Housing Benefit and CB-ESA (Support Group) - anyone else's experiences>

GotToChange

I am (so easily these days) in a bit of a muddle.....

I receive the full allocation of Housing Benefit and changed from Income-based-JSA to (assessment) ESA in September. The ATOS report has moved me to the Support Group (and rate) ESA - but it is still contribution-based.
If I understand correctly (and cannot seem to get a definitive answer from the Council's HB dept), because the ESA is c-based, the additional sum (£34) of ESA reduces my HB by that amount. This doesn't happen with the Income-related (plus there is yet another additional allowance - but only if the ESA is i-r *sigh*).
Has anyone else had experience of this and is the HB reduced £ for £ or as a % of the additional sum?

Horseunderwater

Ask them to send you the form ESA3 as this will allow you to change the award to the income related one.

GotToChange

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Ask them to send you the form ESA3 as this will allow you to change the award to the income related one.

Really?
Surely not...... that would be great!

Wicked_witch

Hi, is it really that simple? Must admit it has been worrying me, as we would qualify for income based in theory but my husband is on contributions based IB at present. There seems to be a lot of difference in allowances etc and it will hit us financially otherwise as we will also be off child tax credits next year, so no free prescriptions etc.

GotToChange

Wicked Witch - re. the prescriptions and other health costs that are not supported when on contribution-based benefits; have you looked at the HC1 form? There is info on line but you have to request a paper copy to be sent to you.

(I am afraid to get my hopes up re. the ESA3 form.... but shall make the call.)

daimonde

GotToChange wrote: »

I am (so easily these days) in a bit of a muddle.....

I receive the full allocation of Housing Benefit and changed from Income-based-JSA to (assessment) ESA in September. The ATOS report has moved me to the Support Group (and rate) ESA - but it is still contribution-based.
If I understand correctly (and cannot seem to get a definitive answer from the Council's HB dept), because the ESA is c-based, the additional sum (£34) of ESA reduces my HB by that amount. This doesn't happen with the Income-related (plus there is yet another additional allowance - but only if the ESA is i-r *sigh*).
Has anyone else had experience of this and is the HB reduced £ for £ or as a % of the additional sum?

no this isnt right, if your only income is the ESAc with a component, capital under £6k, oh and single, then your HB should not be reduced.

the amount the govt says you need to live on - the applicable amount - is increased by the same amount as the component, basically negating it.


so on JSA your applicable amount is a base £71, the JSA is £71 so you receive full HB,

on ESA your applicable amount is £71 but with the addition of the 34.05 for the component, matching your income, so again, full benefit.


if they do not award full HB and the above matches your circumstances, theyre doing it incorrectly - which does happen, colleagues at my LA have done this several times.

GotToChange

Thank you daimonde... that is so useful to know.
I suppose I wait to see what they do when the ESA changes (they seemed to know without my informing them when I made the JSA-ESA change). It is very useful to have your information to be "armed" with should they do as I was initially told and reduce the HB (is this nationwide or may it vary between local authorities do you know?).

daimonde

the figures are nationwide.

theres a national system for changes to be reported to LAs from the DWP, well theres a couple now, they dont always work as they should but thats how the JSA to ESA was probably reported.

with our software, the ESA is put on as one income & the component as a separate one.
problems arise when someone manually puts on the income as one lump sum with no component, the software just thinks the income is too high cos no component is there to tell it otherwise.
that kinda of error should show up on an award breakdown if thats the case.

it shouldnt happen & hopefully you'll have no problems. fingers crossed !

GotToChange

Thank you again. I take it you work in a LA/HB dept so feel very reassured by your information. If they do it "wrong", I should be able to query it I take it.

Just to check again - this DOES apply to the contribution-based ESA (support group)?
(Humour me, I am so thick these days.)

fluffymovie

That's correct but dont' forget that as your ESA is contribution based, any other income you receive such as Child Tax Credit, may reduce your HB award

GotToChange

fluffymovie wrote: »

That's correct but dont' forget that as your ESA is contribution based, any other income you receive such as Child Tax Credit, may reduce your HB award

When you say "that's correct", I assume you mean the advice and information from daimonde. I don't have any other income (CTC etc etc) apart from the c-b ESA so can I still anticipate the extra allowance?