Advice on ESA. Please help me.

lonestarfan

I am sorry if this is coverd in other boards which I have not read yet but have found it all overwhelming. My friend's husband was seriously injured in a road accident in March this year. He is still in a persistent vegetative state but is able to breathe without any assistance. He worked full time, she is a full time mum for their two sons (aged 11 and 7). His employer has paid him 6 months full pay and now his pay has reduced to half pay for the next 3 months before there is a review. However, she has been informed by his employer that the 6 months full pay was inclusive of SSP and that has now been paid for 28 weeks so no longer payable. His salary has only shown the SSP payment for two months. Anyway, she needs to know if they are entitled to employment allowance or support allowance. A social worker has told her that she can't apply for support allowance if her husband is still getting half his salary (which isn't much!).

To cut a long question short, do you know if she can apply for any other benefits as the half pay won't even cover their mortgage let alone pay bills, food etc? Any advice is appreciated or even point me to right direction on the boards or to anyone you think who she can ask.
Thanks so much for reading this.

NASA_2

As long as SSP has finished a claim to ESA(C) should be made. ESA(IR) wouldnt be worthwhile as the half pay will, I assume, dwarf what would be paid, although if the half pay comes to less than £102 it may be worth it assuming there is no other income.

Mortgage payments, nothing doing there, insurance should have been taken out to be honest.

lonestarfan

I think alot of us know the importance of insurance but in my experience its often still not taken out!
I was thinking if he's in the works pension scheme then he might get ill health retirement maybe?
What about help with the mortgage costs - I was thinking there was help for that so I'll look into it.
I feel so sad for her that I am helping with getting her to the right places.
Can anyone tell me if its worth going to the Citizens Advice Bureau? Do people get good help from them? Also does anyone know if there's such a thing as a Welfare Benfits Adviser these days?

NASA_2

I'm not sure if there is much point going to CAB at this point to get help for the ESA claim. The initial claim stage is really straightforward - simply provide what they ask for - the claim form states clearly what is required. If its a teleclaim then a statement is sent out asking for what is required.

CAB might be able to help deal with the mortgage lender.

andyandflo

lonestarfan wrote: »

I am sorry if this is coverd in other boards which I have not read yet but have found it all overwhelming. My friend's husband was seriously injured in a road accident in March this year. He is still in a persistent vegetative state but is able to breathe without any assistance. He worked full time, she is a full time mum for their two sons (aged 11 and 7). His employer has paid him 6 months full pay and now his pay has reduced to half pay for the next 3 months before there is a review. However, she has been informed by his employer that the 6 months full pay was inclusive of SSP and that has now been paid for 28 weeks so no longer payable. His salary has only shown the SSP payment for two months. Anyway, she needs to know if they are entitled to employment allowance or support allowance. A social worker has told her that she can't apply for support allowance if her husband is still getting half his salary (which isn't much!).

To cut a long question short, do you know if she can apply for any other benefits as the half pay won't even cover their mortgage let alone pay bills, food etc? Any advice is appreciated or even point me to right direction on the boards or to anyone you think who she can ask.
Thanks so much for reading this.

The house will probably have to go back to the bank.

It happens to most of us, including me, at some point in our lives.

sleepless_saver

andyandflo wrote: »

The house will probably have to go back to the bank.

It happens to most of us, including me, at some point in our lives.

So you really think that most people have had the experience of being repossessed? And with this level of specialist expertise you're happy to say what you think will happen to the OP's friend's house?

bigjl

Sorry to here of this families situation, it can't be nice having this kind of tradgey then the added stress of financial problems, did he have a pension, as there may be some money that they are entitled from that.

Surely they will be entitled to DLA and all other benefits such as carers? Though I suppose he is still in Hospital.

I don't have enough knowledge on benefits to advise, but hope they get themselves sorted out, after all this is why benefits are there, to assist families such as this one, not those that are happy to treat benefits as a lifestyle choice.


Her first port of call is the mortgage company, get them onside, they may be able to help or have some suggestions to help, surely they must be in line for SMI.

lonestarfan

Her first port of call is the mortgage company, get them onside, they may be able to help or have some suggestions to help, surely they must be in line for SMI.[/QUOTE]

Good advice thanks. I've said I will go with her to the mortgage company.
I thought the same about DLA - the care is being done in hospital but if he ever comes home then we will pursue that.
Can you just let me know what SMI is?
Thanks

Sam____2

bigjl wrote: »

Sorry to here of this families situation, it can't be nice having this kind of tradgey then the added stress of financial problems, did he have a pension, as there may be some money that they are entitled from that.

Surely they will be entitled to DLA and all other benefits such as carers? Though I suppose he is still in Hospital.

I don't have enough knowledge on benefits to advise, but hope they get themselves sorted out, after all this is why benefits are there, to assist families such as this one, not those that are happy to treat benefits as a lifestyle choice.


Her first port of call is the mortgage company, get them onside, they may be able to help or have some suggestions to help, surely they must be in line for SMI.

If he's going to be in hospital for the next 28 days after the claim is made it's unlikely he will be awarded DLA. She can't get carers until DLA is awarded and if he's in hospital then it's not her that's caring for him.
If he is getting half pay and they are getting child benefit, child tax credit and working tax credit I doubt very much if they will be eligible for any other benefits.
Insurance would have covered the mortgage had it been taken out, nobody likes to think they are going to need it but it is a necessity IMHO.

Sam____2

lonestarfan wrote: »

Her first port of call is the mortgage company, get them onside, they may be able to help or have some suggestions to help, surely they must be in line for SMI.

Good advice thanks. I've said I will go with her to the mortgage company.
I thought the same about DLA - the care is being done in hospital but if he ever comes home then we will pursue that.
Can you just let me know what SMI is?
Thanks[/QUOTE]

SMI is support for mortgage insurance but you have to be in receipt of an income based benefit to qualify such as income support or income based JSA, they would not qualify for SMI I'm afraid

andyandflo

sleepless_saver wrote: »

So you really think that most people have had the experience of being repossessed? And with this level of specialist expertise you're happy to say what you think will happen to the OP's friend's house?

err yes I do, in 2009 reposessions were running at over 12,000 every three months.
In 2010, that has now gone down slighty with the current last quarter showing over 9,000 properties were repossessed.

I think that is a really fair number of homes that are being repossessed don't you?