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ESA Income related Support group

DawnXT
DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
Hey all 

so my partner has moved in the other week benefits have now all been informed of this i was living alone as a single claimant 
my partner isn't disabled but is going to be added to my claim on a perminent basis and is going to be providing me care and support full time so will not be looking for any form of employment as he will be my full time carer, anyways this should be getting processed at the moment so my question is given i'll be due to get paid this next coming week if my claim hasn't been delbt with and the couples rate applied prior to the usual payment date is there anything i can do or any grant i'd be able to acess in the mean time to finacially cover me and my partner through until everything is up and running? kind regards 

Comments

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,522 Disability Gamechanger
    hi @DawnXT and welcome to scope hope you are well? I suppose the first question is what is your partner living off at the moment?
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  • DawnXT
    DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    hey thank you, yeah i'm not doing too bad thanks, at the moment both me and my partner are living off of my last benefit payment that i received. 
  • DawnXT
    DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    before moving in my partner had a job in his old town which is some 200+ miles away, he handed in his notice with the employer and has been taken off the pay-roll and is awaiting his p45 at the end of the month he was fourlouged anyway prior to leaving but due to having a family debt to pay off prior to moving up all that money had already gone prior to him moving in with me eariler on this month, so we are now both currently living off of my last received benefit payment prior to informing benefits of the change ESA are aware that my partner was in employment but has handed in his notice and is awaiting his p45 so for all intense purposes is now unemployed and is now (should be) getting added to my esa claim.
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    Do you receive a disability benefit (DLA care or PIP Daily Living)? If so your partner will be able to claim Carer’s Allowance for looking after you. When awarded a carer premium will be added to your ESA but the CA will be deducted. Overall you will be better off by £37.50/week.

    Claiming CA, if eligible, will also mean that your partner gets NI credits (which they will not get through your ESA claim).

    if you currently get a 25% single person discount on your Council Tax don’t forget to tell them that your partner has moved in.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • Cher_Alumni
    Cher_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 5,741 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2021
    Hi @DawnXT and welcome to our community.

    I'm sorry to hear money is tight at the minute and can understand it being a worry.  I'd recommend visiting this Citizens Advice webpage as it has information for those struggling with living costs and includes advice around how to access food banks, apply for welfare assistance from your local council and help paying any rent. 

    Please keep us updated with how you get on and I hope the ESA claim is sorted asap. 
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  • DawnXT
    DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    i receive pip at the enhanced rates, i realize that my partner will be eligble to claim carer's allowance for me and while it is taken off of my ESA that i'll still end up roughly around £72 every 2 weeks better off as i was on roughly around £397 every 2 weeks and from what i can gather i'll likely end up on £361 for the both of us so it will be a loss of roughly £37 every 2 weeks in the current circumstances, luckily at the moment we're doing ok financially having my last payment to manage through on but i fear within the next week when i would've been due my general payment if ESA haven't sorted out my claim adjustments then it's likely to leave us really struggling finacially until the payments begin coming through, and working out dates i would imagine there is generally going to be about 1 weeks overpayment on the SDP premium given that that will now stop as i'd no longer be entitled to it given that my partner has moved in, can i please ask you calcotti i've informed housing benefits/council tax benefits too, given that the 25% council tax discount will be removed will there be anything avalible to claim to make up the editional £333 every year otherwise the likely amount total due to be paid yearly after council tax support is done would be something like £500 and odd pounds per year which would total monthly payments at like £roughly £45 each month?
  • DawnXT
    DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    hey Cher thank you for the message i really appreciate the advice, it's certainly a worry i guess it always is though when it comes down to the DWP, i have done everything i need to do with informing everyone who needs to know such as housing, housing benefits, ESA etc so that's all done and i've got all the forms back to housing as quick as i could so it's just a case of waiting for the envelops coming through the door to see what's happening next, i just really hope the ESA claim is sorted in time for my next due payment   :#
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    edited March 2021
    DawnXT said:..can i please ask you calcotti i've informed housing benefits/council tax benefits too, given that the 25% council tax discount will be removed will there be anything avalible to claim to ..
    Although removal of the 25% discount will increase your headline Council Tax liability the Council Tax Reduction (which I assume you get) will also go up in the same proportion. Depending on the details of the CTR scheme for your local council you may have to pay a bit more.

    Glad you’re on top of the CA and ESA.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • DawnXT
    DawnXT Community member Posts: 30 Connected
    Thank you for that infomation it definately helps knowing that there should be some automatic help at least, i suspect it'll likely cost a little more then what it did do, but it's comforting to know at least that it shouldn't be like £45 per month for example i think i was just pretty worried about that, i've never been through anything like this before so it's all new territory so all the infomation is greatly appreciated :) 
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    DawnXT said:
    i receive pip at the enhanced rates, i realize that my partner will be eligble to claim carer's allowance for me and while it is taken off of my ESA that i'll still end up roughly around £72 every 2 weeks better off as i was on roughly around £397 every 2 weeks and from what i can gather i'll likely end up on £361 for the both of us so it will be a loss of roughly £37 every 2 weeks in the current circumstances, 
    At current rates, by my calculation:
    Your current ESA £197.60/week.
    Your future ESA and CA combined £218/week.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.

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