Can anyone shed a light on Severe Disability Premium.

Beesmummy798

Hi there, I have been on ESA Contribution based (support group) 2017. I moved to UC on 2019 as I moved home and had to change to it. I have applied for Pip but no decision as yet. It was only because a charity benefits advisor had asked me do I get severe disability premium and I'd never heard of it. Not sure if I'm entitled, they said something about I could be on Income related. It's so confusing. Thanks for any reply x

janer1967

Hi there 

Sdp is only for people on esa and not uc it is a legacy benefits 

If on esa you need to be on pip or dla care component and also live alone or with someone else who also get a disability benefit 

Beesmummy798

Thank you @janer1967 and @woodbine for your quick replies. I am on UC and ESA. My ESA is deducted from my UC award every month (£493 approx). The advisor said I was on contribution based because of the 25 work years previous to applying. He said if you changed to Income related and got PIP you may get SDP as you live on your own, don't claim any carers element for anyone etc. I'm just so confused by it all ??

Beesmummy798

In short, I'm sure I can't just phone ESA and ask them to switch my contribution ESA to Income related ESA just to get SDP. Or can I? I don't want to prompt an assessment as I've never had an ESA assessment and have been claiming from 2017 when I had to leave work. I had a PIP assessment on 28/6 and that was enough for me x

janer1967

Sorry I don't know much about esa to be able to advise

Beesmummy798

@janer1967 thank you. Its confusing but you've helped me anyway x

Beesmummy798

@woodbine thankyou ive just used this calculator there now it's great. I don't supposed you've ever heard of a claimant changing to Income related ESA from Contribution based? Maybe that happens automatically when my ni contributions run out. 

calcotti

Beesmummy798 said:

In short, I'm sure I can't just phone ESA and ask them to switch my contribution ESA to Income related ESA just to get SDP. Or can I? I don't want to prompt an assessment as I've never had an ESA assessment and have been claiming from 2017 when I had to leave work. I had a PIP assessment on 28/6 and that was enough for me x

If you had not claimed UC then the ESA could be recalculated to include fr income based entitlement.

However your ESA can no longer be revised to include income based ESA because you have claimed UC. 

Beesmummy798

Thankyou for this @calcotti x

Beesmummy798

@woodbine Because I don't know what way it works, I thought I was on CB ESA relating to my N.I contributions in employment for 25 years. Sorry I just don't understand the difference in Income related and Contribution Based ESA. 

Emilyb81

Sorry only me butting in as ever ?? just wondering what is the actual difference between the contribution based benefits and income based? I've never understood it either? I thought it was paid to people who had paid enough ni contributions and they then use said contributions to pay those people?? Obviously that's wrong lol sorry but always ready to learn something new me ???

calcotti

Entitlement to contribution based ESA (or new style ESA) is based on NI contributions made in the two tax years prior to the benefits year in which the ESA claim is made (with relaxations in some cases). The rules are fully outlined here
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based
Contribution based ESA is not means tested and is therefore unaffected by other income (except for some pension Income) or by savings. 

Income based ESA is a means tested benefit which means that entitlement is affected by other income and savings over £6000.

For old ESA claims a claim for ESA was a claim for both income based and contribution based ESA and what they got depended on their circumstances but claimants could get contribution based ESA topped up with income based ESA (because maximum income based ESA entitlement is higher than maximum contribution based entitlement).

Income based ESA has been replaced by UC and once a UC claim is in place it is not possible to receive income based ESA.

So beesmummy was most likely receiving both contribution based and income based ESA. When she claimed UC the income based ESA ended but the contribution based ESA continues.

Emilyb81

Thankyou @calcotti I will have to read a few times probably to get it right in my brain but that's the same with most benefit information ? I am not the most intelligent of people so it takes a while at times ?? but thankyou so much for explaining! I do feel being here is helping me gain a lot of knowledge or it will do ??

Beesmummy798

@calcotti thankyou for explaining a very confusing benefit x

littleacorn

I am certainly not an expert on benefits but have I read somewhere that you can claim contribution based ESA (old style) and income top up and not claim UC or have I seem this in my dreams?

calcotti

littleacorn said:

I am certainly not an expert on benefits but have I read somewhere that you can claim contribution based ESA (old style) and income top up and not claim UC or have I seem this in my dreams?

You cannot make a new claim for the old type of ESA. A new ESA claim now is for new style ESA which is a contribution based benefit only, income based ESA having been replaced by UC.

However somebody already getting the old contribution based ESA can be reassessed for entitlement to income based ESA. This might happen if, for example, they live with a partner and have no entitlement to income based ESA due to partner’s income or savings but then separate meaning they become entitled to an income based top up (although in that situation there will probably be other things to consider too).

Beesmummy798

@calcotti you have a lot of knowledge thanks for your help. Can I ask a q.. What is the point of me claiming ESA CB? I know that when I was working and getting Working tax credits/Child tax credits and housing benefit I had to move to ESA when I left work. But now I get UC and get the LCWRA element and ESA (CB new style) separate. I get paid every 2 weeks from ESA then this is taken off my UC obviously. Is there any benefit to me even being on ESA? I was wondering if I should just cancel it or is there any complications or reasons I shouldn't x

calcotti

You can cancel the ESA if you wish and your UC will go up so you get the same amount of money overall - but I would not recommend this.

Let’s say for example that you win £20,000 or form a new relationship with somebody with lots of income and/or savings - these changes would end your UC but would not affect your ESA. Claiming a non means tested benefit therefore makes sense to protect yourself against changes of circumstance. If you end the ESA you would not be entitled to claim it again if you have not been working in the last couple of years.

Beesmummy798

calcotti said:

You can cancel the ESA if you wish and your UC will go up so you get the same amount of money overall - but I would not recommend this.

Let’s say for example that you win £20,000 or form a new relationship with somebody with lots of income and/or savings - these changes would end your UC but would not affect your ESA. Claiming a non means tested benefit therefore makes sense to protect yourself against changes of circumstance. If you end the ESA you would not be entitled to claim it again if you have not been working in the last couple of years.

Thankyou sooooo much. I understand it now. I have searched and searched Google for a while now trying to get an explanation. You're a star @calcotti ?