Having to apply for employment support allowance, please help.

mandjaz06

Hi
I have been suffering with depression for as long as I can remember. Struggled through a lot of my life and tried all the pills under the sun. I had an episode recently which has resulted in me being very ill just now. I have been diagnosed as Bipolar I and under the care of the mental health team and have a cpn visit me regularly.
It came to her attention that I have been out of work since January this year when I shut my business down (manic episode made me open it in first place without much thought. It was only open for 6 months and couldn't handle the pressure :-(
The year before that, I was on incapacity benefit for what was thought at the time as severe depression. So in the last two years, I believe I have only paid 6 months worth of national insurance contributions and this worries me as to whether I would be entitled to employment support allowance. I know I wouldn't get income related based as my husband earns £18000 a year in his job so I would be relying on qualifying on the contribution based employment support. I was in a job for almost 7 years before my illness started to spiral out of control but this was up till early 2008. Do you think I would qualify or not and what options do I have if I don't?
Also if anyone could shed some light on how long it takes roughly to process a claim and receive your first payment if successful?
Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks

Indie_Kid

How many weeks ago did you come off incapacity? There is a linking rule. (104 weeks?)

mandjaz06

It was about 18 months a go roughly. What does that mean?

mandjaz06

Ok, just read about the 104 week linking rule there. Thanks for pointing that out to me but don't think it applies to me. My incapacity benefit was stopped and through that came much stress and stress is a big factor on bipolar disorder. It led me to believe I didn't need my pills anymore and led me into a full blown manic episode there after. Hope that made sense

mandjaz06

Anyone able to help me or give some advice on this please?

dmg24

I am not 100% clear on what you are asking. In order to claim CB ESA, you will need to have paid sufficient NI Conts in tax years 07/08 and 08/09. What were you doing in those years?

mandjaz06

Hi thanks for getting back. In tax year 07/08 I worked up till feb 08 at my job within social services. Feb 08 I had an episode which led me to be hospitalised with my illness. Since then I claimed ssp and then when the ssp ran out, I claimed Incapacity which was taken off me after a couple of months.

I was going for an appeal which was taking forever and in that time and stress of waiting, I became ill again. I was living off only my husbands wage for tax year 08/09. So, really out of those tax years I have contributed 11 months of national insurance.

Hope this has made some sense to you or anyone who are more clued up on this.

MrsManda

I don't know the ins and outs of the system but the easiest thing to do is to call the claim line, fill out the paperwork over the phone and see what the outcome is. Then you'll have a definitive answer the worse they can do is say no.

mandjaz06

Hi, I have a claim pack coming out in the post to me. They weren't much help when I asked about the NI contribution based esa. I also told them I wouldn't qualify for the income related esa as my husband works over 24 hours. They said to just put the claim through and see what happens but doesn't stop you worrying or wondering

healy

mandjaz06 wrote: »

Hi thanks for getting back. In tax year 07/08 I worked up till feb 08 at my job within social services. Feb 08 I had an episode which led me to be hospitalised with my illness. Since then I claimed ssp and then when the ssp ran out, I claimed Incapacity which was taken off me after a couple of months.

I was going for an appeal which was taking forever and in that time and stress of waiting, I became ill again. I was living off only my husbands wage for tax year 08/09. So, really out of those tax years I have contributed 11 months of national insurance.

Hope this has made some sense to you or anyone who are more clued up on this.

From what you have said you will not have paid or been credited with enough NI contributions in the 08/09 tax year and will therefore not be entitled to contribution based ESA.

mandjaz06

Thought so
I also have a claim for DLA being processed just now but god knows how long that will take before a decision has been reached. Feel like such a burden on my husband and daughter right now
Thanks for all your help.