income support or esa for lone parent

jennie09

Hi, i am currently a lone parent recieving income support 0f 60.50, i know from march 2009 under new rules my entitlement to income support will stop as my son is now 14, i know i will not be able to claim jsa as i am unable to work due to a recent disability, i would like to know if i can just stay on income support on the grounds of incapacity or will i have to make a new claim for employment support allowance, have tried to find out online and it says it only affects new or repeat cliams for income support and i could ask dwp to change my current claim or just say it is a change of circumstances due to incapacity.
thanks

uolypool

good question, I to am in the same position after just being diagnosed with arthiritis recently but my youngest turns 12 in sept

Oldernotwiser

Apparently a third of lone parents go onto IB when their IS runs out. I've always found that an interesting statistic. Wonder if it'll be the same with ESA?

healy

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Aparently a third of lone parents go onto IB when they're IS runs out. I've always found that an interesting statistic. Wonder if it'll be the same with ESA?

Thanks for that, I did not know that. I think it will be alot less with ESA as it is a harder test to pass and the DWP want less people to get on it and stay on it.

Oldernotwiser

healy wrote: »

Thanks for that, I did not know that. I think it will be alot less with ESA as it is a harder test to pass and the DWP want less people to get on it and stay on it.

Jolly good thing too!

mcc28_x

If you do not have a claim to IB now, you will have to claim ESA after IS ends.

You will have an interview 6 weeks b4 IS ends if you say you cannot work due to health the advisor will tell you to get a sick note from your GP to start the day after IS ends. You will then be 'switched' to income based ESA.

So unless you have an existing claim to Incapacity Benefit then Income Support will end so that ESA can be paid.

tink_the_stink

please remember ESA is different to IB, the medical looks at work you can do not what you can't do, plus you've still got to attend Work Focus Interviews

Kazzajr

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Apparently a third of lone parents go onto IB when their IS runs out. I've always found that an interesting statistic. Wonder if it'll be the same with ESA?

I'd never heard of this before, it's interesting so does that mean that they never claimed for their incapacity before or it only became a problem once they become ineligible for IS?

Is IS the same value as IB so that is why they haven't claimed for it in the past, I thought IB was more and could be claimed in addition to IS.

pipkin71

As far as I was aware, you can only claim incapacity benefit if you have been paying national insurance contributions, so those who have been claiming IS while their children were young, couldn't automatically transfer to IB once the child hit 16, or am I wrong here?

krisskross

Kazzajr wrote: »

I'd never heard of this before, it's interesting so does that mean that they never claimed for their incapacity before or it only became a problem once they become ineligible for IS?

Is IS the same value as IB so that is why they haven't claimed for it in the past, I thought IB was more and could be claimed in addition to IS.

Very interesting although some people do get IS on grounds of incapacity because they don't have enough of an NI contribution history.

Trouble is by letting lone parents stay on IS for decades we have people who have hardly any or no work experience or skills to offer an employer. Plus quite frankly had they wanted to work then they would have. Especially since the introduction of WTC etc.

Oldernotwiser

Kazzajr wrote: »

I'd never heard of this before, it's interesting so does that mean that they never claimed for their incapacity before or it only became a problem once they become ineligible for IS?

Is IS the same value as IB so that is why they haven't claimed for it in the past, I thought IB was more and could be claimed in addition to IS.

BBC 2007

"In a speech, Mr Hutton said Britain has one of the lowest levels of lone parent employment in Europe, with almost half on benefits.


He said up to a third of lone parents move on to incapacity benefit once their child benefit ends as their youngest reaches 16. "

I think that many people will have different views on why this is the case, discussion if which is probably outside the remit of the Benefits Board.

I know what I think.