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New Style ESA (contribution based ESA)

Joshie
Joshie Community member Posts: 4 Listener
edited January 2019 in Start here and say hello!
I hope someone can give me some advice. I was diagnosed with cancer a few years back and was not able to work. I was placed in the Support Group and was on Contribution based ESA based on my NI contributions. I am 49 and according to my NI record have +30 years of NI contributions and no gaps in my record. 

In May 2018 I decided to go back to work and took myself out of the Support Group. I was doing temporary admin work up until
November 2018 when I was diagnosed with recurrance of my previous cancer which has now mestatized to my spine, sternum and ribs and is Stage 4/ Terminal. 

I am undergoing chemo and radiotherapy and my prognosis is not great. I am not well enough to work and not receiving SSP or any other benefit as I was previously temping / zero hours contracts. I have applied for ESA - new style as I live in a universal credit area - but my claim has been refused on the grounds I have not paid enough NI contributions in the tax years 2015/2016 and 2016/2017. Which are the years I was in the support group and receiving NI credits. 

Is is this correct ? I had not been told this by Macmillan CAB or even the Jobcentre - in fact they all said I would be eligible - but I have received a letter saying I’m not. Can anyone help ? Is this correct ? Is it worth me appealing ? Tbh I am so ill at the moment and in and out of hospital and I’m constant pain I can’t be bothered with the appeal process but I’m concerned that I’m being fobbed off. I can’t find anything anywhere that says I would not be entitled and everything I have read online supports my claim. I have letters from my gp and oncologist confirming my terminal illness status. I have just been told to apply for UC but I have more than £6k In savings which is fortunate as I am using this to live on but obviously does not help me with UC. 

Any help or advice would be grateful. Thank you 

Comments

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Joshie

    I am very very sorry to hear about your current situation with your "Esa"

    We have got a number of "Benefit Advisors" on our community /site.

    I will forward your post onto them for there "Expert Advice" 

    Please please let me know if you need any further help??? 

    Hi @BenefitsTrainingCo

    Can you please look at this tricky post for me?????? 

    @steve51
  • Joshie
    Joshie Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Thank you @steve51 for forwarding this onto a Benefits Adviser to look at. I hope they will be able to help or advise me if this is correct. If it is fair enough - it’s just very disappointing as I was advised differently and hopeful of my claim being processed quickly due to my terminal illness status. Thank you for your help i appreciate it. 
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Joshie

    No probs it's my pleasure !!! 

    Yes they will contact directly. 

    Like everyone they are very very busy so I don't know when this will be!!!!!! 

    I can offer you my "help + advice"

    In the meantime !!!!!! 
  • Joshie
    Joshie Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Thank you @steve51. I appreciate the advisers are busy so no worries I am happy to wait for them to get back to me. 

    I am also waiting for my PIP claim to be processed. Macmillan and my BCN contacted DWP directly on my behalf end November re PIP. Under the special rules as I Have Terminal Cancer I think it should have be processed automatically. I’m still waiting for a response. I called DWP on Thursday and was told an assessor would make a decision within a week. It was implied on the phone that it was up to him to decide if I could claim or not. So I’m confused about that too now ? Have they changed the rules on PIP too ?
    Thank goodness I have a small savings pot to live on. It is appalling people have to wait so long - and then often to be turned down as well - it is certainly not my choice to have a terminal illness, be so ill I can’t get out of bed and therefore not able to work. But I feel as if I’m being punished for being ill - previous to my first diagnose I worked all my life , including through maternity and when my children were little. I am finding it all really upsetting and very stressful. 
  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Josie.

    I am very very sorry to hear about your continuing problems with your "PIP"

    Thanks for the update I will forward this on to the "Benefit Advisors" 

    Hi @BenefitsTrainingCo

    Here's an update on the previous email that I recently sent to you at the end of last week.

    Can you please look into this one for me "ASAP"

    The new member has got "Terminal Cancer"

    Hi @Sam_Scope @Pippa_Scope @Richard_Scope

    Can you please help me with this post that I am in the middle off????

    @steve51
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Joshie Pleased to meet you welcome.

    Thank you for joining and sharing. So sorry what has happened.

    I am one of the team of community champions who guide, inform and advise new members who join.

    My friend @steve51 who is also a community champion . Glad he has advised you..

    Hopefully soon.  Get some answers to your questions from our benefit advisers.

    Please can I ask have Macmillan been in contact with DWP since last time November.. To contact them .  To see if they can move the claim along a lot quicker.

    Just being concerned and caring .

    Please ask if we be of any help or anything else you would like to know.  Please get in touch.

    If you need to chat or talk or some one to listen. Only too happy to.

    Pleasure to meet you.

    @thespiceman





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  • Joshie
    Joshie Community member Posts: 4 Listener
    Hi @thespiceman thank you for your post. And thank you for welcoming me to the forum and also thank you to @steve51.

    Macmillan and my nurse have chased PIP for me but do not seem to have got very far either. 

    I will chase again on Monday. Thank you for all your help and friendly advice. 


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