Find out how to let us know if you're concerned about another member's safety.
advice needed rest ESA please

cathysclaim
Member Posts: 4 Listener
Hello I am new here and need some advice about ESA - I have been assessed and put on income related ESA in support group - I want to change to contribution based ESA but am worried that I will have to go through the whole distressing / degrading application all over again. Is it possible to simply change to contribution based ? - any advice very much appreciated -thankyou Cathy
Comments
-
Hi,If you started your claim as Income Related then it's not possible to change to Contributions based. If you were entitled to Contribution based when you applied for ESA then it would be this you were claiming. Contribution based depends on NI contributions in the previous 2 years before your claim.May i ask why you want to change to Contribution based and why you think it's possible?
-
Hi - Thank-you for replying - I understand that I have the NI contributions needed and am worried an inheritance I am due will push me over the means tested income related ESA .............this is why I wanted to find out if I could change ESA to contribution based.
-
When you first claimed ESA if you had the correct NI contributions needed at that time then you would have most definitely been put onto Contributions based ESA. If you didn't and your circumstances allowed it then you would have been placed onto Income Related ESA. You can't claim Contribution based benefits from NI credits from claiming benefits like ESA, JSA, Income Support or Universal Credit. It's possible that your ESA claim is Contribution based with an Income Related top up.The easiest way to answer the question is, did you work and pay NI contributions in the 2 tax years before you claimed ESA? Or another way to look at it is do you live with a partner that works?If the answer is no to working then you would be claiming Income Related ESA and you can't change from this to CB ESA.When your inheritance hits your bank if this takes over the savings/capital amounts then you need to report the changes. Anything over £6,000 will affect any means tested benefits £1 for every £250 over and £16,000 will stop all of your means tested benefits like housing benefit, council tax reduction and ESA Income Related.The conditions for claiming CB benefits when you first started claiming ESA are explained here. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based
-
Thank-you Poppy for such a helpful and full explaination - the whole system can be very confusing and difficult to understand.................... I will go and check credits etc - I appreciate the information / links - thanks Cathy
-
No problem. What you really need to do is check any recent letter you have or ring ESA and ask what exactly you're claiming, whether it's Income Related or Contribution based with an Income related top up. If it's fully income related then you absolutely can't transfer to Contribution based.
Brightness
Categories
- 53K All Categories
- 10.4K Start here and say hello!
- 4.8K Coffee lounge
- 4K Disability rights and campaigning
- 1.5K Research and opportunities to get involved in
- 149 Community updates
- 12K Talk about your situation
- 1.8K Children, parents, and families
- 760 Work and employment
- 578 Education
- 1.1K Housing, transport, and independent living
- 1K Aids, adaptations, and equipment
- 277 Dating, sex, and relationships
- 264 Exercise and accessible facilities
- 21.2K Talk about money
- 2.1K Benefits and financial support
- 4.4K Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- 12.3K PIP, DLA, and AA
- 2.4K Universal Credit (UC)
- 4K Talk about your impairment
- 1.3K Cerebral palsy
- 676 Chronic pain and pain management
- 700 Rare, invisible, and undiagnosed conditions
- 751 Autism and neurodiversity
- 928 Mental health and wellbeing
- 298 Sensory impairments
Complete our feedback form and tell us how we can make the community better.
Do you need advice on your energy costs?
Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.