New style ESA

Cartini

Good Morning,

I`m asking on the behalf of a friend.

My friend has Parkinson`s and can no longer work.  I`m waiting to hear when her last working day was (including sick leave) - I`m not 100% sure, but I think it was about 18 months ago.

She receives both components of PIP at the enhanced level.

I understand it`s not means tested (she has savings and owns her home) - is this correct?

Is there anything else I / she needs to be aware of?

Thank you

Andy

poppy123456

It's not means tested but to be able to claim New style ESA you must have paid the correct amount of NI contributions in tax years April 2019 to March 2021. If she hasn't worked for 18 months then she may not qualify.

Providing she doesn't have savings/capital of more than £16,000 she can use a benefits calculator to check entitlement to Universal Credit. If she lives with a partner they claim as a couple and their joint circumstances will be taken into consideration. For every £250 or part there of, of savings over £6,000 there's a £4.35 per month deduction.

The house in which you live in is ignored as capital. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=3e54c2ee-2fc4-44c8-84dd-b350ae002d26

If she doesn't qualify for either of those and she needs her NI credits paid towards her state pension then she can claim New style ESA and if found to have limited capability for work then her NI credits will be paid.

calcotti

As poppy says, she may have left it too late to apply. However it is possible that she will qualify depending on how much she was earning up to the point she left employment so it's definitely worth trying.

If she was only getting SSP up to the time employment stopped then she will not have got any NI credits for that period but can apply to HMRC to get them added
Write to: PT Operations North East England, HM Revenue and Customs, BX9 1AN, United Kingdom. Include your National Insurance number and say when the credits are for and why you’re eligible

Cartini

Thank you poppy and Calcotti,

Her last day was 13th May 2021.

Sorry Poppy, but this doesn`t make sense to me:

If she doesn't qualify for either of those and she needs her NI credits paid towards her state pension then she can claim New style ESA and if found to have limited capability for work then her NI credits will be paid.

Andy

calcotti

Cartini said:

Her last day was 13th May 2021.

She should certainly apply. She may well fail the NI test if she was only getting SSP for the last six weeks. As per my previous post she can apply to get NI credits added for the period on SSP. If she is initially refused payment of ESA, once those credits have been added, she can ask for them to look again at her ESA entitlement.

Cartini said:
Sorry Poppy, but this doesn`t make sense to me:

If she doesn't qualify for either of those and she needs her NI credits paid towards her state pension then she can claim New style ESA and if found to have limited capability for work then her NI credits will be paid. 

What poppy is referring to is that if she applies for ESA she will have a Work capability Assessment. If she is found to have Limited capability for Work she will get NI credits regardless of whether or not she is entitled to be paid ESA.

Cartini

Thank you very much Calcotti.  I`ll print this off so that she can read and make her mind up.

Thank you again.

Andy