Returning to work from long term ESA

BellaSwan

Hiya I really hope someone on here can help me as the DWP have been no help whatsoever.

I have been on ESA for nearly 3 years, with anxiety and depression. Every time I felt better and ready to think about returning to work, I had medicals and tribunals that knocked me back down again.

Finally I feel strong enough to start looking for work. I remember an advisor telling me about a 40 pounds a week return-to-work incentive when you go back to work from benefits. This will come in extremely handy as I will only be able to work part time.

However, I have been looking into it and this return-to-work incentive is ONLY if you go back to work from sickness, and have been on sickness benefits.

If I go to the DWP and say I feel I am ready to start looking for work again, they will take me off ESA and put me on Jobseekers. Therefore i wouldn't be entitled to the return-to-work money. But if I stay on ESA while looking for work, I am still going to be booted off the benefit as I have a medical coming up and they always found me fit for work even when I WASN'T :mad:

What can I do? I really need this back-to-work money but will only get it if I remain on ESA. But CAN I remain on ESA and look for work? I'm so confused! And if I go to this next medical I know it's going to knock me back down to feeling I can't work, as the stress of it always makes me ill. it's like a vicious circle....

Can anyone help?

Thank you x

supermum38

I can totally relate this and been in a similar situation myself so can give you some advice.
Like you I was off work for a while with similar health problems. I too failed two medicals and then appealed.
I got fed up fighting and have been looking for a suitable job for a while. In November I was offered a part time job and looked into the benefits you mentioned.
It is true that you need to remain on ESa to get the In-work credit of £40 per week for a year so to qualify for this, I had to renew my medical certificate with m,y doctor for just two days to rake me up to the day I started the job!
I would suggest that if you fail the medical, then make sure you appeal. You can then stay on ESA and have about 6 months before the appeal happens. Keep getting medical certificates from your doctor and when you find a job make sure they take you to the day before you start the job. Then call the ESA and tell them you are starting a job and if it's over 16 hours you will qualify for £40 a week for a year. You will also get housing and council tax benefit run on for a month and a job grant of £100 (single adult) or £250 (with kids) BUT you must ask for these.
I will warn you that it will take a couple of weeks for these benefits to kick in so be prepared to make calls and ask when you'll get them.
I chose to start my job just after I got my frtnightly payment so I had a bit of cash to carry me through the first week or two.

I hope this helps.

Mel

BellaSwan

Hi Mel, thanks so much for your reply. I spoke to a benefits advisor and she did confirm that I would have to be on ESA to get the return to work money, and that if I came forward and said I was ready for work that I would have to go on JSA.

I will definitely fail the medical that's a fact, because Atos are sly horrible pieces of work. It's a shame because all this has set me back repeatedly, if they stopped to think about what they were doing they'd actually realise how they're hindering the whole process in the end.

Many thanks for your advice x

supermum38

I agree about Atos. I've failed twice but the point is I got more points the first time but got worse and scored nothing the second time.
Long story short.
I appealed the first medical and it took over 6 months to get heard. Got refused so they stopped ESA but only back to original medical date. This was over six months so reclaimed ESA (you can reclaim after 6 months) and started the whole process again.
Result 3 years on ESA and two appeals ongoing but working. Struggling physically and a little bit better off, at last, but only two months in with hospital appointments and supporting a teen through college...

The point is... you can appeal then even if you fail at the appeal stage (about 6 months later) you can re-apply for ESA and go through the process again.
The only trouble is they are changing the whole system and this may not happen.