ESA question - can you help?

Sonny

My husband has just received a 45 page form to complete! This is because he might be eligible for back disability premium payments as he is on contributions based ESA but might be eligible for income based.  However I am in receipt of a private pension and state pension, it would seem that to complete this form we will have to supply 5 years worth of bank statements as the claim has been back dated to Dec 2013 and we have to supply all financial information from that date to present, so my question as is it going to be worth it?

thespiceman

Hello @Sonny   Pleased to met you welcome.

Thank you for joining and sharing your story.

I am unsure of an answer to your question on benefits. They re complex and confusing.

All I can say is there will be some one from our community to advise or a member of our team.

Some thing to consider speak to CAB  about benefit advice, information. Give you help on completing the form. I myself know how difficult this is.  The CAB are very supportive.

Can advise.  On anything benefit related. Plus anything else.

Hope that helps.

We are a supportive friendly community.  Care and share.

Please take care

@thespiceman

Sonny

Thank you I will ring our local Disability Advise centre and see if they can help.

Sam_Alumni

Hi @Sonny
The forms can be so overwhelming! I have asked @BenefitsTrainingCo if they can offer any thoughts.

Is it worth it? Only you can answer this, if you need the support of the benefit then you will need to apply by filling in the forms.  You can ask CAB if they can help you with filling these in.

Sonny

Its worth it because my husband might be entitled to back pay.

poppy123456

Your pension will count as income £1 for £1 for Income related top up he maybe entitled to. Contributions based ESA isn't affected by your pension.

Sonny

He is already on contributions based ESA.  The DWP contacted us as he might be one of the thousands owed money due to their error.

poppy123456

Yes i know but your pension will count as income for the income related top up.

Sonny

Well there isn't much I can do about that if we get it all to the good if not he will just stay and contribution based so we will be no worse off and I won't have to fill in a 45 page form again!

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hello Sonny

It sounds like your husband may be one of the many people effected by underpayments of ESA when they transferred from Incapacity Benefit to ESA. 

I have put a link to a BBC article on this issue below:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43489454 

There is also a BBC radio article:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bbml6x 

As people were underpaid benefit the DWP now have to trawl through all those effected and calculate if they are entitled to arrears of ESA and if so how much.  If people are entitled and if so how much they may receive will depend on each persons circumstances.  Not everyone will be entitled and not everyone will be entitled to the thousands of pounds arrears. 

Your private/occupational pension will effect any amount of ESA arrears as it will be classed as income.  Unless there is any transitional protection, any amount up to £85 will be ignored and thereafter your ESA will be reduced by 50p for every £1 above the threshold of £85 a week. Your state pension will be fully taken into account.

In additional if you have savings or any other capital this can effect entitlement to any possible ESA arrears.

Keep us posted

Maria

Sonny

Thanks I am aware of that information, so we will just have to wait and see. We are still in receipt of housing benefit which is means tested so hoping that will make a difference.

Sonny

As yet no one has realised that disabled people will have to provide financial information going back 5 years! As we are now very much a paperless society I very much doubt our bank will provide 5 years worth of bank statements for nothing!!!  So even if we don't get any back pay it will cost is to find out, doubt if the DWP will refund us!!

poppy123456

For those people who know for sure they're owed backdated money, all those years of bank statements will be worth it, as some people are owed thousands. However, if you're not sure you're entitled to it then it may not be worth it. For you, it will depend on how long you've been receiving the pension.

Sonny

How would you know?  I have ordered the bank statements anyway as I can't see the DWP not asking for them.  I am just angry that the DWP haven't even bothered putting together a simple form again it is the disabled person who has to do all the work, I bet disabled people living alone faced with a 45 page form will just throw it in the bin!

thespiceman

Hello @Sonny In answer to your question faced with much worse than 45 page forms.

Done more forms so just let CAB  do the work for you. Just a suggestion. There great and I found there advice and input most helpful.

Yes it was two hours or more of my life never get back. Understand been filling in forms with support workers, health workers. When I had them.

Friends as well.   Been filling in forms with support been doing that for over twenty years or more.

Especially when first started down the roads of going onto benefits. So found help and support to do it.

Easy solution.

Biggest form was an eighty five page stinker and still had to fight and get my verbal boxing gloves on.

Thought just comment you said if a disabled person living on his own. I am that person.

Add to that had problems like the time had to admit got to produce documents. Proof of various aspects of my life. Like me running a business.

Evidence needed.

Wish you the best at the end of the day you want a successful outcome.  Be honest and open with the DWP.

From reading you have been give lots of guidance and good advice from various members of our community and team.

Take care.

@thespiceman

poppy123456

Your pension is counted as income £1 for £1 for the income related top up, depending on how much pension you receive per week and for how long you've received it will depend how much is owed, if any.

The enhanced disability premium is payable to those in Support Group on Income Related and this year it's £16.40 per week, less in previous years. The Severe disability premium of £64.39 per week is only payable if both of you receive a qualifying benefit such as PIP daily living, DLA mid/high rate care or Attendance Allowance and no one must be claiming carers allowance for either of you.

Sonny

Hi Spiceman, Don't get me wrong I to have been form filling for the last 14 years since my husbands accident at work. So I do understand.  It doesn't stop me being angry with the DWP for this error in the first place and its the claiments having to do all the work and of course no question of compensation.