ESA — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

ESA

Options
Rowan3927
Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
edited December 2017 in Benefits and financial support
This discussion was created from comments split from: Hi, my name is Rowan3927!.
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • Rowan3927
    Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
    Options
    Hi. Something is bothering me and I am hoping that someonr can guide me.
    Last september 2017 i had to gove notice to leave a job I loved.i jave several chronic conditions which were getting worse die to the stress of working. My consultant advised I leave my job. 
    I applied for the first time for ESA. I was put in the Contribution based section and began receiving £73.10 i think it is a week ( paid fortnightly). I had completed a form for claiming ESA which was worse that the PIPs paperwork. I sent all my medical doccuments with the completed ESA form back to them.
    I get regulat Daily Living Allowance and Enhanced Mobility. from PIPs.
    I telephoned the ESA offices to ask if my money from them could change (go up) because of my disability. The lady I spoke to said no! I asked if all my medical paperwork had been looked at. She said i had to complete an on line form to claim Severe Disability payment to top up my money a fortnight by £60+ .my head was spinning with this information that i forgot to ask why another form? Can anyone tell me what I am entitled to. Nobody at the benefits office seems to be helpful. They get impatient with me asking questions and I have phoned them three times. Thank you. 
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Neil2017
    Neil2017 Community member Posts: 155 Courageous
    Options
    Hi @Rowan3927
    I was on ESA a few years ago and from what I can remember there was an initial payment period of some amount (which I can't exactly remember); after an initial ATOS Healthcare assessment; before it went on to the full enhanced rate. I do not recall filling in another form to get the enhanced, but it may be changing all the time. Perhaps check that you are actually claiming ESA and not Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) as 73.10 sounds a little low to me. Again I am not an expert and criteria and payment levels may have changed.

    I believe I went to a second medical assessment with ATOS Healthcare and because I had a disability registration card from my local authority (I am visually impaired) I was told that was it for the assessment and was classified as in the Support Group for ESA.

    I unfortunately do not get ESA payments at all at the moment due to lack of National insurance credits from working for a year and also not meeting other criteria
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rowan3927
    Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
    Options
    Thank you for your thoughts Neil2017. I am on Contribution based ESA and I agree it is a smaller amount than I was led to believe i was entitled to? I am mystified by  ESAs latest reaction over the phone. Why would i have to send all my medical paperwork including all diagnostic letters from consultants confirming my disabilities , and request a home visit instead of me trying to get to them. Pips visited me at home and i had no problem with them. Why ask for paperwork you are not going to use in your calculations? why make me fill in another on line form to be sent to the disability department? I wonder if my medical paperwork was simply disregarded  by them? Still, who knows how they think.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hi Rowan and welcome

    A good place to start is putting your details into the on line benefits calculator

    To receive SDP you will need an IR element to your ESA.
    In addition you need to be living alone ( or considered to be )
    No one claims carers allowance for you
    Receive daily living component PIP

    Usually the form is an ESA3 which is just a financial check

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rowan3927
    Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
    Options
    Thank you for your guidence  :) what you have said makes sense. X
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rowan3927
    Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
    Options
    Hi everyone  :)
    I am hoping that someone can advise me
    I contacted the ESA dept from whom I was getting contribution based ESA. I asked for further financial help and was sent an ESA3 form. I completed the form and sent it back post haste.  Well, I received a text message telling me that they received the form and I am now on ESA Income Related. They also said that my money would go up to around £135 a week instead of £73.10. I have not yet received any paperwork and have no idea what extra benefit is that I have been given. I am very glad they have given me more money but I am not sure what group I am in? My bank details have changed from them. Instead if EESA and then the payment it now says JSA. I did not apply for jobseekers allowance because i am not able to work. Can anyone tell me what they have done. I get PIP standard Daily Living Allowance and Enhanced Rate Mobility. Many thanks.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hi Rowan

    They often use JSA to make payments that are not normal ie. backdated payments.
     As you now have an IR element you may be getting SDP which for a single person is £62.45 pw
    With an IR element you are also entiltled to some free nhs services including free prescriptions and dental care.
    Paper work does often take a while to come through

    CR
    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Rowan3927
    Rowan3927 Community member Posts: 12 Listener
    Options
    Hi CockneyRebel
    Thank you so much for you reply. I was getting worried about why they put JSA on my bank details for paying in. They have not given me any back dated payments only my usual payments with extra added on.
    I am sorry to appear daft but what does SDP stand for? My memory is not what it used to be with my illness and I find it hard going sometimes and I am filling in paperwork and being sent to different departments on the phone to the point that I cant sometimes cant remember why I rang them in the first place. Some advisors I have spoken to have been nice and taken the time to explain whatever I have asked of them; and other advisors have treated me as if I am simple. It is hard going sometimes
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • CockneyRebel
    CockneyRebel Community member Posts: 5,209 Disability Gamechanger
    Options
    Hi Rowan

    SDP is severe disability premium
    Here is a link to gov site

    https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums-income-support/what-youll-get

    CR

    Be all you can be, make  every day count. Namaste
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Brightness

Categories

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.