esa query

supki

my hubby has recently been sacked from his employment due to ongoing illness. They have confirmed he will get 11 weeks pay (1 week for every year he has worked there) but I suddenly wondered what happens to the ESA payments? Would I need to inform the ESA people about this? Obviously we have been getting sick notes from the gp and posting a copy to his school and sending the original to the ESA team etc etc. Will we still need to do this or..... what happens now?? I am not very sure. please can you give me some advice?

Parva

Not sure where SSP ends and ESA begins here as you've not made it clear. Normally you go onto SSP when off work on the sick, I'm unsure at what point SSP ends and you move over to ESA and / or whether your hubby has been unfairly dismissed.

Regardless, once you go onto ESA you are in the assessment phase for 12 weeks, that's about £71pw (same as being on Jobseekers Allowance). When you're approaching 12 weeks of ESA you will be sent an ESA50 form, the dreaded form that has to be sent to ATOS. At this point you (or hubby rather) may be called in for a medical test or your hubby may be deemed unfit for work and placed into the Work Related Activity Group (or WRAG as we know it) or the Support Group. Either of these groups attract a higher premium with regards to what he is paid and he will not have to provide 'fit-notes'.

All of that said, being classified into either of the above two groups is not a given, I suggest that you / hubby search 'ESA descriptors' on Google for an idea as to what they are looking for and whether your hubby would qualify for this.

supki

sorry for not being clear. hubby has been on long term sick so its not unfair dismissal via work. esa has been paid since 2012 (i forget when it started... i could check and let you know) he hasnt rcvd the esa50 form but has already been to ATOS for assessment and we havent heard anything back. However the esa payments are still coming through. He was getting dla as well but this runs out next month and we have re applied but havent heard back. so am i correct in assuming 1) i have to inform esa ppl regarding the dismissal and 2) we stop getting sick notes from gp and 3) my hubby's esa payments are probably gonna stop............

supki

omg i suddenly have realisation that the esa could stop and so could the dla!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!