Apologies, but yet another ESA thread.

Tire · 22 August 2014 at 9:58AM

I've had a pretty extensive search on this forum and on Google in general, but any topics that do come up are a couple of years old (newest I could find was 2012) and doesn't really answer my question(s).

I've recently made a claim for ESA having been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Chronic Depression and SchizoAffective.

I telephoned to make my claim on the 12'th August 2014, I went over all the details over the phone, was told I'd get a form through the post in a few days. I got this a couple of days ago, and it was just a print out of what I had said/answered over the phone. So, I signed it and sent it back that day.

I telephoned again yesterday to find out how long it would be before I receive payment. I was told if I haven't heard by the 29'th to ring up to find out why. If there is no problems or it hasn't been processed yet, to ring back on the 1'st September and they can bump it up to be processed straight away.

At no point (even after asking several times) was I told when or even how much I would be paid. As far as I'm aware I'm eligible for the assessment rate of £72.40 (as I'm over 25) until the 13'th week, at which point I'll have to attend a medical and/or interview.

Will I not be paid anything until the 13'th week?

I'm worried as I've £25 to my name, and as I'm sure everyone has, I've bills to pay and food to buy.

Thank you for your time.

terra_ferma · 22 August 2014 at 10:22AM

Tire wrote: »

I've had a pretty extensive search on this forum and on Google in general, but any topics that do come up are a couple of years old (newest I could find was 2012) and doesn't really answer my question(s).

I've recently made a claim for ESA having been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Chronic Depression and SchizoAffective.

I telephoned to make my claim on the 12'th August 2014, I went over all the details over the phone, was told I'd get a form through the post in a few days. I got this a couple of days ago, and it was just a print out of what I had said/answered over the phone. So, I signed it and sent it back that day.

I telephoned again yesterday to find out how long it would be before I receive payment. I was told if I haven't heard by the 29'th to ring up to find out why. If there is no problems or it hasn't been processed yet, to ring back on the 1'st September and they can bump it up to be processed straight away.

At no point (even after asking several times) was I told when or even how much I would be paid. As far as I'm aware I'm eligible for the assessment rate of £72.40 (as I'm over 25) until the 13'th week, at which point I'll have to attend a medical and/or interview.

Will I not be paid anything until the 13'th week?

I'm worried as I've £25 to my name, and as I'm sure everyone has, I've bills to pay and food to buy.

Thank you for your time.

I can't help you with ESA, sorry, but just wanted to say welcome to the forum

If at some point you need help on how to stretch your food budget, the old style forum has quite a few threads with a lot of friendly, helpful people giving tips to people in a similar situation.
I'm sure someone knowledgeable about ESA will be over soon

rogerblack · 22 August 2014 at 12:16PM

Tire wrote: »

Will I not be paid anything until the 13'th week?

The assessment is nominally the 13th week.
However, payment of the assessment rate usually commences well before then.
The first payment should usually be through in a couple of weeks.

Unfortunately, assessments are being very delayed.
They are typically not happening around the 13th week in many areas, and for some claimants, they are not even being seen in one year.

'Phone up on the 29th if it's not through' is probably not unreasonable advice.

Tire · 23 August 2014 at 11:07AM

I telephoned them again yesterday just to check everything was OK. I was asked if I had received the paperwork, signed and sent it back along with my sick note.

I said I had sent the form back, but wasn't asked nor told on the phone or paperwork to send in my sick note. To which she said I should have been told, and should have included it with the form, but gave me the address of where I should send my sick note to.

Her complete lack of interest or willingness to help was beyond a joke. It was if I had to torture the information out of her as if I was asking for state secrets..

With the 29'th August being the 14'th (working) day since I originally made the claim, am I able to contact them and ask for some kind of interim payment? As it will have been 18 days since I last had any form of payment, and regardless of how frugal you live, bills are bills and they'll need paying.

Thanks.

janadarkprincess · 28 August 2014 at 12:22AM

i had this too but i think they give you a cut amount weekly until your assessed, like half? if that is not enough to live on then if possible can you take out a loan? i know it sounds silly but as you said you have bills to pay and they wont pay themselves then you can always pat it off with the back payments

terra_ferma · 28 August 2014 at 6:21AM

janadarkprincess wrote: »

i had this too but i think they give you a cut amount weekly until your assessed, like half? if that is not enough to live on then if possible can you take out a loan? i know it sounds silly but as you said you have bills to pay and they wont pay themselves then you can always pat it off with the back payments

Make sure the loan is not from a payday loan company at something like 2000% apr.

jellybeans_2 · 28 August 2014 at 6:55AM

Phone them back and ask for a short term benefit advance, but I think you will need to show that you have no money or family etc who can support you (eg you live alone). More info here:

http://www.adviceguide.org.uk/england/benefits_e/benefits_help_if_on_a_low_income_ew/help_for_people_on_a_low_income_-_the_social_fund_and_other_welfare_schemes.htm#h_advance_payment_of_benefit

If you need help go to a CAB, also if you are running out of food they can also issue an emergency food voucher for a food bank to help until the payment comes through.

Tire · 28 August 2014 at 2:24PM

Thank you for your replies.

I got a text message yesterday saying the following:

"Your Employment Support Allowance has been awarded. We will confirm this by letter. Payment of £93.09 will be in your account by the end of the day. Please submit your medical certificate"

I had posted it off (my medical cert) a few days earlier, so it mustn't have arrived yet. I have taken a photocopy/picture of it, in case it get's "lost in the post" just to cover my back more than anything.

Happy that I've had a payment in the mean time. I phoned up today to query the amount, and it apparently has been paid early due to something called an "alignment payment".

My next payment will be for the full £72.40 per week until I get called up for the interview/medical.

It's not much, but it's paying (some) of the bills!

Indie_Kid · 28 August 2014 at 2:38PM

I think it's because they also owe you extra. So you're getting 1 and a bit weeks worth of ESA.

Horseunderwater · 28 August 2014 at 2:48PM

The daily ESA rate is £10.34 - so suggest 9 days ESA to me. Your payment day depends on your NI number & it will have been put onto that weekday - to be paid every 14 days into your bank, so £144.80, until you get an ATOS WCA & then a decision, which as someone said could be a while.

Tire · 2 September 2014 at 3:57PM

I had the pink form yesterday, filled it in as best I could and posted it off. Wasn't really sure of how to answer some of the questions, but I gave it my best. Hopefully hear something back rather soon.

Also, they posted it on the 28th August, and demanded that it was sent back no later than the 30th August. I didn't receive it until the 1st September. There was a small box that said "if you are sending this form back late, please explain why"

So I explained I didn't receive it until after they had requested it back, and I'd replied and posted it back the same day I received it. Hopefully this doesn't cause any problems, though I'm sure they'll try?

Apologies, but yet another ESA thread.

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