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esa

lillyloulou0508
lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
hi I've just applied for esa. they did the assessment over the phone. they asked if I had any bank accounts or an isa account which I did and told them. there's only 1400 in my isa and 100 in my current account. I didn't mention my savings or joint account even tho there's only 1200  between them. they've sent me a transcript of the call and want me to send in bank statements from the last month. do I have to send them all or just what I told them 
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Comments

  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @lillyloulou0508, I've moved your post into the Ask A Benefits Advisor category so that they can advise you further on this. Have a lovely day!
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    They can and do access your accounts, so it is important to be honest at all times. They will not be interested in any total under £6000 but you should send statements as asked for all accounts that you have access to

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    ok thanks for that I've been to the bank and they printed statements of all my accounts and stamped them. I'm not sure if they will accept these as they they want original ones which shows all your bank accounts. I'm going to ring them now to find out
  • janice_in_wonderland
    janice_in_wonderland Community member Posts: 265 Pioneering
    I recently learned housing benefit depts have been asking for 3 months of bank statements 
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    they haven't asked me yet. maybe it's because I'm paying full rent and council tax because my son and daughter live with us even tho we haven't got any income at the moment. I've been told that I won't get housing benefit because of my children's wages anyway. so hopefully they will reinstate my pip when I have my assessment. don't know if you've read my previous posts. I was claiming dla at the high rate. they sent me forms to fill to change over to pip. I sent them back 10 days before the due date but they reckon they didn't receive them until 5 weeks later which I know they're lying. so now it's been stopped until my assessment. I've got a good mind to complain to royal mail because I've been sanctioned for something that's not my fault. they've left us in total hardship and my health is deteriating. we've tried everything to get it back but they won't have none of it
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    It might be worth involving your local MP to hurry things along

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    I have but they weren't much help. all they did was ring me and said they would send a letter of complaint to them
  • janice_in_wonderland
    janice_in_wonderland Community member Posts: 265 Pioneering
    Unimaginable what has happened & hope you get back pay asap 
    Not so Royal Mail...
    Toil Mail... 

    Did you complete the form yourself or have you got a support worker or welfare advisors support? 


  • weejinky
    weejinky Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    So sorry to hear that for things like that you can go post office and get a postage that it has to be signed for by the recipient so there is proof that they got it x
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    I filled the forms in myself n sent them off. they say they didn't receive them on time as they wanted them by the 28th August and I posted them on the 18th August yet they reckon they didn't have them until the 25th of September which I don't believe. I had a letter from capita who does the assessments and he told me that they received my letter from pip on the 30th September asking them to asess me t see if I qualify for pip. yet according to them when we rang on the 4th October they said they would not reassess coz it arrived to late. so that's why they sanctiond me until a decision has been made. they did however say.they were going to give me a home visit 


  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    I filled in the forms myself n sent them off. I didn't have anyone else as I didn't realise until after I did them. when I was claiming dla I was on the higher rate for both and was awarded indefinitely but as you know that's all changed. they had to be in by the 28th August and I sent them back on the 18th August. I did get proof of postage but I threw it away and the post office don't keep copy of this as it's not the same as recorded delivery. pip reckon they didn't receive them until the 25th September which I don't believe. I received a letter from capita on the 8th October saying my claim had been passed to them on the 30th September for me to be assessed yet when my husband rang pip on the 4th October they said they would not consider it coz it arrived to late. so that's why they've sanctioned me until a decision has been made. capita have said that I'm down for a home visit. pip still won't reinstate it tho until I've been assessed. I think they just lying thro their teeth. like I said we've got no income at all. I've applied for esa but I've got to wait for bank statements before I can send it off as they want proof of them all
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    At this stage, have you tried asking for a call back from a manager to discuss the problem ?

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    to be honest no I haven't. every time we speak to pip they just palm us off saying we gotta wait like everybody else. what I find strange is they say they didn't receive my forms until the 25th September 5 weeks after I posted them they stopped my dla on the 26th and said it had to go to a case worker to decide what they gonna do. spoke to them on the 4th October and they said they wouldn't reconsider yet they had passed my forms to capita on the 30th September. I'm just at breaking point.now coz I've got 3 hospital appointments this week and no money for petrol to get there plus pay my council tax and rent. don't know which way to turn at the moment
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    No to be honest I haven't.  every time we speak to pip they just palm us off and say we gotta wait like everybody else. what I find strange is they say they didn't receive my forms until the 25th September 5 weeks after I posted them they stopped my dla on the 26th September and said it had to go to a case worker to decide what they gonna do. spoke to them on the 4th October and they said they wouldn't reconsider yet they had passed my forms to capita on the 30th September. I'm now at breaking point coz I've got 3 hospital appointments this week and no money for petrol to get there plus I've gotta pay full rent and council tax. don't know which way to turn at the moment 
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    You should declare no income to your local council, this should help with rent and CT
    Don#t let the phone operators fob you off, ask for a call back from a manager to explain things to you

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    we have but we have our son and daughter both living here and they work full time so that's why we gotta pay it. I will try pip again but they are adamant they won't reinstate coz it arrived to late yet they dealing with it now by the looks of things 
  • Sam_Alumni
    Sam_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,671 Disability Gamechanger
    @BenefitsTrainingCo can you help?
    Scope
    Senior online community officer
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    Hello

    Unfortunately it is correct that if PIP did not get the forms within the specified time DLA will stop.  I agree that it does seem odd that it took so long for your forms to be received by PIP. 

    Have you contacted your MP? If not, I would specifically ask for their involvement in trying to organise an assessment date asap as you are in financial hardship and in severe ill health.  Do you feel that your health and well being has deteriorated due to the stress and will continue to deteriorate if nothing is done? If so emphasis this to your MP and that this makes you a vulnerable claimant.

    In regard to ESA the information from the other posts is correct.  You do have to declare all savings and as such it is best to give ESA what they have requested. Also as previously posted savings below £6,000 do not effect ESA entitlement.   Have ESA accepted the statements that you sent? If they have please contact them to again stress the difficulties that you are in especially as you have had no money for such a long time. Ask them if they can prioritise your case given your financial hardship and health problems. 

    In regard to Housing Benefit and Council tax Reduction.  It is correct that adult children living with you will have to contribute to rent/council tax payments thus reducing benefit entitlement.  However, if for example the owner/tenancy holder of the property receives daily living of PIP or middle/high rate care of DLA then the adult children will not be expected to contribute to rent/council tax payments.  As such, as previously posted make a claim for Housing benefit and Council Tax Reduction now.  Even if not awarded immediately if PIP daily living is awarded you can ask that the benefit decision be reviewed given any subsequent PIP decision. 

     Please keep us posted

    Maria
    The Benefits Training Co:

  • lillyloulou0508
    lillyloulou0508 Community member Posts: 22 Connected
    hi thanks for your advice. every time I contact our mp to try and get an appointment they always ring me back and say they'll write a letter for me but I never hear from them again. I've sent my bank statements in but haven't heard anything. can you tell me as well do they top up my eas with income support as there's me and my husband
  • BenefitsTrainingCo
    BenefitsTrainingCo Community member Posts: 2,621 Pioneering
    edited October 2017
    Hi lillyloulou0508,

    Income related ESA and Income Support are both means-tested top ups, so if you are receiving ESA it is ESA which would top up your income to the minimum level set by the government for your circumstances. You should call the DWP on 0345 6088545 if you think you are not receiving your full entitlement.

    Lee
    The Benefits Training Co:

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