Confused by DWP!

dane-katie

Hi, i have just rung them to chase up a claim for carers allowance and the lady told me that my claim for ESA which i get £105.05 per week for will be going down because my partner will be getting £53.90 a week, she said my ESA will go down by the rate of the carers allowance thus me only getting £51.15 a week. BUT she said i will get an allowance added on to mine of £30.05 per week, i am so confused, i phoned ESA but they are getting Barnsley to ring me as they dont think that is right.

Anyone else have any ideas?

Plus they said i am now on ESA income based, they think i should be on a couples allowance instead of my singles allowance, hopefully i should hear from them in the morning but wanted your wisdom first

Thanks

dane-katie

Anyone??????

suelees1

If you're living with someone you should get the couple's rate plus any component (if you 'passed' the medical assessment) plus any premium(s) less any other income such as CA

What are your circumstances?

miss_spooky

Hi dane - katie,

Benefits like income support, JSA, ESA, Carer's Allowance are all means tested benefits that are looked at as income. Therefore the government give you an allowance of which they deem is the minimum a person or couple can live on. If you receive two of these benefits like ESA and CA then one will be offset against the other. So you will probably receive the same amount but from two different sources.

I.E a couple with 2 children under 16 (as in my case) is allowed £130 a week to live on. So I get £77.00 IS, £53.90 CA which totals approx £130.

I think in the IS is also the £30 extra for disability premium, you were told about.

Hope that helps.

healy

miss_spooky wrote: »

Hi dane - katie,

Benefits like income support, JSA, ESA, Carer's Allowance are all means tested benefits that are looked at as income. Therefore the government give you an allowance of which they deem is the minimum a person or couple can live on. If you receive two of these benefits like ESA and CA then one will be offset against the other. So you will probably receive the same amount but from two different sources.

I.E a couple with 2 children under 16 (as in my case) is allowed £130 a week to live on. So I get £77.00 IS, £53.90 CA which totals approx £130.

I think in the IS is also the £30 extra for disability premium, you were told about.

Hope that helps.

The OP receives ESA. There is no DP paid with ESA.

dane-katie

I get HRC and LRM DLA, and ESA at the above rate, my partner is about to start getting carers allowance, my ESA has been changed from contributions based to income based, but i dont know why. There is no other benefit aside from them 3 that we claim.

There is just me and my partner, no children.

Tehya

Hi,

I might be able to help. Have you had your medical yet and if so have you been placed in the work related activity group or the support group? This can make quite a difference to what you receive so I don't want to give you the wrong info.

My hubby is on ESA and I claim CA for looking after him. He's in the support group and he gets both contribution based and income related ESA. This is because I'm on his claim, the ESA single allowance is increased with income related as there is no couples rate of contributions based ESA . I think I've remembered that correctly.

Tehya

dane-katie

I passed my medical last year and was put in the work related activity group, and also got a disability premium added to my ESA making it £105.05 a week, thanks

suelees1

From what you've said you're you're only getting the amount for one person. This is how it will have been calculated -

Prescribed amount (single person) £65.45 + work related activity component £25.95 + enhanced disability premium of £13.65 (this is because you are on DLA high rate care. As healy has said there is no basic disability premium with ESA). Total £105.05 pw.

If you were in receipt of contribution based ESA it's now been topped up with income related ESA because of the premium.

I assume your partner is living with you and has no income of his own. If so you need to make sure he is included in your claim. This will increase your ESA to -

couples rate 102.75 + WRA component £25.95 + couples enhanced dp £19.65 + the carers premium £30.05 when he gets CA. Total £178.40

It will be reduced by the amount of CA but your total income has increased by £73.35 pw

The basics are right but I just hope I've done my calculations correctly

G51shopaholic

well done suelees1

I'm on ESA Contributions based and don't get any of the additional disability benefits.

But I read somewhere that they can change you to Income based ESA if it means you'll get MORE MONEY!

Now that's a turn up for the books AH! A benefit system that actually helps you get the most instead of staying silent!

I get £96 a week because partner earns over £25k a year.

suelees1

No it doesn't work like that. You can't chose which one you get.

It sound's like you're on the ESA basic rate 65.45+ support component of 31.40 which is all contribution based.

You wouldn't get any income related ESA as your partner is earning £25K