ESA when living abroad

LadyCava

Hi! Has anyone any experience of changing from IB to ESA abroad I am in Spain). I filled in requisite paperwork ans was told about 3 months ago I am in the WRAG as I am deemed ready for work next year when myESA will stop. I have told DWP I intend to appeal, but am STILL waiting for the ATOS report to arrive. They have arranged 2 appointments for a medical in Spain which were unsuitable..1 arrived the day before I was supposed to go, the other when I was in UK visiting my sick father. DWP say they can't guarantee doctor here will speal English so will have to employ translator. I am fairly proficient in Spansih, but I fear trying to explain the details of psoriatic arthrits and severe depression will be a challenge too far. The entire process has rendered me a jibbering wreck, with the stress of it all. I am now on yet more medication for pain and not being able to sleep. Can anyone offer advice please? Sorry for whingeing on...thanks

Own_My_Own

Well you learn something new every day. I had no idea you could claim incapacity benefit (a benefit for people incapable of working) when you living aboard. Surely living in Spain makes it nearly impossible for you to work in the UK anyway.

abudabi

Maybe you will have to come back to the uk and do some wfi's then get a job

bigbulldog

Sorry totally disagree with this people claiming benefits while living abroad:mad: as there are so many disabled people that live in the uk that cannot get or will have there benefits stopped.

Poppie68

LadyCava wrote: »

Hi! Has anyone any experience of changing from IB to ESA abroad I am in Spain). I filled in requisite paperwork ans was told about 3 months ago I am in the WRAG as I am deemed ready for work next year when myESA will stop. I have told DWP I intend to appeal, but am STILL waiting for the ATOS report to arrive. They have arranged 2 appointments for a medical in Spain which were unsuitable..1 arrived the day before I was supposed to go, the other when I was in UK visiting my sick father. DWP say they can't guarantee doctor here will speal English so will have to employ translator. I am fairly proficient in Spansih, but I fear trying to explain the details of psoriatic arthrits and severe depression will be a challenge too far. The entire process has rendered me a jibbering wreck, with the stress of it all. I am now on yet more medication for pain and not being able to sleep. Can anyone offer advice please? Sorry for whingeing on...thanks

A bit confused op on which part you would like advice on? If it's regarding your 2 failed medicals....you have'nt really got a choice have you..if you want to carry on claiming ESA you will have to attend the medical..or maybe it is possible for you to arrange on in the UK if you find the Spainish ones stressful.

Also intrigued with being able to claim ESA while living in Spain, as i was under the impression ESA can only be paid up to 26 weeks after you have left the country...

pmlindyloo

Only contribution based ESA can be claimed when living abroad (not Income based) and this is only for one year (as it is here.)

I don't think the OP understands this. At the end of the year when her ESA stops she cannot appeal unless she feels she should be in the Support Group.

As contribution based ESA is based on NI contributions then this, to me, seems entirely reasonable.

nogginthenog

Poppie68 wrote: »

A bit confused op on which part you would like advice on? If it's regarding your 2 failed medicals....you have'nt really got a choice have you..if you want to carry on claiming ESA you will have to attend the medical..or maybe it is possible for you to arrange on in the UK if you find the Spainish ones stressful.

Also intrigued with being able to claim ESA while living in Spain, as i was under the impression ESA can only be paid up to 26 weeks after you have left the country...

Going abroad for more than a year

You can get contribution-based ESA in the EEA or Switzerland if you’re eligible and if you’ve paid enough National Insurance contributions.

sandy_smith_2

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/4372593

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2344157

Upsidedown_Bear

I found this. It's dated April 2011 so may not now be current. It's talking about people transfering from IB to ESA.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ib-reassessment-overseas.pdf

This seems to be current but it talking about people claiming ESA not transfering from IB to ESA.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/benefits/employment-and-support/

pmlindyloo

Upsidedown_Bear wrote: »

I found this. It's dated April 2011 so may not now be current. It's talking about people transfering from IB to ESA.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/ib-reassessment-overseas.pdf

This seems to be current but it talking about people claiming ESA not transfering from IB to ESA.

http://www.dwp.gov.uk/international/benefits/employment-and-support/

As far as I am aware the first link still applies. They can transfer form IB to ESA in exactly the same way that they would if they were living here. So, filling in the form etc etc and attending a medical.

I'm not sure to be honest what stage the OP is at. She says she has been placed in the WRAG group but is now having to go through another medical? Perfectly possible I suppose.

As far as I can make out, if you are awarded ESA and are in the WRAG group the only difference to being here is (as they put it) you don't get any support with returning to work. So, doesn't have to attend interviews etc.

Own_My_Own

LadyCava wrote: »

as I am deemed ready for work next year when myESA will stop.

So you will only get it for one year ?