Employment & Support Allowance query

dmg24

AsknAnswer2 wrote: »

Contribution based benefits are calculated on the amount of NI contributions you have paid in previous "the qualifying" years. Contribution based benefits have nothing to do with the amount of income you currently have; that is income based benefit.

When applying for ESA, you are assessed for both compnents. However if the contributory applicable amount is the same or is higher than the income based applicable amount, you only receive the conts.

NASA should be able to explain this in more simple terms than I can.

However it may be that they are better off in claiming income based benefits, or that they are entitled to a combination of both. It may also be a lot less hassle not to claim ESA.

jen_br

Mistyang wrote: »

yes and your point is?

My point was i was trying to claify so i could give the best response... but i re-read your OP and udnerstood what you were saying.. I originally read it quickly and thought you were asking something else.

the reason i was also asking is.. with ESA you would have to attend a medical and being a carer for your husband actually could go against you as you need so many points and caring for someone needs a certain level of compentancy etc...Therefore you may be better off claiming something else as so many people have pointed out to you.

but replying twice and once with what I can assume attitude wasn't needed i was just asking a simple question

Mistyang

many thanks for the good advice.

Suelees a "better off" calculation, how do I go about that. Having worked for 40 years I do not know an awful lot about benefits except the ones my husband is in receipt of.

jen_br there was no attitude intended, perhaps if you had been a little more specific but like you said you read it quickly and misunderstood what I was asking. However the way I read your post it sounded antagonistic. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding, I have been a member of this site since 2006 and I am sure that other users will say I am not a person with attitude.

many thanks for everyones input.

dmg24

If you enter some figures into www.entitledto.co.uk for the different possibilities, you can see what possible outcomes will be. It is likely that they will all be around the same amount, and if this is the case, it would be much simpler (and less stressful) to go down the IB + IS + CA route.

After thirteen weeks on ESA you will need to pass the WCA (the new version of the PCA). If your condition is stress alone, it is unlikely that you will get past this stage. If your claim is purely for CA, you will not have this hurdle to get past.

Robert_Hopkins

It is possible to be awarded both contributory and income related employment and support allowance. The applicable amount in my case is exactly the same. However because I get both I get the benefits of both, in the case of the income related parts this winter I got the cold weather payments and I get the free prescriptions.

jen_br

Mistyang wrote: »

many thanks for the good advice.


jen_br there was no attitude intended, perhaps if you had been a little more specific but like you said you read it quickly and misunderstood what I was asking. However the way I read your post it sounded antagonistic. Sorry if there was a misunderstanding, I have been a member of this site since 2006 and I am sure that other users will say I am not a person with attitude.

many thanks for everyones input.

yeah too bad you cant read expessions sorry about that ... but esa is not your best bet maybe for 13 weeks but you will fail the medical

Mistyang

jen_br wrote: »

yeah too bad you cant read expessions sorry about that ... but esa is not your best bet maybe for 13 weeks but you will fail the medical

thank you...;)

I do have stress related problems however I have osteoporosis and asthma really bad too although I prefer to struggle on without complaining..if I fail the medical I am sure that I can apply for Income Support as I am now caring for my hubby who has chronic emphysema which is very debilitating.

I appreciate everyones input thanks..