headache over esa!!!

amanda6216

argh very frustrated sorted my dla now my esa is messed up! i added my partner to my claim in june they have only just updated my claim august he worked 24hrs earning £97 per week i got 2 letters today one saying my new esa entitlement is 2p a week?
I had rang them on tuesday to say he is leaving work to care for me as i had won my dla appeal not knowing this letter was on its way then the other letter says im getting £122 put in my account for the period of 23rd august-29th august, so i ive just rang them and they have just told me ive been over paid from june to august the amount around £900??? i asked why and she said i should have known the money in my account wasnt mine so i shouldnt have spent it? eh?? how am i ment to know if ive only just recieved the letter to my new entitlement dating back to june??
so why are they giving me £122 im not even touching it!
I asked the lady on the phone if they had updated from the phonecall on tuesday informing them that my partner has left work she said theres notes but nothing else got the famous someone will call you back???
im so confused this is why i would rather be at work at least i know where i stand with money!! any advice would be greatly appreciated

Its ok got a letter today saying its sorted i hope the £122 is being kept as they have an overpayment on the system which im glad about dont want to owe them anything

suelees1

Pleased it seems to be resolved. Just in case it's not, you must appeal any decision that it is to be recovered. You disclosed the relevant info in time but they failed to act on it.

It is important you get advice (not from the JCP). Depending on his hours you could still have been entitled to benefit throughout especially as if he claims CA for a backdated period they would have ignored £20 of his earnings.

I assume you are now on a qualifying component for him to claim Carers Allowance and if so this can be automatically backdated for up to 3 months if he met the conditions throughout

Give serious consideration to him claiming IS for looking after you he'll you'll get the disability premium plus carers premium in IS whereas you don't get the disability premium with ESA. It needs working out as to how much better off you'd be.

amanda6216

I asked the lady on the phone if i could appeal it as i said its not my fault it took you guys so long to update but she just said you shouldnt have touched the money suppose shes right in a sense but im not phsyic either!! she said id would have to prove it to which i told her that i was ringing every week so that would be on the system anyway!! she was a pain in the backside tbh i usually get very nice ones

Cpt.Scarlet

Did you write to them with the change of cicumstances? If not, did you keep a record of the date, time and person you spoke to when you phoned them?

amanda6216

yes i rang them first, then they said they would send out a form it never came, so i rang again said someone would call me back they never did.
so i wrote a letter to them with the info when i sent my next fit note in, rang again to check they had it said they had but they needed to send the proper form out for me to complete so waited another week or so before that form came sent it back straight away then took about 3 weeks for them to finally input it, then got my award letter yesterday 9weeks i was chasing them!! I tried to do it right and im still getting penalised for it!:mad: