ESA under payment

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Tommyowens85
Tommyowens85 Online Community Member Posts: 28 Connected
edited December 2018 in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hi guys hope you can help esa underpayment a nightmare! 

Comments

  • Richard_Scope
    Richard_Scope Posts: 3,777 Cerebral Palsy Network
    Good to meet you! I'm no expert (yet) but our members are very knowledgeable and will be keen to help. I will move your question to our ESA discussions.

  • Tommyowens85
    Tommyowens85 Online Community Member Posts: 28 Connected
    Thanks Richard I have posted a comment in a thread so hopefully someone can help 
  • Tommyowens85
    Tommyowens85 Online Community Member Posts: 28 Connected
    Hi guys hope this is the right place and any help much appreciated. 
    Just heard back from esa on underpayment issue and have been told that although I was placed in the contribution based esa which was wrong I will receive no backdated pay as they gave me a top up to ensure I saw no loss when changing from incapacity benefit. May times I could have used the help of a budgeting loan over this period and several times I have applied but been rejected due to being on contribution based. 
    So in essence was told although you wasn’t getting your premiums you got the money in another way but that doesn’t help wen I can’t recieve the help I need in desperate times due to their error of putting me in contribution based instead of income based. Now they have changed it to income based but with no back pay. The top up was to ensure I saw no reduction in incapacity Ben not premiums. 
    I think it’s unfair.  am unsure what to do about it. Any advice on if you think this is right or what I can do about it I would love to hear it. 
    Many thanks guys 
  • Tommyowens85
    Tommyowens85 Online Community Member Posts: 28 Connected
    Type your commenter posted question here Richard as I’m unsure where to put it
    thanks for putting it in right place to be answered I’ve attaced the question here 
  • Wolf
    Wolf Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    Have you tried goung to CAB? Someone there may be able to help you. Good luck.
  • Tommyowens85
    Tommyowens85 Online Community Member Posts: 28 Connected
    No I havnt tried cab yet thanks for the advice wolf 
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Hi,

    I thought i answered this earlier, i guess not.

    DWP are correct here i'm afraid. Some people who transferred from IB to ESA where given a transitional protection because what they would have received on ESA would have been less than they were receiving on IB if they weren't given the protection.

    If this transitional protection is more than the Income related top up on ESA then you won't be entitled to the top up.

    Fully explained here in the CPAG link.

  • FrankieOoo
    FrankieOoo Online Community Member Posts: 8 Listener
    Im currently in the process of the esa3, i also beielve i have the transitional protection thing, well this isnt looking rather good. I still dont understand it, thanks poppy for the link.
  • FrankieOoo
    FrankieOoo Online Community Member Posts: 8 Listener
    edited December 2018
    Sorry to hijack. But i just found my letter from 2013 i dont see those 2 words only. "Included in your esa entitlment is a top up payment which ensures i dont see a reduction in the leve of benifit enitlement" This is of £5.50. I thought everyone had this on transfer?. When you say income based top up do you mean the £16 automatic premium that is attached to esa ir? Thanks again
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    FrankieOoo said:
    Im currently in the process of the esa3, i also beielve i have the transitional protection thing, well this isnt looking rather good. I still dont understand it, thanks poppy for the link.
    Please try to keep questions in one place because it really does get confusing. I answered on your other thread.
  • FrankieOoo
    FrankieOoo Online Community Member Posts: 8 Listener
    Tommyowens85 said:
    Hi guys hope this is the right place and any help much appreciated. 
    Just heard back from esa on underpayment issue and have been told that although I was placed in the contribution based esa which was wrong I will receive no backdated pay as they gave me a top up to ensure I saw no loss when changing from incapacity benefit. May times I could have used the help of a budgeting loan over this period and several times I have applied but been rejected due to being on contribution based. 
    So in essence was told although you wasn’t getting your premiums you got the money in another way but that doesn’t help wen I can’t recieve the help I need in desperate times due to their error of putting me in contribution based instead of income based. Now they have changed it to income based but with no back pay. The top up was to ensure I saw no reduction in incapacity Ben not premiums. 
    I think it’s unfair.  am unsure what to do about it. Any advice on if you think this is right or what I can do about it I would love to hear it. 
    Many thanks guys 
    Do you have a partner?, could be anything!. Transitional Protection could be higher than the income based income. To me it sounds like you're getting the same amount as to people on IB. TP drops each year though.

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