ESA & crisis loans

welshmoneylover

diaboliquesaint wrote: »

Gambling is not an issue here whatsoever. It's something I haven't done in a long time. Why are you just trying to be nasty rather than actually help people? People used to be so much more friendly in the past.
I don't know how much more simply I can put it. We applied for ESA 4 months ago, we were finally given the outcome today, which was negative. We have no money whatsoever and we've been living off crisis loans because they wouldn't pay us ESA until the outcome was confirmed. I know I am entitled to it as are about 50% of people who are turned down and then go on to appeal.
We won't get any payments at all until the appeal goes through and they start paying 'appeal rate', which is about half of the usual rate but would be a blessing right now.
So basically, we don't have any money, we can't get a crisis loan and we have no other sources of funding that I know of. I don't even know where to find a loan shark!
I know I'm not the only person who has had to wait 4 months or more for payments and others must have only had crisis loans while waiting so what did they do when the money ran out? I have nobody to borrow from.

What about applying to the university you are studying with to see if they have a hardship fund?

diaboliquesaint

I don't see why I have to explain everything to you. I wish I was still there, I really do, and I was entitled to go as part of the ESA rules...trying to turn my life around but that's obviously too much for a person like you. Shall I explain my recent hospitalisations also?
I've helped so many people on similar forums in the past. So much so I had death threats from a local finance company. Perhaps I should have trolled around just trying to hurt people instead. And all I get from you is abuse. Thanks for all your help. Farewell.

welshmoneylover

diaboliquesaint wrote: »

I don't see why I have to explain everything to you. I wish I was still there, I really do, and I was entitled to go as part of the ESA rules...trying to turn my life around but that's obviously too much for a person like you. Shall I explain my recent hospitalisations also?
I've helped so many people on similar forums in the past. So much so I had death threats from a local finance company. Perhaps I should have trolled around just trying to hurt people instead. And all I get from you is abuse. Thanks for all your help. Farewell.

You really aren't making much sense at all.

dreamylittledream

*sigh*

Trying to answer the OP's question and regardless of what he may or may not have done in the past, the appeal submission process does not take that long. Once you have returned the GL24 (appeal form) and submitted any required up to date medical certificates it's normally no more than 2 weeks before payments will be issued.

Appeal rate ESA (curiously and unlike appeal rate Income Support for an Incapacity Benefit medical appeal) is paid at the assessment rate - so £102.75 for a couple (minus the social fund deduction which will be at 20% of this if you are at max debt with them). This will continue until the tribunal reaches its conclusion and you will need to provide med certs during this time to receive payments. This is the same rate as JSA.

All this supposes that you failed to score enough points at the WCA medical as opposed to failed to attend. If you failed to attend then no payment will be made during the appeal and in a practical, I need some money sense you'd be better off claiming JSA.

What confuses me if your implication that you seem to imply you have not received any payments since October? If you waited a year between ESA claims then you would have been paid again at the assessment rate until you went to the medical. The none payment until new medical attended and passed rule only applies if a new claim is made within 6 months.

If you are at max social fund debt and have no current rated claim to benefit then no part of social fund can help you though I'm afraid - I suggest contacting local charities for food parcels etc until your appeal is accepted.

EDIT: just read your first post again - its been a year since your first made an ESA claim - not a year since you last failed the medical I take it. You really would have been better waiting six months between receiving the medical decision then before reclaiming JSA - would have been much easier on your crisis loan debt too.

As a side note if you fail the medical but still have medical certificates stating you are unfit for work then it is up to the Jobcentre staff the come to an agreement with you over what work you might be able to do. You are perfectly entitled to claim JSA but restrict what work you feel able to do. The WCA medical only deems you to fit for some kind of work - not any work - this of course depends on the nature of your illness. The new 'fit notes' discuss this rather then what work you can not do.

krisskross

Are you allowed to claim ESA while you are getting student funding?

dreamylittledream

Potentially yes (depends which half of the couple was receiving the funding and if the course was still being attended and many other things for that matter).

If it was ESA(IB) though the student loan/bursary/etc would be taken into consideration as income.

cit_k

Something does nto make sense, you should have been paid assessment rate since october when you claimed.

jonty1970

I can only suggest you sign on and go every fortnight, sign and say you are looking for work and try and cope, till you can claim ESA.
If you are that ill, you need to get help and advice relevant to what is wrong with you. If it is mental illness, Mind can give you lots of help with benefits and appeals.

Or say mobility problems, find help specific to your needs.

How are you coping with feeding your child/children? Have you asked social services for help? It sounds like you really need help to get out of this mess

DaisyFlower

Why cant your partner work and use childcare? I am unsure as to why you are able to study at uni but uncapable of looking after a child.

At the end of the day you choose to have a child knowing that neither of you were working so you now need to work out how to support that child.

Given you have had max funding from the uni (grants and loans), are getting CTC/CB and presumably HB then you should have enough to buy the basics with.

krisskross

jonty1970 wrote: »

I can only suggest you sign on and go every fortnight, sign and say you are looking for work and try and cope, till you can claim ESA.
If you are that ill, you need to get help and advice relevant to what is wrong with you. If it is mental illness, Mind can give you lots of help with benefits and appeals.

Or say mobility problems, find help specific to your needs.

How are you coping with feeding your child/children? Have you asked social services for help? It sounds like you really need help to get out of this mess

According to previous posts he is a full time student at University with full funding including that for the child and a dependent adult.

i think there must be a limit on how much financial help one person can receive