ESA not awarded . Please help

aliuk96
aliuk96 Online Community Member Posts: 11 Listener
in Benefits and income
Hello all 
I'm literally at my wits end with DWP  , it a long story , but to shorten a long story I close my universal credit claim down cos they keep on paying me nothing £0. So 3/4 weeks after that I applied for esa , and just yesterday (Saturday 25 November) I got a letter saying that they can’t award me esa . Can some please help with this as I suffer from mental health and I can’t not work due to my mental illness , I can’t claim UC cos I will just end up how I was before I close my claim for UC down . I can not put into word how much this has had a huge impact on my mental health and I can’t not cope with the stress dwp are causing me  please can you help and given me some advice as to where I go from here ??

p.s I am about to appeal the decision on my application to esa . 

Comments

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    You will only be entitled to payments of New style ESA if you've worked at some point in the previous 2 tax years, 2020/21 and 2021/22. You will either need class 1 if you were PAYE or class 2 if you were self employed. 

    Have you worked at all in those 2 previous tax years? If you haven't then it's pointless challenging the decision because you won't be entitled to any payments.

    Why did your UC keep being reduced to zero? Were you claiming with a partner that was working? Were you working? Sorry but more information is needed to be able to help you further.
  • aliuk96
    aliuk96 Online Community Member Posts: 11 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    You will only be entitled to payments of New style ESA if you've worked at some point in the previous 2 tax years, 2020/21 and 2021/22. You will either need class 1 if you were PAYE or class 2 if you were self employed. 

    Have you worked at all in those 2 previous tax years? If you haven't then it's pointless challenging the decision because you won't be entitled to any payments.

    Why did your UC keep being reduced to zero? Were you claiming with a partner that was working? Were you working? Sorry but more information is needed to be able to help you further.

    I'm sorry that I didn't give you all the details . but DWP has really had a very bad impacted on my mental health and cos UC give me £0 payment me and my husband close our claim down cos we was getting no where with UC . I'm now really struggling financially and mentally I'm unsure what to claim for my mental health ....... I have been trying to get help but no one is helping me as to what benefits I maybe able to claim I don't want to claim Uc cos I will end up how I was last time and I can not afford to live on £0. I have been on the tipping point of giving up cos I just don't know what else i can do to help me make ends meet and that I have had many mental breakdown .  any help would be gratefully received. 

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    edited November 2023
    Why was you UC reduced to zero? Does your husband work? I can’t help without more information. 

    UC is means tested so if your husband word his earnings will affect the amount you are entitled to. You can claim as a single person when living with a partner. 

    There are no other benefits to claim because UC has replaced all of them, other than New style ESA but as I advised you need to have worked in the previous 2 tax years. 

    Do you claim a disability benefit such as PIP or DLA? 
  • aliuk96
    aliuk96 Online Community Member Posts: 11 Listener
    poppy123456 said:
    Why was you UC reduced to zero? Does your husband work? I can’t help without more information. 

    UC is means tested so if your husband word his earnings will affect the amount you are entitled to. You can claim as a single person when living with a partner. 

    There are no other benefits to claim because UC has replaced all of them, other than New style ESA but as I advised you need to have worked in the previous 2 tax years. 

    Do you claim a disability benefit such as PIP or DLA? 

    I'm on PIP .
  • aliuk96
    aliuk96 Online Community Member Posts: 11 Listener
    UPDATE 

    I have been turn down for income based ESA and not new style esa
    I'm confused weather I should apply again or what my next step is ..?? I'm struggle to cope mentally and financially there have been times where I have given up cos I can not cope with the finance stresses I'm under, and that my mental health  is getting worst cos of all of the stresses I have been under ... sometime I have been close to wanted to self harm cos I just not coping  and that DWP have just added to making my mental health worsted . please can someone help me before I just give up completely  cos I just not coping mentally 

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    It’s no longer possible to claim Income Based ESA because it no longer exists for new claims. 

    For New style ESA you will have needed to have worked at some point in tax years 2020/21 and 2021/22 and have the correct NI contributions. Please also be aware that from the first Sunday in January the benefit years change to 2021/22 and 2022/23. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance#how-to-apply
    If you don’t have the correct NI contributions then you won’t be entitled to payments. 

  • Albus_Scope
    Albus_Scope Posts: 10,798 Scope Online Community Coordinator
    Hey @aliuk96 I've popped you a little message. 

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