What is ESA? — Scope | Disability forum
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What is ESA?

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 43 Listener
My wife panicking. What if she is turned down for pip and have to.apply for ESA ?  She can't work and I'm her carer. What would DWP or Jobcentre do then? 

Comments

  • aaronw3440
    aaronw3440 Community member Posts: 54 Courageous
    It's pretty much the same process of having face to face assessments you'll be put in one of two groups for employment and support allowance you'll either be placed in the prepare for work group which means you've gotta update skills , do training to gain the skills, attend interviews with your advisor and update your c.v because the dwp decide you will improve in the future just not fit for work at the present or you'll be placed in the support group where you don't have to do anything or attend interviews with your advisor as you've been found completely unfit for work and you need to score a certain amount of points its around 15 to be put in the support group and in the prepare for work group and will still need face to face assessments within 2 years or annually and I'm due my annual work capability assessment at some point this year as they put me in the prepare for work group which I only really attend interviews with my advisor due to my mental health disabilities which I'll have for the rest of my life  and pip isn't the same as it's based on points of how it affects your daily life but make sure you include every bit of evidence you can to support your claim even if it means paying for your full medical records , doctors , specialists letters etc and a couple of  statements from people who see you often and see how the condition affects you 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 43 Listener
    Is there a part I could write on the pip form ? I do pretty much everything for her and her tablets make her very drowsy throughout the day.
  • aaronw3440
    aaronw3440 Community member Posts: 54 Courageous
    edited June 2018
    It needs to be on a separate sheet because it needs to include your name , relationship to the claimant and your address the extra sheet on the pip form is for the claimant to add more info of their disabilities and struggles and always send copies not originals and your wife needs to put her name and national insurance number at the very top of the letter and always send the evidence recorded delivery if you send it after the forms sent because they have a habit of saying they never received the evidence when they have 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 43 Listener
    Thanks buddy. I try and work out a draft in next few days. Any advice what to include would be appreciated.
  • aaronw3440
    aaronw3440 Community member Posts: 54 Courageous
    Just how it affects her on a day to day basis my mum and my nan wrote one each for me and how they help me day to day and match with the descriptors I applied in February got turned down because I didn't includes doctors letters or therapists letters for my anxiety as they claim if they need evidence then the claimant shouldn't pay any fees but in my case I should have ignored that guideine and paid for it but I did when I put in for the reconsideration 
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 43 Listener
    Hope you're getting what you're entitled to.  Thanks for the advice.
  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,793 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @andyjd, you can also find out more about ESA on Scope's website, and Citizens Advice have some great online guidance to help you fill in the form. Do come back to us with any further questions and we'll do our best to advise!
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 273 Pioneering
    Hi Andyid

    Just a  note to clarify that your wife may be entitled to both PIP and ESA. She would get contributory ESA on the basis that she has done some work and paid national insurance contributions  in the last two complete tax years (April 2015 to April 2017). ESA is an "earnings replacement" benefit which is paid to people who are working age but currently unable to work.

    PIP on the other hand is a disability benefit, which is intended to cover some of the extra costs of disability. Lots of people in work get PIP.

    I hope that this helps with an understanding of which benefit is which - please let me know if not.

    Gill_Scope

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