ESA ending what next do i do ?

Dunroamin

Jaffa_cake wrote: »

I agree that it is fair to means test. I have no problem with benefits being matched to need.

What I cannot accept is that once the period ends, which is the 30th of April for anyone who has had the benefit for 365 days is that they are then disbarred from applying for any other benefit (income based ESA) if they have a partner who works more than 24 hr even if it is on or near minimum wage.

If you feel a wage that may be in the range of 150 a week is sufficient for 2 people to survive on, who have a mortgage and 1 of them is ill, then I would love to know how.

If the above statement is true then I don't really see what you're complaining about as this is what's happening to you.

If your children are over the age where you can claim benefits for them they should be paying for their keep, which will up your income considerably and there would be no reason why your wife should still be working part time.

Jaffa_cake_4

Some interesting replies here, and I was impressed with the creativity of some, "look at ESA as an insurance policy" was quite imaginative. I'm sure the poster would be displeased if his insurers decided to arbitrarily change the conditions of his policy which promised to pay for aslong as there is need to a fixed period of 12 months.

As the situation stands, after paying the mortgage and essentials like utilities there is nowhere near enough to live on. I would love to earn more and be able to cover our costs, but work full time and don’t have overtime available to me, and struggle to balance my current job and caring for my wife as it is. Ironically while we will probably have to sell our house to pay off the mortgage and rent instead, it is likely that then we would be entitled to housing benefit of a figure thatis not too dissimilar to the level of ESA which is being stopped.

While I don’t think this is the place to go into the detailsof my wife’s condition, can we assume as an academic exercise she is extremely unwell and finds it almost impossible to attend the interviews with DWP never mind seek work, and is unfortunately unlikely to get better .

The fundamental problem this change in the law has thrown up is that there are many people in the work focused group who should rightly bein the support group. As it has made little difference financially in the past which group you were in claimants have let this ride, partially because they are too ill to fight their cases.

What would be useful to my wife and no doubt many thousandsof others is some guidance as to how to challenge the decision to not place them in the support group at the time of the last assessment.

rogerblack

Jaffa_cake wrote: »

What would be useful to my wife and no doubt many thousandsof others is some guidance as to how to challenge the decision to not place them in the support group at the time of the last assessment.

Unless this is within the last month, you generally can't.
You have 4 weeks from the date you are notified to appeal the decision.
You can make an 'late appeal' up to 13 months later, but this is only in unusual circumstances.

For most people, this means that the only option is to report a new condition, or a worsened illness.

If you want to do this, you need to find as much evidence as you can.

And then be prepared for being turned down, and having to appeal.
It's only in the case that you win the appeal (that may be most of a year away) that payments (and backpayment) will resume.

angus1

I am in much the same position as jaffa cake and the OP and fully understand their worries as we are going through the same. We will be eligible for no other benefits because my partner works but we will barely be able to manage when the changes take place at the end of April.

I have decided that I will try and look for a very basic job which has no stresses but I live in a very rural location and these are few and far between. And I do not hold out much hope that I will be able to hold a job down but I want to at least try.

Therefore when my ESA ends at the end of April I will hopefully apply for JSA until I find a suitable job. My worry is though that I will not qualify for JSA because I have been on contributory ESA for 2 years and therefore will not have paid sufficient national insurance contributions to be able to get contribution based JSA. Is anyone able to help with this question?

Thank you

MissMoneypenny

angus1 wrote: »

My worry is though that I will not qualify for JSA because I have been on contributory ESA for 2 years and therefore will not have paid sufficient national insurance contributions to be able to get contribution based JSA. Is anyone able to help with this question?

If you haven't got enough contributions for contribution based JSA, then you won't get it. As you said your partner works, it looks like you won't get income based JSA either.

Jaffa_cake_4

Sorry I can't help Angus1 with any information about how Contribution based JSA will be measured if they intend trying to claim. I read on a different forum that clients could request a supersession of the award for consideration of inclusion in the support group, would that be a feasible option for you?

smileytiger

Jaffa_cake wrote: »

As the situation stands, after paying the mortgage and essentials like utilities there is nowhere near enough to live on. I would love to earn more and be able to cover our costs, but work full time and don’t have overtime available to me, and struggle to balance my current job and caring for my wife as it is. Ironically while we will probably have to sell our house to pay off the mortgage and rent instead, it is likely that then we would be entitled to housing benefit of a figure thatis not too dissimilar to the level of ESA which is being stopped.

Our house will be on the market at the end of this month for exactly the same reason. I'd rather sell than be repossessed when OH loses his CB ESA.
We have a fair bit of equity to eek out as long as possible to supplement my wages & then we'll have nothing but my wages and any benefits that apply (assuming they still exist). Homeowners are being penalised more because they have a mortgage to pay rather than rent, as you cannot claim for any help with it. The Govt saying you can live on £105 per week is based on a couple getting rent/council tax paid for - not for those of us with a £125 per week mortgage to pay with no help.
Still i suppose all the ex CB ESA's selling up might give the housing market a boost;)

ohdearpuzzle

I received the letter today, telling me that my ESA is due to finish on 30th April. My partner is self employed with no fixed income and has savings that are hers - not mine. I won't qualify for income related benefit because of these savings which she has worked very hard to put aside and are for a pension. This money is not mine and not would I want her to have to use it. I do not have savings, had to leave my teaching career due to illness which was directly related to my job and am now faced with having to return to work (am not able to), make my partner use her savings to support us (v.unfair on her) or? I understand means testing and am very glad to have had the benefit but don't think 1 year is enough time for many people to get back to work. I would LOVE to be well enough to resume my career and have not had any back to work interview support. Today I contacted my local job centre to ask for help and have an interview next week. But the reality is that come April 30th I will have no income or benefit. I a scared.

Muttleythefrog

ohdearpuzzle wrote: »

I received the letter today, telling me that my ESA is due to finish on 30th April. My partner is self employed with no fixed income and has savings that are hers - not mine. I won't qualify for income related benefit because of these savings which she has worked very hard to put aside and are for a pension. This money is not mine and not would I want her to have to use it. I do not have savings, had to leave my teaching career due to illness which was directly related to my job and am now faced with having to return to work (am not able to), make my partner use her savings to support us (v.unfair on her) or? I understand means testing and am very glad to have had the benefit but don't think 1 year is enough time for many people to get back to work. I would LOVE to be well enough to resume my career and have not had any back to work interview support. Today I contacted my local job centre to ask for help and have an interview next week. But the reality is that come April 30th I will have no income or benefit. I a scared.

Before anyone else says it..lol... obviously the state looks at you as being in a union.. a union presumably where sharing is a common feature. Therefore as you probably realise, she is expected to support you if you can't get income related benefits because of the joint position. This is my polite attempt to try to deflect from any nasty comments that may follow from others..lol. There is the possibility that you could try to get into Support Gp... argue that your circumstances have changed.. but obviously only if true would I suggest so. My other advice would be to look at your relationship... is this really a situation that is good for you.. and I'm not talking money... I mean is this a situation you are comfortable in... I would feel very awkward myself in a relationship depending on the other person financially.. but I wouldn't be with someone who wouldn't make that provision as it would suggest rather negatively of their intent or persona.

Broke_n_Broken

Just my 2p worth, but i remember there being a section on my HB claim form where they will pay your mortgage interest. I don't know if all councils do this, but don't assume you can't get HB because it's a mortgage. Talk to the bank and you should be able to switch to an interest only mortgage too.
Too many people here seem to assume they won't get benefits, you should apply for EVERYTHING anyway, and again if anything changes, let them decide if you're entitled and as long as you're honest there'll be no comebacks.