Does Severe (or Enhanced) Disability Premium count as "income" against ESA (Support group) benefit? — Scope | Disability forum
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Does Severe (or Enhanced) Disability Premium count as "income" against ESA (Support group) benefit?

ESABenefitsUK123
ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
I am in the ESA support group, and have just been awarded the basic daily living component of PIP.  Because of this, I have been given a new form by the DWP, regarding their Disability Premium benefits.  From my understanding, I may be entitled to the Severe (and also perhaps the enhanced) Disability Premium(s).

My question is - if I am awarded either the SDP, and/or the EDP, will this count as "income" against my ESA (support group) benefit, and so reduce my current ESA benefit amount?

Thanks a lot for any comments.

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2019
    Hi,

    It's not classed as income in this way no. If you're claiming Income Related ESA then the Enhanced disability premium is automatically added to your ESA award. This brings the total amount of ESA to £128.45 per week.

    For the Severe disability premium (SDP) eligibility then you must live alone or be classed as living alone and no one must be claiming Carers allowance for looking after you. https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/severe-disability-premium This is £65.85 per week on top of the ESA.

    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ESABenefitsUK123
    ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
    Thanks a lot.  So I'll get 128.45 + 65.85, plus PIP, and none of these 3 amounts will affect each other.
    BTW, do you know if any of the following are means tested: ESA Support group, SDP, and PIP. 
    Regarding ESA Support group, is it associated with the term "income related", or not?  (I mean, say if it is not means tested, then "income related" is a term that doesn't seem to fit.)
    Thanks.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    edited June 2019
    I see a previous thread of yours that you were in the work related group have you recently be placed into the Support Group?

    Also in that thread you were trying to claim Income Related back in October last year, did you successfully claim that?

    The reason i ask is because if you're already in the Support Group claiming income related then the Enhanced disability premium is automatically added to your claim.

    Support Group can can be Contributions based or Income Related. Income related is means tested yes. Contributions based isn't.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ESABenefitsUK123
    ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
    Thanks a lot.  To answer your message, this is what has happened to me,
    Last year, I had savings over 16K, and the only DWP benefit I was receiving was NICs.  I wasn't getting any ESA money, although I was in the ESA work group.  Then, my savings went below I think 6K, then I applied for income related ESA.  (I realise now I should have applied when my savings went below 16K.  Oh well.  Lesson learnt.)  I was successful.

    So anyway, at almost the same time, my health deteriorated, and I was then placed in the Support Group.

    I see from your message that it's possible to be in either the income based ESA Support Group, or the contribs based ESA Support group.  I am almost certainly in the income based (there is nothing on the DWP letters and correspondence to say which), so that means it's means tested?  I incorrectly assumed that if you were in the ESA Support group, and it's the income version, that you were exempt from means testing?  It's very confusing.

    I googled about PIP and means testing, and it isn't, which is good.  However, I don't know if SDP is means tested, or not.

    Thanks.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    Thanks for that information.

    If you're claiming Income Related ESA Support Group then you will be receiving £128.45 per week, which is £256.90 every fortnight. If this is the amount you're claiming then the Enhanced disability premium is already being paid to you. Income Related is means tested.

    If you're claiming Contributions based you'll be receiving £111.65 per week, which is £223.30 every fortnight. If it's this you're receiving then you're claiming Contributions based, which isn't means tested.

    Either check your latest ESA award letter or check your bank to see what amount you receive.

    SDP is means tested because it's part of Income Related ESA. If you live alone or classed as living alone and no one claims Carers allowance for looking after you then it's paid on top of your ESA so you'll claim extra ESA not less. You can't claim this if you're receiving Contributions based.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ESABenefitsUK123
    ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
    Thanks a lot.  That means I am definitely on I.R. ESA (Support group), and that I should also get SDP, due to my circumstances.  I understand from your info that they are both means tested.  (So things will get complicated when I sell my flat.)
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    You're welcome. Yes Income Related is means tested i'm afraid. To claim the SDP you need to ring ESA and ask to fill out the IS10 form over the phone. It can take a few weeks for them to make a decision but it can be backdated to the start of your PIP award, if you qualified at that time.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ESABenefitsUK123
    ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
    That's great.  BTW, I got sent the form automatically.  It was a very short form - about 3 pages.  I think I will get this SDP premium, because I put in all of my details (regarding ESA) in to the turn2us calculator, and yes, I see the amount has increased by 65.85, which is SDP.

    Just out of curiousity, say I sell my flat, and get for argument's sake, 100k.  I guess i must then tell my job centre immediately of a change in circumstances, in this case, about money.  i guess then, the esa gets reduced to 0. 

    but am i then allowed to buy a new flat, say worth 100k, and then tell the job centre again, that my circumstances have changed again - in this case, my savings would then be very low again, and i guess i get ESA again?

    in other words, does the DWP allow you to do this - to "convert" your capital savings in to a home to live in, and this then allows you access to their means tested benefits, eg ESA.

    Thanks a lot.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    To complicate things even further because you were claiming Contributions based to start with this means that part of your ESA should definitely be contributions based but you're claiming the Income Related top up. The Contributions based part is not means tested so you will get to keep £111.65 per week of that, regardless of how much savings you have. You will only lose the premiums, if you sell your house in the future. If this does happen you will need to ring DWP to report the changes.

    If you want to buy another house with the money then that money can be disregarded for 26 weeks but you'll need to get further advice about that if and when the time comes.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    To complicate things even further because you were claiming Contributions based to start with this means that part of your ESA should definitely be contributions based but you're claiming the Income Related top up. The Contributions based part is not means tested so you will get to keep £111.65 per week of that, regardless of how much savings you have. You will only lose the premiums, if you sell your house in the future. If this does happen you will need to ring DWP to report the changes.

    If you want to buy another house with the money then that money can be disregarded for 26 weeks but you'll need to get further advice about that if and when the time comes.
    I have just read back through both of your threads and realised that this last little bit of advice that i quoted here is incorrect IF you went back onto receiving payments before you were placed in the Support Group then all of your ESA would be Income Related. My apologies for my incorrect advice at that point.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • ESABenefitsUK123
    ESABenefitsUK123 Community member Posts: 66 Courageous
    OK! :) Thanks for that update!
    BTW, now that I realise I have I.R. ESA (Support), and that it is means tested, I have an additional query please:
    Here is an example to illustrate the matter.  Say I have £5,999 in savings.  Then, say the DWP give me £234 for a benefit payment.  I am now £233 over the 6K limit threshold.  (I realise that there is a "sliding scale" between 6K and 16K.)  Can I legally "dispose" of the "excess" £233 by placing it inside a SIPP?  (I think that I have a limit of £2880 per calendar year for a SIPP, as I am unemployed.)
    If that is allowed, and within UK / DWP law / rules, then any "excess" money I happen to have, that is above the 6K threshold, I could put inside a SIPP.  It's just a thought...
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,357 Disability Gamechanger
    The payment you receive from your benefits is income for the period in which you receive it for, it's not classed as savings until after the period has passed. Paying bills, buying food and general living during that period will reduce that money and is not classed as deprivation of capital.

    However, regularly putting money into something or giving it away can been seen as deprivation of capital in order to keep receiving your benefits.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.

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