ESA and mortgage help query

happymumto2

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

Don't rule out repossession as a possibility.

With a disabled child and on ESA yourself you might well be eligible for social housing; even if not you would be able to claim LHA for the cost of renting privately. 500 a month will take nearly half of your income, possibly for years to come,with no end in sight.

Living on benefits is tough enough, without having to manage with such a reduced amount.

Am not ruling out repossession entirely and may have to go down that route at some point in the not too distant future. However even if they only agree to pay 50%, I think I would be able to pay the other £500. Am used to living on a reduced amount as that how we managed to stay here as long as we have the 1k mortgage and £120 council tax was over half my pay, plus at the time I had childcare costs of £460 a month on top (partially subsidised by tax credits).

Have looked on entitledto (although I know its not 100%), and should get about £1290 a month plus council tax and 50% or possibly 100% of my mortgage paid and free school meals. Thats without Carers Allowance or my DLA (if appeal is successful). So even if they do only agree to pay 50% I should be able to cover the rest. Kids and I were used to living on about £500 a month after all bills etc were paid, So it won't be far off the same, as will be cancelling a few of the direct debits that were related to my profession. If they agree to pay 100% will actually be better off than I have been last 3 1/2 years.

I had a great career and a job I loved which I felt was well paid, would rather do that anyday and did not mind struggling for sake of the children and my own self respect, but can now understand why some people choose not to work.

Indie_Kid

Oldernotwiser wrote: »

So she recommended the same thing as DX2?

Depending on the age of your child you can claim IS to top up CA.

if the OP claims CA for the child; does the age of the child still matter?

happymumto2

sh1305 wrote: »

if the OP claims CA for the child; does the age of the child still matter?

I haven't claimed as of yet but have requested the forms. For the record my son is 6, I think DX2 was referring to the income support part which you can only claim up to a certain age of the child I think.

DX2

sh1305 wrote: »

if the OP claims CA for the child; does the age of the child still matter?

No.
If the OP was to apply for CA she would get this:
How your Income Support was worked out:
1. How much the law says you need to live on
for you £64.30
because you are caring for someone £29.50
total = £93.80

2. Income you told us about
Carers allowance £53.10
Total amount £53.10

3. The weekly amount you will receive
The amount the law says you need to live on £93.80
Less the income you told us about £53.10
total amount of Income support = £40.70 pw

£93.10 a week, more than your £89 per week ESA

happymumto2

DX2 wrote: »

No.
If the OP was to apply for CA she would get this:
How your Income Support was worked out:
1. How much the law says you need to live on
for you £64.30
because you are caring for someone £29.50
total = £93.80

2. Income you told us about
Carers allowance £53.10
Total amount £53.10

3. The weekly amount you will receive
The amount the law says you need to live on £93.80
Less the income you told us about £53.10
total amount of Income support = £40.70 pw

£93.10 a week, more than your £89 per week ESA

Thanks for that DX2 but on the website it says:-

If you already receive one of the following benefits (of the same amount as Carer's Allowance or more) you will not be able to get Carer's Allowance:

• Incapacity Benefit
• Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
• State Retirement Pension
• widow's and bereavements benefits
• Maternity Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Contribution-based Job Seeker's Allowance

If you get one of these benefits, it may still be worth applying for Carer's Allowance as you may qualify for Carer Premium.

Income based ESA is not mentioned just contribution based, so am assuming it is ok to apply if on income based ESA, if not would rather just stick with the ESA as that was hard enough to go through.

DX2

happymumto2 wrote: »

Income based ESA is not mentioned just contribution based, so am assuming it is ok to apply if on income based ESA, if not would rather just stick with the ESA as that was hard enough to go through.

Maybe I am still reading this wrong but you will not get ESA and CA it will be one or the other if you go down the ESA route you will be entitled to the carer premium of £29.50 from IS, you will not get your £89 ESA + £53 CA + £29 CA premium.

Tehya

Hi, slightly different circs to you but I'm carer for my hubby who gets ESA (IR) main phase & in the support group, he also gets DLA mid care, high mob.

Def claim carer's allowance, you won't actually receive it but you'll get what they call underlying entitlement to, when you have your letter ring the DWP & then you'll receive the Carer's Premium as part of your ESA (IR). This will give you an extra £29 per wk & because you're a carer you can even forgo the work related activities as they will defer them for upto three years.

PS to be entitled to CA you need to get DLA mid or high rate care for the person you're caring for mobility doesn't count.

