ESA & Working Tax Credits, please help?

PrincessDonna2009

Hello Everyone

My partner works full time and get's working tax credits because he's on a low wage, we don't have any children, so we just get working tax credits. Anyway I have been out of work since 2009 and currently up until December 2010 I have been looking for work, but my symptoms started to to flair back up again and I have been poorly with them, I suffer from BPPV (Vertido disorder). I haven't been able to get any other benefit's like jobseekers because I weren't entilted to it because my partner working, which is fair and I don't except it because we get working tax credits and that helps me out and I haven't signed on for my stamp neither, which is naughty I know. Anyway my doctor advised me to claim for ESA because I am basically not fit for work, so she has signed me off sick.

I have put in my claim and got a response and they said I am entilted to it on 'Contributions Based ESA', which I am pleased in one way, but my question is:

Will my Contributions based ESA effect our WTC?

I have informed them, but she said she couldn't tell me over the telephone...fair enough and that it will re-assesed....

I am just worrying myself because basically WTC is a saviour to us because after all our bills and planning for wedding etc.... it help's us out, in which we are perfectly entitled to.

Please help answer my question?

Thanks In advance

nannytone_2

if ESA worksthe same as JSA then you won't get it.
you have to pay NI in the 2 relevant tax years, which are 08/09 and 09/10

PrincessDonna2009

I have already been accepted for ESA (Contributions based) as they are using my contributions from 08/09 as I was working up until 2009 and worked since 2002...I have already had a letter to confirm how much they are paying me per week and states that it is contribution based ESA. They have already paid me 1 week's worth of money and have all my backdated money on hold ready to release the payment when I send in a sick note, in which I done today dated for the next 2 months from January, so I think I am 100% entilted or I wouldn't be getting payment already.

Thanks

PrincessDonna2009

BUMP? More advice needed

sunnyone

PrincessDonna2009 wrote: »

Hello Everyone

My partner works full time and get's working tax credits because he's on a low wage, we don't have any children, so we just get working tax credits. Anyway I have been out of work since 2009 and currently up until December 2010 I have been looking for work, but my symptoms started to to flair back up again and I have been poorly with them, I suffer from BPPV (Vertido disorder). I haven't been able to get any other benefit's like jobseekers because I weren't entilted to it because my partner working, which is fair and I don't except it because we get working tax credits and that helps me out and I haven't signed on for my stamp neither, which is naughty I know. Anyway my doctor advised me to claim for ESA because I am basically not fit for work, so she has signed me off sick.

I have put in my claim and got a response and they said I am entilted to it on 'Contributions Based ESA', which I am pleased in one way, but my question is:

Will my Contributions based ESA effect our WTC?

I have informed them, but she said she couldn't tell me over the telephone...fair enough and that it will re-assesed....

I am just worrying myself because basically WTC is a saviour to us because after all our bills and planning for wedding etc.... it help's us out, in which we are perfectly entitled to.

Please help answer my question?

Thanks In advance

They are currently using the years jan 2008-09 and jan 09-10 for contributions based benefits so from your dates your not entitled to ESA unless you applied prior to january as the NI years run jan-jan and not april-april like tax years.

Your ESA will probably wipe out your working tax credits.

parsons

PrincessDonna2009 wrote: »

Hello Everyone

My partner works full time and get's working tax credits because he's on a low wage, we don't have any children, so we just get working tax credits. Anyway I have been out of work since 2009 and currently up until December 2010 I have been looking for work, but my symptoms started to to flair back up again and I have been poorly with them, I suffer from BPPV (Vertido disorder). I haven't been able to get any other benefit's like jobseekers because I weren't entilted to it because my partner working, which is fair and I don't except it because we get working tax credits and that helps me out and I haven't signed on for my stamp neither, which is naughty I know. Anyway my doctor advised me to claim for ESA because I am basically not fit for work, so she has signed me off sick.

I have put in my claim and got a response and they said I am entilted to it on 'Contributions Based ESA', which I am pleased in one way, but my question is:

Will my Contributions based ESA effect our WTC?

I have informed them, but she said she couldn't tell me over the telephone...fair enough and that it will re-assesed....

I am just worrying myself because basically WTC is a saviour to us because after all our bills and planning for wedding etc.... it help's us out, in which we are perfectly entitled to.

Please help answer my question?

Thanks In advance

The simple answer is that it will be classed as income for Tax Credit purposes. To what extent you will have to check out on Turn2us or HMRC website calculator.

But given that the max ESA you will get in a year will be less than £5200, I can't see that it will a great deal of difference. Just go and check it out.

Also, tell the Tax Credit office that you are now claiming ESA.
Not knowing a great deal about TC as such, but what I do know is that you are entitled to more TC if you are sick or disabled. Check that out too either with the Tax Office direct or through CAB.

