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

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 .
Replies
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
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
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:
Check your National Insurance record for gaps.
You cannot get ‘new style’ ESA if you:
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
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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.
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