you're one of those that's owed money you'll be contacted yes.

BattlingNan

Ok thank you ? 

Trish56

I have just recieved my form from DWP about the under payments made to some ib.I was transfered from long term incapacity benefit in july 2014 to contribution based esa support. Im in a full uc area will this effect  my esa and my enhanced pip payments on car and mobility. My husband gets an army pension and a full mobility payment

poppy123456

PIP isn't part of UC so no. Any pension your husband claims will affect any entitlement to the Income related top up you maybe entitled to.

Trish56

Thanks just wat and see i suppose prob wont get it dwp et out of it if they can 

poppy123456

Trish56 said:

Thanks just wat and see i suppose prob wont get it dwp et out of it if they can 

Your husbands pension is classed as income for means tested benefits. The reason you're still receiving ESA payments is because it's contributions based and this isn't means tested.

Trish56

Thanks just wait and see i suppose prob wont get it.dwp will get out of it if they can 

poppy123456

That's not what the underpayment is about. If you don't qualify for the income related top up then there's no backdated money to claim. Other house income will affect means tested benefits.

Trish56

I know but they did try to hide it for a good while. Some one just txt me to say that someone got £23 000.00 so bet you meaning me will get payout even though i have tried to explain thats not the case. So sent them what you have sent me. Thank you