Inheritance Effects ESA ? — Scope | Disability forum
Please read our updated community house rules and community guidelines.

Inheritance Effects ESA ?

Richard74
Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
Hello Everyone 

I'm currently claiming income related ESA my father passed away in January he has left me a bungalow in trust i do not own the property but i am soul beneficiary so i would receive the rental income of between £800-£1000 a month  also the sum of £20.000 cash that is currently in probate will my ESA stop completely ? Thank you  

Comments

  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    hi @Richard74 and welcome to scope, if your ESA is cont.based topped up with I.R then you will keep the cont. part, other means tested benefits will also be affected.
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    hi @woodbine Thank you for your reply so i may still get something but reduced ?
  • woodbine
    woodbine Community member Posts: 11,519 Disability Gamechanger
    Yes its possible, you will need to dig out your recent ESA payment update and check if you get C.B topped up with I.R in which case you would get the C.B. 
    Are you in the support group?
    2024 The year of the general election...the time for change is coming 💡

  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Richard74 - & welcome to the community. Have you managed to look into the above?
  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    @woodbine @chiarieds thanks for your help I am in the support group I receive £260 every 2 weeks I’ve been in there for 6 years as I have chrons disease I do 14 hours permitted work a week . 
  • chiarieds
    chiarieds Community member Posts: 16,007 Disability Gamechanger
    @Richard74 - This sounds like your ESA is income-related from what you've said with support group paying £228.20 every 2 weeks + the enhanced disability premium of £34.40 giving now £262.60. Is it that amount?
  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    @chiarieds yes that’s correct 
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    As advised by woodbine you need to check whether the ESA is entirely income based or is contribution based with an income based top up. You will also need to inform your local authority if you are claiming Council Tax Reduction and/or Housing Benefit.

    Whether or not the bungalow counts as capital will depend on the nature of the trust. The rental income is treated as an increase in capital, not as income.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    @calcotti @woodbine The trust is not yet set up that could take months . the letter from the dwp is 

    your living expenses £74.35
    extra money because of the disability income guarantee £17.10
    Limited capability for work addition 
    extra money because you are in the support group  £39.20
    which gives a total income-related amount £130.65

    income & benefits 
    no income will be taken off your ESA 
    your income related amount is £130.65 less total income of 0.00
    so your income related entitlement is   £130.65
    that is the only benefit i claim 
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    It appears to be entirely income based 
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    After contacting the DWP i was told rental income was not seen as earnings only as an income in savings and i lost £16 a week in my benefits i thought i would have lost it all very surprised .
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2021
    Richard74 said:
    After contacting the DWP i was told rental income was not seen as earnings only as an income in savings 
    Are you saying they are treating it as income? That doesn’t seem correct. It should be seen as an increase in capital. Are you clear how they have arrived at a deduction of £16/week? A deduction of £16/week would correspond to notional income if you have capital between £9,750 and £10,000.

    What has happened to the £20,000 you referred to in your opening post? If you have capital over £16,000 you have no entitlement to income based ESA.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.
  • Richard74
    Richard74 Community member Posts: 7 Listener
    sorry they said the rental income was increase in capital the £20,000 is in probate and i have not received it yet .
  • calcotti
    calcotti Community member Posts: 10,010 Disability Gamechanger
    Richard74 said:
    sorry they said the rental income was increase in capital the £20,000 is in probate and i have not received it yet .
    That makes sense.
    Information I post is for England unless otherwise stated. Rules may be different in other parts of UK.

Brightness

Do you need advice on your energy costs?


Scope’s Disability Energy Support service is open to any disabled household in England or Wales in which one or more disabled people live. You can get free advice from an expert adviser on managing energy debt, switching tariffs, contacting your supplier and more. Find out more information by visiting our
Disability Energy Support webpage.