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.

Hi, my name is JTF!

JTF

Its very difficult being practically housebound (thank God for my scooter) and nowhere to turn for help, its as if the information you need access to is made intentionally unclear and vague, and impossible to find somewhere to have a face-to-face meeting about benefit entitlements; so, Im hoping that there is someone out there who has the information and experience that I need...

Find more posts tagged with

Comments

poppy123456

HI and welcome,

I'm one of the community champions here on scope and i'm here to help and advise others with the complex benefit system. Please may i ask what you need help with? I'll need as much information as possible before i'll be able to help you and i'll do what i can but please be aware that there's really only so much help and advice i can give online but i'll certainly do my best.

JTF

Wow, thank you. I had to give up work in October due to my failing health and failing eyesight. I have numerous long-standing health issues. I applied for ESA and PIP. This is a massive help as I can no longer work for my living. I have to have an assessment in Preston in February to prove that I' not swinging the lead and am genuinely unfit. I suppose they have to do this so I don't mind in the least. My question, however, is this: apparently my ESA 'runs out' in October, so I am just wondering what I do then - will I be expected to live on just the PIP or is there something else available? Has Incapacity Benefit been discontinued? I have worked hard all my life and the hardest thing about not being able to work is not being able to contribute or to support myself and my wife - that really is worse than any of my symptoms. Thank you.

JTF

I am 60.

poppy123456

No problem. The assessment you need to attend is the work capability assessment and during this assessment they will assess your ability to do any type work. Once you've had the assessment, wait a week and ring DWP to request a copy of the report. This will give you some idea what the decision is likely to be because they mostly go with the report.

If the decisions is fit for work then your ESA will stop, even though it doesn't run out until October. You will then have 1 month from this date to request the MR. You won't receive payments while you wait for the MR decision but if it gets to Tribunal stage then your payments will start back once the Tribunal accept your appeal and they will then continue until you've reached the 365 days.

If the decisions is WRAG (limited capability for work) then your ESA will continue but your payments will end in October, your NI credits towards your state pension will continue to be paid.

If you're placed into the Support Group (limited capability for work related activity) then your ESA will continue for as long as you remain in that group and your money will increase to £111.65 per week from the 14 week of your claim.

Incapacity benefit no longer exists because ESA replaced this is many years ago.

Universal Credit is the only other benefit, whether you're entitled to this will totally depend on your circumstances. As you live with your wife then you would need to claim this as a couple because it's a means tested benefit. Whether you qualify will depend on your wife's earnings, if she works, savings/capital and income from any pensions you and your wife maybe claiming.

Hope this helps, good luck with the assessment. Once a decision's been made if you're not happy and you need some advice please come back and i'm sure someone will advise you.

JTF

Wonderful. Thank you so much.

poppy123456

You're welcome

Adrian_Scope

How are you getting on @JFT? I hope you found Poppy's advice helpful. If you do have any more questions please don't hesitate to ask.

JTF

How kind. Thank you, yes. I may need some more clarification once I've had my assessment. I am still left with some anxiety about what will become of me if thy stop my ESA, or when it runs out in October. Since I know I am unfit to do any kind of work (I can't even push the hoover round any more) it seems that, whatever happens at the tribunal, after October I am going to be in financial hardship. What is this Support Group that has been mentioned. Thanks again, I am very grateful.

poppy123456

JTF said:

How kind. Thank you, yes. I may need some more clarification once I've had my assessment. I am still left with some anxiety about what will become of me if thy stop my ESA, or when it runs out in October. Since I know I am unfit to do any kind of work (I can't even push the hoover round any more) it seems that, whatever happens at the tribunal, after October I am going to be in financial hardship. What is this Support Group that has been mentioned. Thanks again, I am very grateful.

When claiming ESA there's 2 groups that you could be placed into, WRAG and Support Group. If you're placed into the WRAG then you maybe expected to attend work focused interviews to prepare for work sometime in the future, although they do realise you have a limited capability for work and you won't be made to look for work. This group your ESA is only paid for 365 days and then it stops.

Support Group, you won't be expected to attend any appointments or prepare to look for work of any kind. You will also receive extra money from the 14th week of your claim and your money will continue for as long as you remain in this group., which means your money will not stop in October BUT only if you're placed into this group.

Tribunal, this is only if you disagree with a decision made on a benefit claim but the first step to an appeal is the Mandatory Reconsideration (MR) but if you're placed into the Support group you won't even need to worry about either of these 2.

You can see the Support Group descriptors here.

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

Hope this helps.

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