PrincessDonna2009

Thanks for the advice to the both of you

.Sunnyone - It hasn't wiped out our WTC, I have done the 'Turn2Us' calculator and it has come back saying we should be entilted to around £61 per week, instead of £88 that we get now. I was told by the DWP (ESA Team) that I am entitled to ESA (Contributions based) and that I have had the letter confirming how much they are paying me each week and that it is contributions based, so I am 100% entitled to.

.Parsons - Thanks for the link for the Turn2Us site, it has answered some of my questions and I am now going to await for the re-assesed award notice to come through from the WTC.

Thanks to you both

sunnyone

PrincessDonna2009 wrote: »

Thanks for the advice to the both of you

.Sunnyone - It hasn't wiped out our WTC, I have done the 'Turn2Us' calculator and it has come back saying we should be entilted to around £61 per week, instead of £88 that we get now. I was told by the DWP (ESA Team) that I am entitled to ESA (Contributions based) and that I have had the letter confirming how much they are paying me each week and that it is contributions based, so I am 100% entitled to.

.Parsons - Thanks for the link for the Turn2Us site, it has answered some of my questions and I am now going to await for the re-assesed award notice to come through from the WTC.

Thanks to you both

I wouldnt spend the ESA money yet, they are a benefit department and they make so many mistakes its unbelievable, just look at all the tax credit overpayment threads here!

That dosnt sound right, it should be more than that (the affect on wtc) and the calcs. are a just a guide and not very accurite so it would be vertually £ for £ reduction but I may be wrong since if you acctually work someone said it was 65% reduction.

What stage of ESA are you on?

You will most likely fail the medical since even terminally ill people do and on appeal you will just get the assessment rate again and I dont know how tax credits deal with that so if you talk to them again maybe you should ask?

PrincessDonna2009

sunnyone wrote: »

I wouldnt spend the ESA money yet, they are a benefit department and they make so many mistakes its unbelievable, just look at all the tax credit overpayment threads here!

That dosnt sound right, it should be more than that (the affect on wtc) and the calcs. are a just a guide and not very accurite so it would be vertually £ for £ reduction but I may be wrong since if you acctually work someone said it was 65% reduction.

What stage of ESA are you on?

You will most likely fail the medical since even terminally ill people do and on appeal you will just get the assessment rate again and I dont know how tax credits deal with that so if you talk to them again maybe you should ask?

No I am not spending my backdated money anyway, it will just go into my bank and stay there lol

I will have to wait and see what they say etc...with the WTC.

I am on the assessment phase (upto the first 13 weeks) which I am getting £65.45 per week (Contributions based). You can't say if I am to fail the medical or not, no one can...I am sure terminally ill don't fail it, never heard of that! I know majority of people do fail it, but if I do I do, as I don't want to be on long term sick, I am only 25! I am just wanting and been advised to be on sick at the moment as they want to bring my symptoms under control....so it maybe that they will get it under controlled within 14 weeks.

Thanks for the advice

sunnyone

PrincessDonna2009 wrote: »

No I am not spending my backdated money anyway, it will just go into my bank and stay there lol

I will have to wait and see what they say etc...with the WTC.

I am on the assessment phase (upto the first 13 weeks) which I am getting £65.45 per week (Contributions based). You can't say if I am to fail the medical or not, no one can...I am sure terminally ill don't fail it, never heard of that! I know majority of people do fail it, but if I do I do, as I don't want to be on long term sick, I am only 25! I am just wanting and been advised to be on sick at the moment as they want to bring my symptoms under control....so it maybe that they will get it under controlled within 14 weeks.

Thanks for the advice

Terminally ill people do fail and regularly, my husband is very ill and he did initially fail with high stage organ failure and I wouldnt be surprised if he failed again when he has recently had a stroke, needs dialysis and may need brain surgery to remove the clot left from the stroke soon along with a miriad of other heath problems and hes only 52.

I hope that you are well soon, I became disabled in a high speed car accident in my early twenties and I wouldnt wish illness and disability on my worst enemy.

good luck with your wedding.

PrincessDonna2009

sunnyone wrote: »

Terminally ill people do fail and regularly, my husband is very ill and he did initially fail with high stage organ failure and I wouldnt be surprised if he failed again when he has recently had a stroke, needs dialysis and may need brain surgery to remove the clot left from the stroke soon along with a miriad of other heath problems and hes only 52.

I hope that you are well soon, I became disabled in a high speed car accident in my early twenties and I wouldnt wish illness and disability on my worst enemy.

good luck with your wedding.

Awww I am so sorry to hear that! and then there's people faking the system and getting away with it, it's disgusting especially when someone like your husband, who cannot get it or failed first time and genuinely ill! it's bad. I do hope he get's well soon and you get things sorted, as he deserves it.

Thanks for the advice x