Payments help please 19 December 2010 at 11:31AM in Disability money matters 5 replies 691 views

toddles*

Morning all

I recently was granted ESA NI based only.

1st December I received an award letter teling me how much I would get each fortnight and what I needed to do.
So I sent off my doctors note and my P45 (what they asked)

3rd December I received my first payment. It was the correct amount for one weeks worth of money only, not a two week payment like I was expecting.

I have then since not heard a sausage. no correspondence, no more payments

I have tried to contact them numerous times but I keep getting put on hold basically until the credit on my phone runs out. Ive tried all the "free numbers" on the saynoto0870 website with no luck.

I have re-read the award letter about 10 times, thinking should I have done something else. It doesnt say anything.

I think my only option is to go to the job center and use their free phone, but its quite a long way, and wanted to aviod that if possible.

Does anyone please have any idea if I have missed something here. Should I have done something.

please go easy on me, I have never claimed benefits before and its bit of a learning curve.

thank you for reading

McKneff

it could be that payments are one week behind and one week in advance. So your next payment will be for 2 weeks.
Have another look at the letter they sent you, see if it says anything about that.

toddles*

Had another read of the letter, nothing obvious

"The money will be paid every two weeks for as long as you are still entitled to ESA"

The claim has been backdated from the day I left work in November. Maybe maybe its something to do with that. I could of received some backdated pay but not any actual pay yet! grr.

oldestrocker

toddles* wrote: »

Had another read of the letter, nothing obvious

"The money will be paid every two weeks for as long as you are still entitled to ESA"

The claim has been backdated from the day I left work in November. Maybe maybe its something to do with that. I could of received some backdated pay but not any actual pay yet! grr.

This info might help.
I get giro cheques to cash at the PO.
ESA fortnightly is paid 2 weeks + in arrears.

eg. 2 weeks ended 14th Dec - giro and letter is dated 16th Dec and I expect to get it on the 21st Dec.

So by time I get this giro on the 21st it refers to the 2 weeks ended 14th Dec - 7 days later.

Two4Tuesday

How long was your doctor's FIT note valid for? Could it have run out, and perhaps you need a new one? Until you have had an ATOS assessment, you will only receive ESA for as long as you keep providing up to date FIT notes.

toddles*

oldestrocker wrote: »

This info might help.
I get giro cheques to cash at the PO.
ESA fortnightly is paid 2 weeks + in arrears.

eg. 2 weeks ended 14th Dec - giro and letter is dated 16th Dec and I expect to get it on the 21st Dec.

So by time I get this giro on the 21st it refers to the 2 weeks ended 14th Dec - 7 days later.

I think I will have to wait a bit longer then, it looks like. thank you very much. I just wished they would have explained that to me.

my doctors note runs out on 31st december so it cant be that.
thanks