ESA question re' means testing

enabledebra

If we are going to go down this road we might as well just discuss if we want to close down the state and use the taxes we save to look after ourselves on an individual basis. Then no one gets more than they pay in. I wonder how much a couple of soldiers to protect my garden would set me back?:)

seven-day-weekend

I was merely trying to say that maybe it is not a good idea to move abroad on the strength of a benefit that could dry up at any time. It makes sense to me anyway. I don't quite know why the poster is so upset.

enabledebra

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

I was merely trying to say that maybe it is not a good idea to move abroad on the strength of a benefit that could dry up at any time. It makes sense to me anyway. I don't quite know why the poster is so upset.

And I posted before I saw that it had got a bit more heated- so it was a bit glib- sorry.

BigAunty

Boots888 wrote: »

Seven day Weekend.

You tell me how much child benefit you've accepted from the state in the last 10 years and I'll tell you how much child benefit I've received.

Is that a deal???

Your dream of time in the sun on IB at taxpayers expense waiting until you draw your state pension in many years is now drawing to a close. Enjoy Hull.

This is despite the fact that you kindly haven't burdened the taxpayer with the cost of a child.

Your options include selling your property, coming back the UK and possibly be put onto JSA or the WRAG group of ESA as your desire to 'get yourself together' may not deem you incapacitated from employment.

Or you can live outside of the system on your inheritance.

The govt have rightly realised that many people on IB have prematurely written themselves off from re-entering the workforce and there are many people claiming it that can and should work.

BigAunty

Boots888 wrote: »

Whatsmore, lots of foreigners move to the uk as a lifestyle choice and live off benefits, thats a fact. My choice to move did not revolve around what benefits i could export. It was an important factor in deciding it was possible for me to do so, but periferal to my doing so, if you get my drift.

...

Not peripheral but central. You say that if your IB is canned then you can't afford to live abroad.

BigAunty

Boots888 wrote: »

whats the difference ??? never understood it myself. They do complicate things don't they, I agree with you there.

:cool:

I'm sure you are very acquiainted with the minutae of benefit eligibility.

BigAunty

Boots888 wrote: »

I've an email from Pam at the Pension Service dating back to 2007 but I'll not post it.

Christ - you made a big decision based on an email probably sent by a spotty trainee? Not even a letter - just something an employee may have typed up between eating biscuits..?

Not sure why Pam, working for the pensions service, is qualified to assure you that IB would never be changed and you would always be entitled to sickness benefit while overseas.

Not sure why you are clinging to an email sent 6 years ago as proof that you ought to be ring-fenced from the changes being applied to more than 2 million IB claimants...

Perhaps you should sue Pam?

sparkycat2

seven-day-weekend wrote: »

But how can you know you are always going to qualify for a sickness benefit? You might get better, or the condition might be better managed with new treatment, etc.

Some conditions are incurrable or degenerative. If a miracle cure arrived they would be celebrating. Instead the Government has just decided to pull the rug from under them. Legacy benefit claimants entitlement conditons as to if the benefit is means tested or time limited have always been honored until this government. For NI based benefits it is a serious breach of trust, that required various changes in legislation to enable.

BigAunty

sparkycat2 wrote: »

Some conditions are incurrable or degenerative. If a miracle cure arrived they would be celebrating. Instead the Government has just decided to pull the rug from under them. Legacy benefit claimants entitlement conditons as to if the benefit is means tested or time limited have always been honored until this government. For NI based benefits it is a serious breach of trust, that required various changes in legislation to enable.

Cit_K .......?

seven-day-weekend

sparkycat2 wrote: »

Some conditions are incurrable or degenerative. If a miracle cure arrived they would be celebrating. Instead the Government has just decided to pull the rug from under them. Legacy benefit claimants entitlement conditons as to if the benefit is means tested or time limited have always been honored until this government. For NI based benefits it is a serious breach of trust, that required various changes in legislation to enable.

I don't disagree with this. I was merely pointing out to the poster that sickness benfits can be withdrawn, for many reasons - including a change in legislation - and that it was a little foolish to asume she would always be on the Benefit. We never assumed my husband would always be on it, in fact we thought he would lose it when he went abroad and only found out by chance that it was exportable.

Some conditions are degenerative or incurable, I agree, but many are not and can improve or be better.managed, in which case you would no longer be eligible for the Benefit.