ESA - What happens after 12 months?

SueDerbyshire

Hi,

I have 2 questions for you:

I am currently on ESA (work related group) and I was wondering what happens after 12 months of claiming this benefit? Can you just re-claim or are you not allowed to after the 12 months?

Also, my Mum is on housing benefit, she's 70, she is worried that she will have to put another claim in after a certain time. i.e. a year. She got very stressed out supplying them with everything she needed to and doesn't really want to go through it again. Can anyone tell me if the housing benefit is reviewed after a year or another perion?

Thank you all so much for any help you can provide.

Sue

Cpt.Scarlet

There's no definitive answer as it depends on what happens with the Welfare Reform Bill, but if it remains unchanged;

If you are receiving Contribution Based ESA (not Income Related), then your entitlement to ESA(CB) will cease, if you meet the means test, you will be switched to ESA(IR), if not then you you lose your ESA payments although you could continue to receive NI Credits.

Requalifying for ESA(CB) will depend on your NI Contribution history, it is theoretically possible, but very unlikely that you could re-qualify immediately, its much more likely that you won't, in which case the only way to re-qualify is through working.

As far as I am aware Housing Benefit is paid as long as you continue to meet the criteria.

Muttleythefrog

If you're in the main phase of ESA (i.e. WRAG or Support Gp) then you'll normally be subject to regular (every few months to every couple of years) re-assessments. You may or may not have acquired information relating to prognosis that was determined when you were placed into the WRAG... if you had a face to face medical it is in that report... and that prognosis will probably dictate the date of the next re-assessment.

There is no limit to how long you can be on ESA and I wonder if you're asking the question because of legislation the government is proposing. If that legislation goes through then contributions based (as opposed to income related.. i.e. means tested) ESA will be affected.. probably spending 12 months in WRAG will end entitlement of contrib based ESA... but those affected would still be able to get IR ESA if able to meet the means testing (i.e. savings/income low).

Hopefully someonme can answer your query regarding mum's HB.

SueDerbyshire

Thank you both for the advice.

As suggested above, I thought I would only be entitled to ESA for the 12 months. I have had my medical and that suggests I am unable to return to work within the next 18 months at least. This is because my health is expected to get worse and not better and I am not able to work at the moment unfortunatley.

I have asked them to re-look at my case, it has been suggested that I am in the wrong group and I should appeal against the decision. I sent the letter in on 16th December but had no response, I will chace it up next week.

I am not trying to get something I am not entitled to but I have worked all my life and need some help at the moment. Just want to know if I will be worse off in August, when my 12 months is up.

Thanks for your help.

Sue

missmontana

The only time your mum would have to do anything is if she has a change in circumstances, ie; moving house, change of income. They don't do reviews if everything stays the same.

SueDerbyshire

Ah, that's great, thank you. That will please her, she is 70 and seems to get pretty stressed out about these sort of things. She hates claiming, she has worked all her life and hates being in the position of having to claim benefits but has no choice since my Dad died,

Thanks again.

Sue