ESA issues

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Alison78
Alison78 Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
I wonder if anyone could offer us some advise. My husband has had 3 micro diseconomies and is now bedridden most of the time with pain. He is in about 40 different tablets a day and is currently awaiting another referral to the pain clinic. He has been on /off work for the last 3 year due to the operations but has worked since he was 16 and is now 49. 
He started claiming ESA in April and has contribution based due to his working. He had an assessment about 3 weeks ago and last wee we had a message in our UC journal advising they had transferred the ESA Assessment decision of LCWRA to our claim. We called ESA this morning and she advised it is still with the decision maker! We are struggling financially and mentally. We have lost his salary of £40K and feel totally let down as it’s a continual fight for everything. 

Can anyone let us know what happens now 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Hi,
    If the work capability assessment was through the UC claim then the LCWRA would mean that he should be placed into the Support Group for ESA. If you are not currently working there's no financial gain to claiming both the ESA and UC together because the ESA is deducted in full from any UC entitlement.
    For UC there is a full 3 month assessment period waiting time and the LCWRA element is then paid from the 4th month of the claim starting from when he reported the health condition.
    May i ask if he's claiming PIP? If not then have a look at this https://pipinfo.net/ If he is and it includes the daily living award then make sure that you are claiming the carers element of UC in with your maximum entitlement, if you care for him for at least 35 hours per week.

  • Alison78
    Alison78 Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
    He does get PIP £323 approx per month, we have been advised by Welfare Right to ask to be reassessed after the ESA assessment results as the assessment for PIP was prior to his last operation that hasn’t worked. I’m 95% sure the assessment form we filled out was for ESA. We were so upset speaking to the woman from ESA who advised the assessment was complete but with the decision maker. Why would they tell UC he was on the LWCRA and they ESA say they don’t know why that has happened. I just don’t understand is the assessment is LWCRA why does it go to a decision maker. 

    Thanks for responding x
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Has he received a decision letter from ESA or a letter on his journal for UC?
  • Alison78
    Alison78 Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
    A letter on his journal from UC.
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    Then he will need to wait for ESA to place him into the Support Group, which can sometimes take a while. As advised, unless you're either working, have savings over £6,000 or he has a works pension then you won't be any better off by the extra money for the ESA because it's deducted in full from your maximum UC entitlement.

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