Has anyone else received a huge ESA payment today?

Lisa_27

I currently have control of my parents finances due a number of reasons and currently my Mum who is able to speak to the benefits office on behalf of my stepdad is in hospital so it is down to me.

Checked their online bank today and there is a whopping £1780 from ESA in the account! An over payment of £1500ish now I know not to touch this but is there anyway I can inform them or will they need to speak to my stepdad to confirm his identity?

he is burying his father tomorrow so as you can understand it is a sensitive time but I am not comfortable with that money sitting there.

Happi

Maybe it's not an overpayment, perhaps he got help for a funeral payment, as far as the money sitting there, it's in the safest place it can be until you find out if it is an overpayment or not.

Lisa_27

Just an update -

They received a letter on Saturday stating that dwp paid £1780 into their account for the period 25th June 2011 - 25th Sept 2012???

Now I am really confused so going to try get in contact on Thursday, his normal esa should have been paid today so not sure if they haven't paid that or if it is included in the £1780.

anmarj

sounds like a componet should of been paid with the ESA and it has only just been picked up hence the large amount being paid

rogerblack

Indeed, check with them why.
For example, it'd be about 60 weeks of support group payment alone.
Or about 20 weeks if more than one premium applies as well.
If they've miscalculated the entitlement in the past, it could be for almost anything.

atrixblue.-MFR-.

the steps i would take here is.

call esa and give them refrence number to the letter you recieved.

ask them (as your an advocate to the account whilst the main person who deals with this stuff is in hospital) why is there a large payment (you usually get the JCP call center staff who swares by the computer screen, so if you get no satisfactory answer there, the request the depeartment who is dealing with his claim to ring you back (usually within 3 hours).
as this is something thats reletively new the claim may actually be in whats known as clerical state so the system hasnt been updated yet, only the department dealing with it can pull the file look at it and clerify that the payment is accurate and the payee is entitled to the money. if you get confirmation that theres entitlement to it, then ask for a written confirmation, then when you have that confirmation touch the money.

i had simullar a few years ago, i had double payment of Income support and double payment of incopacity benefit to my account, i called them, andapparently i wasnt suppoed to have income support but contribution based incopacity instead and that one had cacelled the other out but the proceeded with the back payment on BOTH, the JCP center staff said this was correct and i had entitlement but upon requesting ringback by the department that deals with my case they confirmed too much of each benefit was sent because the system wasnt designed in a way to cancel one then send the other so it sent double of both instead, so i requested they gave me the actual figure of entitlement and then asked them to imeadiatly remove the rest from my account before bills took it. it was reclaimed that afternoon.

Lisa_27

Thanks, will get on the phone tomorrow as today isn't going to be possible.

Is ESA paid 2 weeks in arrears? as the letter says it covers to the 25th Sept but the only amount paid in is £1780 so does that include the normal payment which was due yesterday?