A little confused...

Skinticket

I've been awarded Industrial injuries disablement benefit, and when I received my award letter it says that until they have contacted employment and support allowance to see if they need to recover anything from the backpay i wont be payed by the IIDB.

IIDB rang me and told me that they have completed the things they need from ESA and they told me that i will be receiving payment in 4 working days time to the sum of £730.80.

now, the confusion is, why is it that much after i was told that ESA would want to reclaim some of the backpay...

i asked them quite clearly on the phone if that amount was correct and that it could be a mistake and the lady told me that it was the correct amount...

its confused me, why havent ESA took anything from the backpay?


EDIT: just had a letter in the post from esa saying there was not going to be a change in the amount i get...

why is this as i thought IIDB/esa were means tested?

any help/advice would be appreciated.

tcr_3

There's two types of ESA, Contributory (based on your NI stamps) and Income Related (means tested).

Which type do you receive ?

Skinticket

tcr wrote: »

There's two types of ESA, Contributory (based on your NI stamps) and Income Related (means tested).

Which type do you receive ?

I get income based.
they deducted my wifes carers allowance from it, so i dont get why they wouldnt deduct the IIDB.

they said the amount was definately correct so....

im seriously confused...

tcr_3

IIDB normally get in touch with ESA (or JSA/Income Support), tell them that they're awarding IIDB and offer the arrears first to the ESA section, just like you say. ESA only have a few weeks to reply to that, if they don't reply to the first contact, or the second, IIDB might just go for the nuclear option and release the arrears to you anyway on the grounds that ESA haven't replied. And ESA are really struggling right now, they're miles behind with paperwork.

IIDB have their own targets to meet for claims clearance. They can't hang about forever waiting for the benefit sections to reply.

That's about the only thing I can think of.

Either that or ESA have simply looked at it and decided, for reasons unknown, that they don't want the arrears. Best to call ESA to find out if/why they came to that conclusion.

Skinticket

tcr wrote: »

IIDB normally get in touch with ESA (or JSA/Income Support), tell them that they're awarding IIDB and offer the arrears first to the ESA section, just like you say. ESA only have a few weeks to reply to that, if they don't reply to the first contact, or the second, IIDB might just go for the nuclear option and release the arrears to you anyway on the grounds that ESA haven't replied. And ESA are really struggling right now, they're miles behind with paperwork.

IIDB have their own targets to meet for claims clearance. They can't hang about forever waiting for the benefit sections to reply.

That's about the only thing I can think of.

Either that or ESA have simply looked at it and decided, for reasons unknown, that they don't want the arrears. Best to call ESA to find out if/why they came to that conclusion.

thanks for your advice, really helpful, ive already spoke to esa regarding it and they said that they have sorted it and a letter was issued, ive received the letter today as i stated and it states that my esa will stay the same...

strange.

tcr_3

Skinticket wrote: »

thanks for your advice, really helpful, ive already spoke to esa regarding it and they said that they have sorted it and a letter was issued, ive received the letter today as i stated and it states that my esa will stay the same...

strange.

It is strange. However ... and I don't know exactly your details, obviously, so I'll make some up as an example so you can see where I'm coming from.

Say you were awarded IIDB from 01/06/10. They'll offer those arrears to ESA and ask them to adjust your benefit from a future date, typically giving ESA a month to sort their end out.

So the arrears period might be, I dunno, 01/06/10 to 28/01/11. And from 29/01/11 ESA will go into their computer records and start taking IIDB into account in their calculations. Which means any letter they send you right now might not show any change ... because the change to your ESA is going to happen from a future date (29/01/11), at which point they'll send you another letter which then shows the change.

The recovery period (01/06/10-28/01/11) they'll work out offline & sort out between them & IIDB.

But from what you're saying, there's no change at all & you're getting the full arrears paid. That I don't understand.

Not being ESA trained I'm hoping someone with more knowledge than me could mull this one over for you. Do you get DLA yourself ? If so, what rate ? Any other income/benefit coming in ? Any savings ?

Skinticket

tcr wrote: »

It is strange. However ... and I don't know exactly your details, obviously, so I'll make some up as an example so you can see where I'm coming from.

Say you were awarded IIDB from 01/06/10. They'll offer those arrears to ESA and ask them to adjust your benefit from a future date, typically giving ESA a month to sort their end out.

So the arrears period might be, I dunno, 01/06/10 to 28/01/11. And from 29/01/11 ESA will go into their computer records and start taking IIDB into account in their calculations. Which means any letter they send you right now might not show any change ... because the change to your ESA is going to happen from a future date (29/01/11), at which point they'll send you another letter which then shows the change.

The recovery period (01/06/10-28/01/11) they'll work out offline & sort out between them & IIDB.

But from what you're saying, there's no change at all & you're getting the full arrears paid. That I don't understand.

Not being ESA trained I'm hoping someone with more knowledge than me could mull this one over for you. Do you get DLA yourself ? If so, what rate ? Any other income/benefit coming in ? Any savings ?

no i dont get dla, i was turned down for it, even those ive since passed an atos medical for IIDB and i have a letter from them stating that they consider me disabled... no other benefits...

IIDB contacted esa about this before christmas, and they have both been in touch with me regarding the matter and ive had a letter from esa saying there will be no change in my esa, im just going on what theyve said to me.

what i dont understand is, if im awarded the IIDB as i have been, and then esa deduct the money the IIDB award me from my esa, doesnt that make claiming IIDB completely futile?

Skinticket

can anyone make this anymore clearer for me?

if they have awarded me the IIDB, will esa take off the money that IIDB have awarded?

if so, doesnt that make IIDB a pointless claim?