ESA Confusion

Tonawanda17

Thanks. Yes, i am aware it no longer exists. This was just to settle an agrument. Are you saying it wasn't affected by savings? Sorry for the missunderstanding

poppy123456

No, it wasn’t affected by savings. Please read the link I posted in my last comment.

Tonawanda17

Thanks very much. I was on incapacity benefit in youth when i was young. I presume it is the same?

poppy123456

Yes it was the same.

Tonawanda17

Hi, thanks very much. I am curious as to how my old Incapacity benefit was calculated.

I last got it in May 2013 and got £112.05 per week. I lost the award letter. Has anyone any idea how the figure was calculated? Am i correct in assuming it doesn't include any income support parts? Thanks

poppy123456

Income Support was/is a separate benefit so it wouldn’t have included any of this. You would have needed to claim this separately at the time. 

For any further advice I’m afraid you will need to get some expert advice from an agency near you. 

Before you do this you can request any information DWP hold on you between specific dates. They will then send you what they have. This is called “Right Of Access “ https://www.gov.uk/guidance/request-your-personal-information-from-the-department-for-work-and-pensions

Tonawanda17

Hi, thanks for that. I think you have answered the question.If i understand you correctly you are saying that i would have recieved £112.05 for IB and then additional money for income support? I have only ever gotten IB/ESA  and DLA/PIP. So it doesn't look like i ever applied for Income support. You live and learn. Does that make sense? Thanks

poppy123456

There was different rates depending on your disability. To be honest IB was before my time with benefits knowledge as by the time I achieved the knowledge IB was long gone and ESA was already in place. 

I didn’t claim IB myself, I claimed Income Support as a single mother. 

Tonawanda17

Hi. Another question if you don't mind. If i wanted to buy stocks and shares and later i sold them for a profit would this affect my contribution based ESA or permitted work? Thanks.

poppy123456

Tonawanda17 said:

Hi. Another question if you don't mind. If i wanted to buy stocks and shares and later i sold them for a profit would this affect my contribution based ESA or permitted work? Thanks.

Savings/capital do not affect contributions based ESA. If your ESA is more than £129.50/week then at least part of it is Income Related. Savings of more than £6,000 affect means tested benefits and there will be a deduction of £1/week for every £250 or part thereof over £6,000. Savings of more than £16,000 will mean there's no entitlement to any means tested benefits.

Permitted work rules are the same which ever ESA you're claiming. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/employment-and-support-allowance-permitted-work-form/permitted-work-factsheet

Tonawanda17

Hi. i am sorry if i offended you by starting another topic. Just thought someone might know what the old rates were. my esa is 100% cont based. No top-ups or additions.

Am i correct in saying that any profit from investments isn't earnings and so would affect permitted work?

Thanks very much

poppy123456

You didn't offend me but it gets so confusing when starting other threads on the same subject. It's better to keep to the same thread.

Profit from investments are capital and not income so wouldn't affect your ESA.

Tonawanda17

Hi. Can you tell me if the old small top-up i got on my first esa letter in june 2013 is income related. I lost part of the letter so can't tell. I seem to remember the top up relating to shifitng from IB to ESA and making sure you didn't end up with less money. Thanks

Tonawanda17

Hi. I was looking at my first esa letter from 2013 when i moved over from IB. I got £112.05 per week. I lost the bit that shows how it was worked out. I looked at old rates online and can only get to £106.50. I think the rest could have come from a small top-up to do with moving over from IB so you didn't end up with less money. Does this sound right and if so i assume the small top-up wasn't income related. Thanks

poppy123456

When you transfered from IB to ESA there would have been a Transitional Protection in place so you weren't any worse off. This would have eroded over time with your ESA. It wouldn't have been the Income Related top up.

Tonawanda17

Yes, as usual poppy that makes sense. The origional letter states that i am entitled to Cont based but i would need to apply for income based which i never did. I also notice that the letters for this year and last make no mention of any top up of any kind. So thanks again so much.

poppy123456

What's the reason you haven't every applied for any Income Related top up? I noticed that you were asking questions on a previous thread back in 2022 and i asked the same question but you never did respond.

ESA Support Group contributions based is £129.50/week. Are you living alone, with a partner? do you claim any pensions? have savings/capital of more than £16,000?

Tonawanda17

Hi, yes are correct. I was only ever on cont based but i just left it that way so i could do what i wanted with regard to savings/capital etc

poppy123456

Oh, i see. Savings of less than £6,000 are ignored. For every £250 or part thereof over £6,000 there's a £1/week deduction.