Hope this helps,

Tehya

happymumto2

I would like to say you have all been very kind and very helpful, is a total minefield to me xxx

DX2

happymumto2 wrote: »

I would like to say you have all been very kind and very helpful, is a total minefield to me xxx

If you're a carer whose ability to work is also limited by ill health or disability then you may have to decide between claiming Income Support and income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA). If you claim ESA, you may need to consider your ability to attend work-focused interviews.
Alternatively, you may be a carer for a partner whose ability is limited by ill health or disability, and you may have to make difficult decisions about who should claim which benefit.
The information below looks at particular issues about ESA that are relevant for carers.
Income Support or ESA?

It may be that you qualify for either income-related ESA, due to your limited capability for work, or Income Support, due to your caring role. If you get Carer’s Allowance, this is deducted from income-related ESA in the same way that it is from Income Support. A carer premium will be added in the same way that it is for Income Support.
If you claim Income Support as a carer you won't be able to get the extra amount that is paid to people with a disability who are unable to work (the Disability Premium). This has been replaced by the work-related activity component or support component of ESA. If you claim Income Support this could mean that you would be worse off than if you claim income-related ESA.
However, you may still be able to claim the Disability Premium of Income Support if you get Disability Living Allowance or in some other cases. If you can still get the Disability Premium, it may be better for you to claim Income Support instead of ESA.
The situation may be complicated further if you're also entitled to contributory ESA.
Each case is different, and there are many things to consider in order to work out what you can claim and what would be best for you if you have a choice. It's therefore important to get advice about what you're entitled to and what your options are. For sources of advice see External links.
If you have a partner you may need to decide between you about which benefit to claim. For example, if you're caring for a partner who has limited capability for work (or the other way around), then you may have to choose between you making a claim for Income Support or your partner making a claim for income-related ESA. Again, there are many things to consider in order to work out what you and your partner can claim, and what would be best if there's a choice. It's important, therefore, to get advice on what you and your partner are entitled to and what your options are.
If you or your partner have been getting Incapacity Benefit or Income Support on the grounds of incapacity for work since before October 27 2008, you'll continue to receive it. However, you may need to claim ESA instead at some point in the future.
Carers and work-focused interviews

If you're in the work-related activity group for ESA, this means that it's accepted that you have limited capability for work, but you're seen as being capable of taking steps that will improve your prospects of returning to work in the future.
You'll be required to attend one or more work-focused health-related assessments and a series of six work-focused interviews. These are intended to help you to increase your ability to seek work and overcome barriers to work caused by your illness or disability. These conditions don't apply if you're over 60 or you're placed in the support group.
If you're a carer under 60 in the work-related activity group, you may have concerns about the requirement to attend work-focused interviews.
You can ask for a work-focused interview to be put off (deferred) to another date if it would not be of assistance to you or appropriate in the circumstances. If you're a full-time carer for someone, an interview can be deferred if it clashes with your caring responsibilities. Your circumstances will be considered and it may be agreed that you don't need to attend a work-focused interview for the time being.
You can ask for a work-focused interview to take place in your home if attending elsewhere would cause you great difficulties. The same applies to the work-focused health-related assessment.
If a work-focused interview is not deferred but you can't attend it (because, for example, the person you're looking after becomes unexpectedly unwell, or care arrangements fall through), you must tell the Jobcentre Plus your reasons within five working days of being notified that you failed to attend the interview. Your ESA won't be subject to sanctions in this situation.
At a work-focused interview your caring responsibilities will be taken into account when discussing what work-related activity, if any, is appropriate in your individual circumstances.
If a decision is made to reduce your benefit for not attending a work-focused interview you have the right to appeal. See ESA: challenges in NHS Choices links.
http://www.nhs.uk/CarersDirect/moneyandlegal/otherbenefits/Pages/EmploymentandSupportAllowance.aspx

happymumto2

Tehya wrote: »

Hi, slightly different circs to you but I'm carer for my hubby who gets ESA (IR) main phase & in the support group, he also gets DLA mid care, high mob.

Def claim carer's allowance, you won't actually receive it but you'll get what they call underlying entitlement to, when you have your letter ring the DWP & then you'll receive the Carer's Premium as part of your ESA (IR). This will give you an extra £29 per wk & because you're a carer you can even forgo the work related activities as they will defer them for upto three years.

PS to be entitled to CA you need to get DLA mid or high rate care for the person you're caring for mobility doesn't count.

Hope this helps,

Tehya

Thank you for that Tehya, my little one is on high rate care and low mobility so that should in principle mean I would qualify.

As for the work related activities they have been deferred for the moment, not because of my son but because of the state of my health. Had my first one on Wednesday which I was told would last an hour after 8-10 minutes he told me I could leave because I was in such a state (not in a nasty way, but he said he could see I was agitated and upset and couldn't understand why I had been put in the work related group).