nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

SDP, housing benefit and ESA

Jeanus44

Hi everyone, I've just started getting housing benefit and I see there is 2 premiums on there I am entitled to. I have rang the council twice now. I was first told that the premiums would be paid on top of my HB then the second time I was told I wouldnt get it. I have applied for ESA and that came back saying I need to have had the SD premium for a month to get it so they have refused me. I seem to be going around in circles and not getting anywhere!

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

paffuto10

Hi @Jeanus44
Nice to meet you

Sorry, no advice on this matter but I'm sure someone will be along to help.

Just wanted to say hi and welcome. I'm quite new here myself and finding it very friendly and informative.

Jeanus44

Thanks for the welcome. I hope can find some answers..I'm new to all this claiming benefits so I really dont know what I'm doing!

emmarenshaw

Hello @Jeanus44 welcome to the community. I’m Emma, one of the Community Champions who are here to help and advise, if you need any help navigating the community or have any questions please let us know.

paffuto10

@Jeanus44

Just had a look with Google and I can't seem to find any info on premiums attached to housing benefit.

There are premiums attached to ESA.:
Disability Premium
Severe Disability Premium
Enhanced Disability Premium

Not much help, sorry.
Have a look around the site because there are advisors on here.

Jeanus44

I have found that they do pay on top of housing benefit but don't know why they said they won't when the premiums are on the hb award notice.. I need them to pay so i can reapply for esa

thespiceman

Hello @Jeanus44 Pleased to meet you welcome.

Thank you for joining and sharing.

I am of the team of community champions. We guide, advise and help new members who join the forum.

Please may I suggest regarding your housing benefit situation ask CAB your local office to advise you.

They have knowledge and expertise on benefits. Benefits can be confusing and complex.

Often by contacting them and making an appointment. They will explain to you what and if you need to know.

In clear and concise information you can understand.

I used them for forms filling in and also situations like this.

Please if we can help with anything. Please ask some one will know a member of our team or a member of our community.

Please take care.

@thespiceman

poppy123456

Hi,

When a disability premium is included in a housing benefit award you don't actually see the money included in the claim because you can't receive anymore housing benefit than your circumstances allow you to.

Which benefits do you actually claim? PIP/DLA? if so what award do you currently have?

You say you're claiming ESA but which ESA is it? Income Related, Contributions based or New style ESA?

Do you live with a partner or alone?

What was the reason you were able to claim housing benefit? new claims for housing benefit are no longer possible because all areas are now a full Universal credit area. The only exception to being able to claim housing benefit would be if you're claiming the severe disability premium in a means tested benefit.

Jeanus44

I am on PIP standard daily living and enhanced mobility. I first tried to claim UC but was turned down because I have 2 premiums on my HB claim. The Disability premium £34.35 and the Severe Disability premium £65.85 then I applied for esa and they have turned me down because I need the premiums to paid for at least a month before I claim. I am widowed and live on my own and have been living on my savings but now they have dropped low enough to claim benefits. I also am now exempt from council tax

steve51

Hi @Jeanus44

Good Afternoon & Welcome.

I am also one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

I’m very sorry to hear about your problems with your Benefit’s.

Yes they are very difficult to get our heads around.

Have you tried our “Benefit Calculater”

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/calculate-your-benefits/

There is also some great info info on here which will be helpful.

https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/benefits-funding-extra-costs-of-being-disabled/

Please please let me know if you need any help with this info????

I’m very very happy in helping you further if required ?????

@steve51

poppy123456

Jeanus44 said:

I am on PIP standard daily living and enhanced mobility. I first tried to claim UC but was turned down because I have 2 premiums on my HB claim. The Disability premium £34.35 and the Severe Disability premium £65.85 then I applied for esa and they have turned me down because I need the premiums to paid for at least a month before I claim. I am widowed and live on my own and have been living on my savings but now they have dropped low enough to claim benefits. I also am now exempt from council tax

This isn't correct, there's no disability premiums payable on housing benefit. It's in with the claim which increase the amount someone can claim if they are working. You don't actually see those extra amounts.

The disability premiums are payable on means tested benefits like Income related ESA, Income related JSA or Income Support. If you're not claiming any of those then i don't understand why you were able to claim housing benefit to start with. When did your claim for housing benefit actually start?

I'm assuming you were previously claiming any means tested benefits because your savings were above £16,000?

Jeanus44

I've been claiming about 3 weeks now.. It does say on the gov website that housing benefit is one of the benefits that you can claim premiums but as this is all new to me I really don't understand it..

poppy123456

Jeanus44 said:

I've been claiming about 3 weeks now.. It does say on the gov website that housing benefit is one of the benefits that you can claim premiums but as this is all new to me I really don't understand it..

This is why i'm completely confused. Why you were allowed to claim housing benefit to start with 3 weeks ago. You weren't previously claiming any means tested benefits to have an award of SDP so you shouldn't have been allowed to claim housing benefit. No new claims for housing benefit are possible unless you already have an existing award of SDP.

Are you sure you're claiming housing benefit or is it just council tax reduction?

Jeanus44

My award letter says because I am getting pip daily living component. I live on my own and nobody gets carers allowance for looking after me I am awarded a severe disability premium

poppy123456

What benefit award letter does it state this?

Jeanus44

The council housing benefit award letter

poppy123456

Right, before you claimed housing benefit the only benefit you were claiming was PIP, am i correct?

If so this means that you didn't have an award of SDP because you weren't claiming any means tested benefit to have the award. I do not know why you were able to claim housing benefit to start with because no new claims are possible. This is what's completely confusing me.

When you claim Income Related ESA DWP will check your housing benefit award and then you may have a problem when they see that your claim only started a few weeks ago.

The benefit you should have claimed to start with was Universal credit.

Jeanus44

I claimed HB first as I didnt know any different..Then went to UC and when they saw my award letter they said they couldnt help me and to claim ESA which I did then they turned me down saying I had to have had 4 weeks SDP before I can claim..What a mess!

poppy123456

Hmm i have absolutely no idea how and why you were able to claim housing benefit. All areas are now a full UC area and because you didn't have a claim for SDP then you should have claimed UC and not housing benefit. Then your housing payments would have been in with your UC monthly payment.

May i ask if you're receiving housing benefit payments now or are you still waiting for a decision on that claim?

It would have been possible to claim for council tax reduction because this isn't part of UC and has to be claimed separately.

Sorry for all the questions but i've never come across anything like this before and my benefit knowledge is extremely good.

Jeanus44

I am getting the full HB for 13 weeks and then the bedroom tax kicks in and goes down to £80..I think its a month since my first payment..Some was backdated to when I claimed and the CTR was around the same time

Jeanus44

Jeanus44 said:

I am getting the full HB for 13 weeks and then the bedroom tax kicks in and goes down to £80..I think its a month since my first payment..Some was backdated to when I claimed and the CTR was around the same time

Around the 11th of August I claimed

Component react.suggestedcontent had an error.

The value must be greater than or equal to 1.

Sign in or register for free

Get more out of your online community by signing in or registering