Disability help

aphousing

Hi all,

hope someone can help me, me and my partner are looking to buy our first property together. i currently work 25 hours a week and earn over £18000, my partner is disabled and received high disability and esa (support group).

We have just been told that my partners esa will be stopped if we move in together as it was based on income rather than contibution, i dont see why this has happened as he has worked up until he started claiming esa. He has been on esa now for 2 years.

is there any replacement benefit he will be able to claim instead of esa if they take it from him? or is he able to come off esa income based and go on contribution since he has been receiving N.I since he has been on esa?

any help will be great

thanks

Mrs_Arcanum

The ESA will stop as your income will be deemed enough for both of you. The other benefits 'should' continue.

pmlindyloo

You need to check exactly what benefit your partner has been receiving. Look at the original award letter. They are sometimes confusing as he may have contribution based ESA with an income related top up.

The other thing is who told you that his ESA will stop if you move in together?

If he was working for some years before he claimed ESA and was paying NI contributions then he is most likely to be on contribution based ESA. If he is in the Support Group then this will continue to be paid.

fogartyblue.

aphousing wrote: »

Hi all,

hope someone can help me, me and my partner are looking to buy our first property together. i currently work 25 hours a week and earn over £18000, my partner is disabled and received high disability and esa (support group).

Do you think it is wise to take on the responsibility of a mortgage with you working less than a normal full week, with the rest made up of his benefits?

Personally, I would be bricking it if I was in your shoes.

As we all know, the benefit system has been turned upside down and for the future, nothing can be certain or guaranteed.

I would be looking for a permanant job - full time hours for a start. And secondly looking for a mortgage that is not dependent on your partner getting welfare benefits and is easilly manageable on your income alone on the assumption that all of his benefits could easilly be taken away from him.

anguk

fogartyblue. wrote: »

Do you think it is wise to take on the responsibility of a mortgage with you working less than a normal full week, with the rest made up of his benefits?

Personally, I would be bricking it if I was in your shoes.

As we all know, the benefit system has been turned upside down and for the future, nothing can be certain or guaranteed.

I would be looking for a permanant job - full time hours for a start. And secondly looking for a mortgage that is not dependent on your partner getting welfare benefits and is easilly manageable on your income alone on the assumption that all of his benefits could easilly be taken away from him.

I have to agree with this. Benefits have changed quite dramatically recently so goodness knows what they're going to be like in the future. I certainly wouldn't get a mortgage that was reliant on benefits, it's just too risky.