I am in receipt of ESA and a homeowner with a mortgage — Scope | Disability forum
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I am in receipt of ESA and a homeowner with a mortgage

ruttasd
ruttasd Community member Posts: 4 Listener
I have a mortgage on my home, I am up to date with my mortgage payments but my home in falling apart and I just afford to upkeep my payments and fix my home at the same time. I have some equity in my home, I cannot get another mortgage as I am chronically ill and I cannot work. What if my only option is to sell my home. Where do I live, can I continue to receive ESA, can I buy a part ownership home with my equity, is that even allowed. Can someone advise because I feel like I'm between a pillow and a post and my wellbeing is suffering. I actually feel like I don't want to live anymore because all the things that need fixing is too overbearing.

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,355 Disability Gamechanger
    If you plan on buying another house with the money from the sale of your current house then it can be disregarded for 6 months. I'm not sure about part ownership. I advise you to get further advice regarding this and contact your local CAB, welfare rights or law centre near you.

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • debbiedo49
    debbiedo49 Community member Posts: 2,904 Disability Gamechanger
    I'm on jsa and I have a mortgage as well and it's tough. I used to get help with mortgage interest payments which changed to smi support with mortgage interest this year. I've had lots of issues getting this arranged and now have small arrears on my payments. They lost my paperwork. Anyway this may be an option for you but you need face to face advice. Cab or welfare rights at the local council if they have one. I try to weigh up where I am now and where would I be instead and I don't deal with change very well at all. So you just do the best you can. For me in terms of repairs I'm not physically able, but I can do small tasks if I'm okay health wise. I pat myself on the back when I achieve any task. Set achievable goals.  I try to be thankful I have a home and my family and I'm managing day by day. Good luck.
  • ruttasd
    ruttasd Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Good luck to you too, I am going to ring CAB and see if I can book an appointment, being disabled I cannot stand in queue and wait as the queue goes down the street
  • wyrdsister
    wyrdsister Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    I also had this problem and I ended up selling my house for less than I paid for it and having to move myself (I’m disabled) and my son (who has ASD) in with my 72 year old mum who then had to take out a mortgage in her property to help me pay off what was left from the sale of my home. Then I lost my DLA and I had to put in an appeal to get it back which took nearly a year I got the PIP award 2days before I was due to go to court but in that year we had to sell my mums adapted bungalow and move into a house that has to be adapted for both our needs leaving us yet again struggling with money. We have had to put our food shopping on credit cards just to eat and now to top it all I have to go for a health assessment for ESA which I actually have a letter from them saying I was in the support group for life (so didn’t have to keep going to sign on etc as I’m classed as too disabled to work). Now I’m worried sick that they are going to stop my money again and tell me I have to go out to work (nobody will employ me even the DSS themselves told me I was medically unfit to work for them intact it was that doctor who put me on incapacity benefit for life)  life is hard for disabled people who have to live of benefits as the government just seem to kick us all off any kind in money help that we get at my PIP medical the girl even told me that and I quote “YOU CANT EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP YOU LOT FOR LIFE”  if I was depressed before that I really was after I just wanted to drive my car (before they took it back) into a brick wall. And just to top it all my mum who is my main carer has had to have the first in a series of operations so we are now struggling even more. I even asked social care for some help with my son only to be told that they don’t provide the help I’m looking for. Life is hard but we have to cope with our disability’s as well as everyday problems and people seem to forget that. 
    Thank you for reading my rant it has helped me a little to get how I feel off my chest as they say ??
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,355 Disability Gamechanger
    Incapacity benefit no longer exists.
    You say in the past you were placed into the Support Group for life and now you're being re-assessed?

    The rule changes for those currently in the Support Group were changed in September 2017. Certain people (and this won't apply to everyone) maybe placed into the severe conditions group after their next re-assessment. If this is your first reassessment since the rule changes were announced then you couldn't have been placed into the support group under the severe conditions group yet. More information about the severe conditions group in this link.

    When placed into the Support Group, you don't have to "sign on" those that are claiming JSA would visit their local job centre regularly to do this.

    Those that aren't placed into this group can be reassessed at anytime from 3 months.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ruttasd
    ruttasd Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    I also had this problem and I ended up selling my house for less than I paid for it and having to move myself (I’m disabled) and my son (who has ASD) in with my 72 year old mum who then had to take out a mortgage in her property to help me pay off what was left from the sale of my home. Then I lost my DLA and I had to put in an appeal to get it back which took nearly a year I got the PIP award 2days before I was due to go to court but in that year we had to sell my mums adapted bungalow and move into a house that has to be adapted for both our needs leaving us yet again struggling with money. We have had to put our food shopping on credit cards just to eat and now to top it all I have to go for a health assessment for ESA which I actually have a letter from them saying I was in the support group for life (so didn’t have to keep going to sign on etc as I’m classed as too disabled to work). Now I’m worried sick that they are going to stop my money again and tell me I have to go out to work (nobody will employ me even the DSS themselves told me I was medically unfit to work for them intact it was that doctor who put me on incapacity benefit for life)  life is hard for disabled people who have to live of benefits as the government just seem to kick us all off any kind in money help that we get at my PIP medical the girl even told me that and I quote “YOU CANT EXPECT THE GOVERNMENT TO KEEP YOU LOT FOR LIFE”  if I was depressed before that I really was after I just wanted to drive my car (before they took it back) into a brick wall. And just to top it all my mum who is my main carer has had to have the first in a series of operations so we are now struggling even more. I even asked social care for some help with my son only to be told that they don’t provide the help I’m looking for. Life is hard but we have to cope with our disability’s as well as everyday problems and people seem to forget that. 
    Thank you for reading my rant it has helped me a little to get how I feel off my chest as they say ??
    Hi, hearing your situation brought me to tears, I just wanted to give you a hug. Thank you for replying. I wish I could help. I understand when you talk about just getting in my car and never coming back, I have had these thoughts many times over. I am lucky I have a care package in place because I dont live with any adults, I live with my 15 year old son. I have never had an issue with ESA thank God, but with PIP from the beginning had to go through mandatory reconsideration every time which is extremely stressful. I have a big mortgage but I do have some equity in my home but hardly close to buy another property. We didn't choose to be disabled, I would love to work but If I cant manage to carry out my own personal care how can I work. I am living day by day praying for some deliverance to my situation.

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