Looking for advise

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dunkysmrs
dunkysmrs Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
edited February 2019 in Benefits and income
an anyone advise please,My husband was on esa until he retired and now gets state pension,He got an underpayment form (45 pages long ).He doesnt keep good health, he is on 32 pills a day,isn't always aware of things, He doesn't want al the fuss filling in the form,doesn't know half of answers,Can he just say he doesn't want to fill it in.Thanks for any help.x

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  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Hi,

    I believe you're talking about the underpayments for those that transferred from Incapacity benefit to ESA many years ago. Some of those that transferred across weren't assessed for any Income related top up on their contributions based ESA. DWP realised their mistake and now they're contacting everyone that transferred, whether you're entitled or not.

    Whether he's entitled to any backdated money will depend on his circumstances at the time he claimed ESA. The Income related top up is means tested so a partner working, savings and capital and other household income will affect anything he would have been entitled to at that time. If you worked or claimed any other benefits then this could have affected anything he could have claimed.

    If the form isn't filled in then DWP won't be able to assess him because they won't know his exact circumstances at that time. Of course the form doesn't have to be filled in either but if he was entitled to something then he will lose out.

    If you/he know for sure that he wouldn't have been entitled to any top up then there would be no need to fill out the form.

    If he thinks he's entitled then the form can be filled out over the phone by ringing DWP/ESA or he can contact a local advice centre near you and they will help him to fill out the form.


  • Pippa_Alumni
    Pippa_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,761 Championing
    Welcome to the community, @dunkysmrs!
  • dunkysmrs
    dunkysmrs Online Community Member Posts: 2 Listener
    Thanks for this,much appreciated I will give them a wee phone

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