My son's child tax credit stops in February. When would it be best to phone up to apply for ESA?

cashleigh69

Hi wondering if anyone can help my son turns 20 on feb 19 and is childtax stops feb 23rd when would it be the best time to phone up esa to apply he's on enanced pip on daily living and mobilty thanks .

BrettW

Might we worthwhile giving DWP a call now and ask them for their advice

janer1967

Hi there 

I dont think he will be able to get esa as this is now an old benefit apart from new style esa but he will need to have worked and paid national insurance to claim this 

He will need to apply for UC which you can do online but usually you cant apply till after current benefits stop . If he cant work he needs to declare medical condition on his application and provide fit note to start the work capability process which will place him in the appropriate work group . Also note any tax credits will stop as soon as UC application is made  

I strongly advise you get some expert advise before doing anything to ensure he is claiming right contact welfare rights 

Hope some of this helps ask any other questions 

lisathomas50

@cashleigh69 he may go onto universal credit as its a new claim @chiarieds don't know if I am right or not 

cashleigh69

Thank you all for replying.  He is autistic he also as bad tics and tourettes and he also as metal rods in is back so he really cant work i will phone dwp today x

[Deleted User]

janer1967 said:

Hi there 

I dont think he will be able to get esa as this is now an old benefit apart from new style esa but he will need to have worked and paid national insurance to claim this 

He will need to apply for UC which you can do online but usually you cant apply till after current benefits stop . If he cant work he needs to declare medical condition on his application and provide fit note to start the work capability process which will place him in the appropriate work group . Also note any tax credits will stop as soon as UC application is made  

I strongly advise you get some expert advise before doing anything to ensure he is claiming right contact welfare rights 

Hope some of this helps ask any other questions 

Wrong, I was previously on ESA and as you know apart from volunteering I've never worked or paid tax.

janer1967

Ok make sure he puts this in his claim so he doesn't have to look for work 

It could also result in additional payment if after his work capability he is assessed as LCWRA 

M advise would be to call welfare rights first rather than DWP 

chiarieds

Hi @cashleigh - & welcome to the community. As the child tax credits will be in your name, your son should be able to apply for Universal Credit as mentioned above.

janer1967

@MrAllen1976 when did your claim start for esa ? As this is now an old benefit and all new claims are UC 

MarkN88

MrAllen1976 said:

janer1967 said:

Hi there 

I dont think he will be able to get esa as this is now an old benefit apart from new style esa but he will need to have worked and paid national insurance to claim this 

He will need to apply for UC which you can do online but usually you cant apply till after current benefits stop . If he cant work he needs to declare medical condition on his application and provide fit note to start the work capability process which will place him in the appropriate work group . Also note any tax credits will stop as soon as UC application is made  

I strongly advise you get some expert advise before doing anything to ensure he is claiming right contact welfare rights 

Hope some of this helps ask any other questions 

Wrong, I was previously on ESA and as you know apart from volunteering I've never worked or paid tax.

That's correct because you would of received income based ESA which does not require you to have worked or paid NI. 

cashleigh69 said:

Thank you all for replying.  He is autistic he also as bad tics and tourettes and he also as metal rods in is back so he really cant work i will phone dwp today x

DWP are not actually best placed to advise you, they are not benefit advisors they process claims. 

It would be New Style ESA if he meets the eligibility or UC. 

New Style ESA eligibility is below for you:

‘New style’ ESA

Most new claims are for ‘new style’ ESA.

To get ‘new style’ ESA you need to have both:

• worked as an employee or been self-employed
• paid enough National Insurance contributions, usually in the last 2 to 3 years - National Insurance credits also count

Check your National Insurance record for gaps.

You cannot get ‘new style’ ESA if you:

• get the severe disability premium, or are entitled to it
• got or were entitled to the severe disability premium in the last month, and you’re still eligible for it

You cannot get ‘new style’ ESA if you’re getting Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) from an employer. You can apply for ‘new style’ ESA up to 3 months before your SSP ends. You’ll start getting ‘new style’ ESA as soon as your SSP ends.

More info here: https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility

cashleigh69

Thanks all i have a CAB near me so i will phone them and see if they can give me some advise x

Tori_Scope

Let us know how you get on @cashleigh69, and whether you have any further questions  

lisathomas50

@Tori_Scope it will be better when everything goes over to universal credit  it will be alot easier the same with dla when it all changes to pip  in my opinion it will be alot easier less papper and more understandable  😆  this is just my opinion 

Adrian_Scope

Hi @cashleigh69, how are you getting on? Were you able to speak to CAB at all?
As others have mentioned he won't be able to claim ESA as it's now NS-ESA (which is contribution-based) for new claimants. So you would be looking to apply for the UC equivalent. 

From my understanding, you would put a claim in for him for UC once his CTC and Child Benefit ends. You can do this before then, but it would end his CTC and CB. When he applies, it's important to report his disability and any health issues and supply a fit note from his doctor explaining his restrictions around work so he can be put forward for a work capability assessment.