ESA Complications

fasmith

Hi
I have been having major problems with the ESA and contribution based/income based. I have been receiving contribution based ESA since 01/04/12 and am also in a support group from July when the payments went up to 105.05 weekly. My husband was also added in July as were told he could be added to my ESA instead of applying for Income Support as we can only claim 1 income based benefit so we duly added him via Jobcentre Plus. My husband (who is my carer) receives 58.45 weekly as Carers Allowance and we receive 105.05 weekly contribution based ESA but we feel that it should be slightly higher as i have had many conversations with Glasgow regarding this. I have spoken with so many people in Glasgow and also different names and everytime i call someone else tells me something different. There has been no continuity to someone telling me exactly what we need to do other than different advisors telling me different things. Has anyone had the same experience regarding this?

Thanks

epitome

Sounds like your ESA IR has not yet been processed/calculated to add your partner on. £105.05 is single person rate Support Group

You need to phone and ask them to look at how your award is made up. The people you call (who are not in Glasgow) should be able to look at that. Ask them what they see, do they see
£71
£34.05
unadjusted total £105.05

Or do they see
£111.45
£34.05
unadjusted total £145.50

If it says £71 not £111.45 then you have not had your partner added on. and will need a callback from BC (Glasgow)

fasmith

They see 111.45 as a couple according to their paperwork but they pay 105.05 as a family amount which is contribution based since we added my husband onto my ESA thats why i have been having trouble trying to understand that because i dont have any paperwork that says 145.50 yet according to their paperwork they are paying us as a family but we only receive 105.05 and this has been going on since July...

Horseunderwater

If you are in the support group and have no other income that would affect your overall income per say, then the couple rate for income related ESA is £166.80 a week. This is what we get, but my OH does not claim Carers for me as I do not get the right kind of DLA or other qualifying benefit if there is one. I suggest you use the 5 minute benefit checker tool on this site under family income to check your full entitlement (found under top right tab) on left side once you click on it. You will need details of last years income to begin it off then if your income has gone down you change the details to this years on an estimated basis and see what happens. That was how I found out that ESA support group couple rate was more than the standard £11.45 /week to live on. It may also give you help with housing costs too (council tax/housing benefit)

fasmith

It doesnt work for me like for you it gives me a completely different amount as my husband receives carers allowance weekly 58.45 and thats a means tested benefit

benefitbaby

Your applicable amount for income related ESA is:
Personal Allowance (couple rate) £111.45
Support Group component £34.05
Carer's Premium £34.40
Total the law says you need to live on = £179.90 per week

From this relevant income is deducted:
Conts-based ESA £105.05
Carer's Allowance £58.45
Total relevant income = £163.50

Applicable amount less relevant income = amount of income-related ESA you are entitled to £16.40 per week (which will passport you to maximum HB/CTB)

Hope this makes sense... and the above assumes your only income is as stated (if you have savings over £6k then entitlement will be different).

If you have not already done so you should ask for an ESA3 form to complete and return. This is the income-related form for ESA.

benefitbaby

PS... carer's allowance is not a means-tested benefit in the usual sense.

fasmith

Thats the problem when i added my husband to my claim in July because thats when he started to receive Carers Allowance. We went to Jobcentre Plus to finalise the Income Support claim as he done that online and we had to go and show his ID they said to us he needs to be added to my ESA and since that time i have made too too many phone calls to the office but everybody has said to me that we are receiving the correct amount of money of 105.05 as its contribution based ESA and thats the maximum amount and we are not entitled to anymore money. I spoke with Turn 2 Us and they say that when my husband joined my claim it should have gone to Income Related at 140.95 (roughly that amount). Myself and my husband dont know anything about benefits or the system as i have always worked and due to ill health is when i had to start applying for benefits.

fasmith

Does anyone have the same difficulties with the ESA and them seriously making a mistake in the payments?

epitome

benefitbaby wrote: »

Your applicable amount for income related ESA is:
Personal Allowance (couple rate) £111.45
Support Group component £34.05
Carer's Premium £34.40
Total the law says you need to live on = £179.90 per week

From this relevant income is deducted:
Conts-based ESA £105.05
Carer's Allowance £58.45
Total relevant income = £163.50

Applicable amount less relevant income = amount of income-related ESA you are entitled to £16.40 per week (which will passport you to maximum HB/CTB)

Yes, but that might confuse the OP, OP would receive an ESA payment of £179.90 - £58.45 = £121.45
Unless there is other income or savings.

Hope this makes sense... and the above assumes your only income is as stated (if you have savings over £6k then entitlement will be different).

OP, you need to answer this bit, is there any other income or savings over £6000, other benefits other than those mentioned here?

If you have not already done so you should ask for an ESA3 form to complete and return. This is the income-related form for ESA.

She is already on IR as her personal allowance is £111.45

If the claim does show £111.45 for personal allowance, then there must be other income or other benefits which are bringing the total down below £105.05 leaving her with the £105.05 unaffected ESA C amount.

fasmith

There is no other income only my 105.05 contribution based ESA and my husband receives 58.45 Carer Allowance and we have Child Tax Credit of 59.85 and Child Benefit 20.30 and middle rate care DLA 49.30 which apparently they dont count these benefits as income so thats where i am completely confused about the ESA.