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What help am I entitled to as my sick leave has ended??

rmichelle

Hi lovely people I'm new here and I apologise if I'm on the wrong forum but I have been off work now for 12months now with thyroid disease and graves and hashimotos which I believe does come under disability. I started off on 6months full pay and then 6 months half pay with top up of ESA contribution based, but work will now be ending my pay to £0, I am in dire straights at present as I still have bills to pay, hubby works to but could not afford to pay for everything, what am I entitled to ESA pays just £146 a fortnight!! Please help.

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poppy123456

Hi,

The ESA you're claiming is assessment rate and is £73.10 per week. ESA Contribution based is also only paid for 365 days unless you're placed in the support group. To be able to claim any means tested benefits like housing benefit/council tax reduction it will totally depend on household income. As you're husband works then it will depend on his income from his job. To find out if you're both entitled to any further help with benefits then pop your details into a benefits calculator and it will tell you what's possible to claim.

The only other thing you could try is PIP, which isn't means tested. PIP isn't awarded based on a diagnosis, it's how those conditions affect you daily. Evidence will also be needed to support your claim. Complete this PIP self test and it will tell what you could possibly score, it's only a guide so please remember that. http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php

If you start a claim then you will need to ring PIP but claims can take several months depending on backlog in your area. Then an award isn't guaranteed, evidence will be needed. More advice here about PIP.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

rmichelle

Thankyou poppy, I was told to apply for pip before but it is just so longwinded and it does not help when you need the help asap ice never been on benefits and just think its so unfair that we will probably end up with no help, the only way out would be to go back to work and see how I manage. Big thanks?

poppy123456

You're welcome. Yes, unfortunately your partner is supposed to support you. If your partner works full time then you most likely won't be entitled to any means tested benefits.

You will eventually have a face 2 face assessment for your ESA. Once a decision is made for that, if you're placed into the Support Group then Contribution based Support group amount is £110.75 per week. The difference will be back dated to week 14 of your claim, your ESA will also continue to be paid in this group for as long as you remain there.

If placed in the WRAG your money will remain the same as it is now and it's only paid for 365 days. Do take a look at the PIP descriptors. Good luck.

rmichelle

Thankyou poppy I have a assessment with ESA on the 20th august so if I pass this then I move onto the higher based ESA if I don't pass I remain on the same now? Sorry this is all new too me, I'm such a giver upper on applying for anything as I've always worked. I do appreciate your great advice. Thankyou.?

poppy123456

After the assessment a report will be written, this will be sent to DWP to a decision maker. The decision maker will then decide if it's WRA Group, Support Group or fit for work. If youre found fit for work then your ESA will stop the day the decision is made. If you're placed in WRA group then your money will stay the same as it is now BUT as you're claiming CB ESA this will only be paid for 365 days, after that it will stop because you have a partner that works.

If you're placed in the Support Group then you'll be paid £110.75 per week and the difference between what you're claiming now and this will be back dated to week 14 of your claim. Your money will continue to paid for as long as you're in this group, CB ESA is not time limited for those in Support Group.

During your assessment you'll be assessed on your ability to do any type of work. ESA is about the work you can do rather than the work you can't do.

Here's the descriptors for WRAG and you need at least 15 points to be placed into this group.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1354-work-related-activity-group-descriptors

Support Group descriptors are here. For this group you need to satisfy at least one of the descriptors, it's not about scoring points for this group.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/1353-support-group-descriptors

There's also special circumstances for each group. Reg 29 for WRAG and reg 35 for Support Group. Details of that are here.

http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/making-exception

Hope this helps good luck with the assessment and remember to answer all the questions with as much detail as possible. Take someone with you if you can but you'll have to answer all the questions yourself.

rmichelle

Thankyou poppy that is great, I worried about the assessment and it would be easier to give up and just go back to work 3 days a week but I will see how it goes next week and make a start with trying to get help, yes hubby does earn a full time wage but he pays all the bills and I pay for the rent,which is the main concern, but he cannot manage both.?

poppy123456

You're welcome. This link may also help.

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/help-with-your-esa-claim/esa-medical-assessment/

Yadnad

rmichelle said:

Thankyou poppy, I was told to apply for pip before but it is just so longwinded and it does not help when you need the help asap ice never been on benefits and just think its so unfair that we will probably end up with no help, the only way out would be to go back to work and see how I manage. Big thanks?

Yes I know that scenario.
The DWP messed up my claims for various benefits due to long term hospitalisation and it took 7 years before I could actually feel capable enough to deal with them. For those 7 years we lived on our savings £16,000 and various credit cards £28,000. We are still paying it back . At last count just one benefit alone was a loss of £20,000+ that we should have got besides the ESA and DLA.