Partners income and ESA contribution support group

Misty77

Hi,
im looking for some advice, I’m currently in the esa contribution based support group and my partner works.
She has always worked while I have been on this claim.
Today I receive a letter asking for my partners last wageslip as it might effect my allowance.
Can what she earns affect the amount of benefit I receive?
Thanks

poppy123456

HI,

If all of your ESA is Contributons based then your weekly amount will be £113.55. Anymore than this and at least part of it is definitely Income related.

Earnings do not affect your claim if all of it is Contributions based.

Misty77

Hi, Poppy. Thanks for replying. I'm still a little confused because I've just found his last 3 page letter from September '20 from jobcentreplus. It says on the first page that "That you are not getting anymore income-related Employment and Support Allowance."
"We cannot pay you income-related Employment and Support Allowance because you have as much or money coming in than the lawsays you need to live on."
On the breakdown on page 3 (How ESA has been worked out) it has living expenses as £116.80.
Extra money because of the Disability Income Guarantee as £24.50 and Extra money because you are in the support group as £39.20.
Further down page 3 it says "Your income-related is such and such so you would have been entitled to £0."
"However because you are entitled to contribution-based ESA we will you £170.90."

I'm wondering if it's just because I applied to see if he was entitled to the backdated error last year which he wasn't entitled to anyway.
Sorry for the long reply, many thanks.

poppy123456

That figure you mention there makes no sense to me at all. CB ESA Support Group is £113.55 per week. That calculation suggests to me that they have assessed you for the income related part. Although ESA letters are well known for being extreme;ly difficult to understand.

What's important here is how much ESA do you actually receive every fortnight? This will be a better starting point for me to be able to advise you.

Misty77

Hi, Poppy. He recieves £341.80 every fortnight. 

poppy123456

Misty77 said:

Hi, Poppy. He recieves £341.80 every fortnight. 

This is definitely not just Contributions based. There's an income related top up included with this amount. CB based is £227.10 every fortnight. There's an extra £113.70 every fortnight here.

It sounds like you are named on your partners ESA claim so you're claiming extra because of this. As it's your partners ESA claim and you're working, you can only keep £20 of your earnings before the ESA is reduced £1 for £1.

How many hours per week does the partner work?