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Esa underpaid.

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star05
star05 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
edited April 2019 in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hi.
Could anyone please clarify as I am struggling to understand what is going on. I transferred from ib to esa cb in 2013. My husband claims carers allowance for me. I'm on high rate dla. I received the form and rang them up to find out what I needed to do. 
They told me that my partner was not on my claim and that they we're looking into this as I should of been getting more. Is it true that we missed out on the enhanced disability premium and a carers premium. I never questioned it at the time. I was also a mature student at university. 
Can anybody help to make sense of what's going on as I still do not clearly understand it. I was also in the esa support group. 
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  • Dotty123
    Dotty123 Community member Posts: 492 Pioneering
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    They will maybe add husband and backdate your money means they havnt paid you for husband being carer
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  • wilko
    wilko Community member Posts: 2,458 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hello it looks like you could be in for a substantial back pay they will, should keep you updated if not a weekly call for an update won't go a miss. Enjoy your back pay if and when it comes.
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  • clouty
    clouty Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    If your husband wasn't working through this time, you should have had an income related top up of £41.75 (the difference between single rate and couple rate basic ESA) and the Carers Premium of £36 a week, with the Carers Allowance (£64.60) then deducted from the total making an addition of £13.15 (less in earlier years, those figures are for 2018/19).  Then also you should have been paid £16.40 Enhanced Disability Premium (again, that's for this year) (also known as the 'disability income guarantee) whether hubby was working or not, if you were in the Support Group and/or if you had/have DLA high care.  These additions would be paid as an 'income related top up' with your CB ESA as an 'underlying entitlement'.  

    Of course you husband may have been claiming Income Support, which would have been the best money if he wasn't working.  It's part of Universal Credit now.  I'm not certain, but if he's not working the way to go would be for him to claim UC once all this was sorted, but first you would have to take him off your ESA claim so he could make his own UC claim.  He'd then get the basic (£395) plus the carers element (£156) per calendar month.  (again, this year's figures).  
     Hope this helps.  

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  • star05
    star05 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
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    My husband was not working and I haven't been on esa since 2015. I went back to work. So to clarify I still cannot work it out. I was only on esa 110 pound a week. Carers allowance so if a mistake has been made what would be the total top up that I should have been receiving. I also claimed tax credits for one child. Sorry I'm still confused. 
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  • clouty
    clouty Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    OK, so you were on ESA in the Support Group up to 2015.  You are probably going to get some backpay, and it's well worth filling in that ESA3 IBR form.  Unless your husband was working while you were on ESA.  
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  • star05
    star05 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
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    No he was not working but I'm curious in relation the the carers premium. We have never been told about it. Does this get backdated as well or will that be a separate claim. Thank you for your responses. 
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  • clouty
    clouty Community member Posts: 6 Listener
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    If your husband was working as well as getting Carers Allowance, it's unlikely that you'd be eligible for income related top ups as your joint income would be too high.  All premiums on ESA are paid only if you are eligible for income-related payments.  It's possible, but unlikely.  And, if he was earning in any one week more than the limit for Carers then for that week he should not have got Carers - this year the limit is £125.50

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  • star05
    star05 Community member Posts: 10 Listener
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    No he never worked throughout that period. 
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