We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
How long should Habitual Residency decision for ESA take?
thinkstoomuch
Posts: 44 Forumite
I applied for ESA 11 weeks ago and I'm still awaiting a decision. I'm a UK national with zero ties abroad who has always lived in the UK. I was in China for 5 months teaching English when a pre existing condition flared up in the middle of my contract despite medication. As I've been abroad working, I had to undergo a Habitual Residency Test. How long does it take for a decision to be made?
Tale of woe: In my first claim, I had to submit a letter from college with course and term dates as I'd attended just within the past 5 years. Due to my inability to concentrate at all at the time, I didn't notice that the letter implied I was still a student on the course and thus ineligable for ESA.
On day 20, I submitted a new claim. After the DWP failing to send out the HRT forms three times... which added about 4 weeks to my claim, I was advised to go to my local job centre and do it there as it would go quicker than doing it by regular form which would take 'several weeks'.
A week later, I phone to check my claim and was told that the DWP hadn't received it. Schlepped to the Jobcentre again and they were annoyed at DWP as they had receipts for the stuff having arrived . Anyhow, they did it again for me there and then. I phoned the call centre up 6 working days later to be told that it had been received but nothing had been done with it at all. When the DWP phoned me back later, my HRT form had magically gone off to the decision makers 'that day'...The lady on the phone 'could not give a timescale'. But told me I was fortunate that my claim hadn't been closed after 4 weeks due to a lack of paperwork...But it was their inability to post a letter that was the problem!!! So I'm left wondering how many more weeks/months I have to wait.
The stress of the wait has been affecting my mental health and I've found myself moderately suicidal several times in the past week, directly related to this. Mum got phone bill and this calling to chivvy them up has cost over £12 and that's on a land line. I've spent all my savings now and due to family finances am reluctant to even ask for a bus fare. I can't imagine how anyone on their own would cope without money for so long.
Tale of woe: In my first claim, I had to submit a letter from college with course and term dates as I'd attended just within the past 5 years. Due to my inability to concentrate at all at the time, I didn't notice that the letter implied I was still a student on the course and thus ineligable for ESA.
On day 20, I submitted a new claim. After the DWP failing to send out the HRT forms three times... which added about 4 weeks to my claim, I was advised to go to my local job centre and do it there as it would go quicker than doing it by regular form which would take 'several weeks'.
A week later, I phone to check my claim and was told that the DWP hadn't received it. Schlepped to the Jobcentre again and they were annoyed at DWP as they had receipts for the stuff having arrived . Anyhow, they did it again for me there and then. I phoned the call centre up 6 working days later to be told that it had been received but nothing had been done with it at all. When the DWP phoned me back later, my HRT form had magically gone off to the decision makers 'that day'...The lady on the phone 'could not give a timescale'. But told me I was fortunate that my claim hadn't been closed after 4 weeks due to a lack of paperwork...But it was their inability to post a letter that was the problem!!! So I'm left wondering how many more weeks/months I have to wait.
The stress of the wait has been affecting my mental health and I've found myself moderately suicidal several times in the past week, directly related to this. Mum got phone bill and this calling to chivvy them up has cost over £12 and that's on a land line. I've spent all my savings now and due to family finances am reluctant to even ask for a bus fare. I can't imagine how anyone on their own would cope without money for so long.
0
Comments
-
Sorry to say, they're taking this long because you are letting them.
Get back onto them - preferably with the help of CAB or someone similar. Is there an advice centre you can use that has other support workers like Shelter?0 -
I remember all your previous posts on this when you were living in China and you were told at the time that the Habitual Residency Test might be a problem.
Did you look into offering private tutoring for 11+ exams?RENTING? Have you checked to see that your landlord has permission from their mortgage lender to rent the property? If not, you could be thrown out with very little notice.
Read the sticky on the House Buying, Renting & Selling board.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.2K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.3K Spending & Discounts
- 245.2K Work, Benefits & Business
- 600.9K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 259K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards