Submitted form ESA1 four weeks ago. Not heard anything yet. Is this normal?

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

As per title: Submitted ESA1 four weeks ago, to my local J.C.Plus office. Not heard anything yet. Is this normal?

Also, I wrote to my local council at the same time, asking them for help regarding a council tax reduction, and haven't heard from them either.

When should I contact them to see what's happening?

Thanks very much for any comments!

wilko · October 2018

Hello and welcome to the community, my first port of call is contact the departments that you are making the claim with for an update of the progression of your applecation. This way you will know if they have received your application and if so how long before you receive a desion, or they may require more information, good luck and keep us updated.

poppy123456 · October 2018

Hi,

ESA is usually claimed over the phone because it's much quicker and claims usually take about 3-4 weeks. It's much longer than this if you fill the form in yourself and send it or take it to your local Job centre. Is it Income related or contributions based ESA you're claiming? Have you checked to see what's in your area? If it's a full Universal credit area then for Income related ESA it will be this you'll have to claim and not ESA. Check your area here. http://ucpostcode.entitledto.co.uk/ucdate

For your council tax reduction, is there any reasons why you didn't just ask them to send you a form, rather then write them a letter? You will need to fill out the forms for this.

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

Thanks. I filled out ESA 1, with regards to Income related. I think UC is in my area, but I didn't hear back from the J.C.Plus / DWP, so hopefully they will transfer over my ESA 1 form to UC??

I wrote to my council asking them for help, and just assumed that they would send me a form.

I'll have to chase both up (DWP / ESA) and Council, if I don't hear anything from them after say 5.5 weeks.

Thanks.

poppy123456 · October 2018

If your area is a full UC area then claiming ESA Income related was the wrong benefit to claim. Did you put your postcode into the link i provided above? It will tell you exactly what's in your area.

If you claimed ESA then they won't transfer your claim to UC because it's a different benefit. First put your postcode into the link, then ring ESA DWP to find out what's happening to your claim. If it's a full UC are you're in then a claim for UC needs to be made online.

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

Thanks a lot. I tried the postcode link, andI am in a Universal Credit full service area

However, I have been on DWP NICs for a while now, so my claim isn't 100% new. I'll give them a ring, and find out what is happening...

poppy123456 · October 2018

ESABenefitsUK123 said:

However, I have been on DWP NICs for a while now,

Do you mean you're claiming ESA but only get the NI credits towards your state pension?

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

In the past, I was on incapacity benefit, then when ESA came along, I was put on ESA (contribution based for 1 year I think), but then after 1 year of that, my benefits stopped because I had savings, so I think what the DWP did was they kept my NICs going, even though they stopped giving me any benefits money. Now, my savings are nearly gone, and my health has also worsened, hence my reapplying for ESA, but this time, income based. Thanks.

poppy123456 · October 2018

What you're saying doesn't make sense.

When you transferred from IB which group were you placed into? Most people that were transferred were placed into the Support Group and Contributions based in the Support Group is paid for as long as you remain in the Support Group, it's not limited to 1 year like the WRAG is.

It's possible you can have an Income Related top up on Contributions based but you don't just stop claiming it when in the Support Group, unless you're found fit for work. Contributions based isn't means tested and income/capitol doesn't affect this. Income related is of course means tested.

poppy123456 · October 2018

Also if you're claiming the NI credits only then you already have a claim for ESA and the ESA1 form is not the correct form to have filled in because it's not a new claim. The ESA1 form, is the claim form. Did you get advice before filling out the form?

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

>> When you transferred from IB which group were you placed into?

Work focused.

>> Did you get advice before filling out the form?

No advice. Who do I ring for advice? Thanks.

poppy123456 · October 2018

You should just ring ESA and tell them your circumstances have changed and you no longer have savings/capitol. If your claim is still active they will tell you, if it isn't then you'll need to claim Universal Credit.

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

OK, I will ring them, and explain this, thanks.

ESABenefitsUK123 · October 2018

Just rung them, and here is what happened:

I should not have submitted ESA1, but I need to apply for UC instead. However!! there is a twist to the tale. I spoke to a health decision maker a bit later on, and he figured out something that the first call handler did not. What I *really* need to do is submit ESA3, because my claim is still live, and that will transfer me over from contributions to income related. He also said do NOT apply for UC.

Regarding the council tax reduction, I rang them, and found out that my letter was received, but no one did anything, so I need to do that online, which I am now doing.

Regarding my letter to the job centre, with ESA1 form, it was forwarded on to the DWP, but no one from either the job centre or the DWP told me that the ESA1 form was wrong, or offered to help.

Really, letters don't seem to be the best way of contacting these people, and call handlers don't seem to know all that much about how the system works.

Submitted form ESA1 four weeks ago. Not heard anything yet. Is this normal?

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