Savings over 6,000

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Stacystar
Stacystar Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
in Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
Hello, I got a letter from the benefits office to tell me my ESA payment will increase in April. In the letter it mentions informing them of any changes in circumstances, my circumstances have not changed but I read it anyway. 
It says if I have over 6,000 in savings let them know. I do have over 6,000 around 7500. I thought it was allowed as long as it is not 16,000.
I have done some googling and think I might be in trouble..
I will call them first thing Monday morning what will they do, I will pay back any money I owe no problem I honestly thought ESA was non means tested same as pip.

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  • Stacystar
    Stacystar Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
    edited January 2024
    Thank you noman,
     I was awarded contribution based ESA, looking into it am I right in thinking after 1 year I am no longer on contribution based ESA? So I will need to pay back every thing over 6,000 since I switched over? 
    So every £250 I pay back £1 per week?
    I have anxiety and genuinely did not realise I have done something wrong, 
  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 6,323 Championing
    edited January 2024
    Which group are you in? Only ESA CB WRAG is time limited to 1 year. 
    So if your ESA is wholly CB in the Support Group then you have nothing to worry about. 
  • Stacystar
    Stacystar Online Community Member Posts: 3 Listener
    Thank you Kimmy, I have got my paperwork out. I worked all my life so not sure how it works.
    2021 I got ESA contribution based. I got put in the support group.
    On my last letter it says I am still in the support group! No idea how as I thought it only lasted 1 year
  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 6,323 Championing
    ESA letters are quite difficult to understand!

    If you are wholly on CB ESA then it is not affected by savings limits. 

    The 1 year time limit for CB ESA only applies to those in the Work Related Activity Group. 
  • emma85
    emma85 Online Community Member Posts: 101 Listener

    Is carers allowance non means tested benefit

  • Kimi87
    Kimi87 Online Community Member Posts: 6,323 Championing
    edited December 2024

    CA is not means tested as such, but there is eligibility criteria including an earnings limit for the carer

    https://www.gov.uk/carers-allowance/eligibility

  • emma85
    emma85 Online Community Member Posts: 101 Listener

    Will carers allowance unit check claimants banks in 2025

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/959501#Comment_959501

    They are already able to check bank accounts if they really need to but they don't just randomly check anyone's bank accounts. If you're not earning more than the limit for claiming Carers allowance then there's nothing to worry about.

  • emma85
    emma85 Online Community Member Posts: 101 Listener

    I just don't understand it that's all.

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing
    https://forum.scope.org.uk/discussion/comment/959535#Comment_959535

    What exactly don't you understand?

  • emma85
    emma85 Online Community Member Posts: 101 Listener

    Is it where people out there are working and claiming carers allowance and not declared it?

  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Online Community Member Posts: 64,463 Championing

    They wouldn't need to check bank accounts for this anyway because all they need to do is check with HMRC if needed and they can get information from them about earnings.

  • emma85
    emma85 Online Community Member Posts: 101 Listener

    Oh OK then thank u very much for the information. All I get is child benefit for my child and carers allowance anyway

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