Panic-ESA want money back-Advice please

p999j

I don't know what to do or where to turn. ESA have just said I should not have been getting ESA as I have a health insurance payment from my employer. They are also seeking to collect arrears or payment from January of this year @£400/month= £3200 which I don't have. I was relying on getting support for mortgage interest because I am around £1000 in arrears with my mortgage. I don't know how I will survive. I only get £1100 a month plus £80/month DLA and I have outgoings of £1180 a month before taking into account food or anything else (car needs tyres, boiler needs replaced.)
(Overall debts of £30K)

What can I do? I really don't want to sell my house- I am housebound for much of the time and it is my refuge.

I will make an appointment with Citizens advice, and I have no family who can help, but I would be grateful for any other advice.

I am sure ESA folk had the information about my health insurance, as the reason this has all hit the fan is that it went up slightly (an annual increase) and I sent them that information, in case it affected ESA levels. I didn't expect this fall out. I think Citizens advice helped me with the ESA form, so they will have a copy-my paperwork is terrible because of my health.

Then moving forward, how will I afford to stay in my house with a mortgage payment of £720 a month?

jacques_chirac

Are you on contributions based ESA or is it income based? How much is your insurance payment? Do you like live alone?

Poppie68

If you are claiming SMI you must be on IR ESA, therefore
Pension payments count in full for income-related ESA. One-off lump sums are treated as capital.

tiger_eyes

When you say that your outgoings are more than your income without counting food, does that factor in consumer debt repayments? Because obviously you'd prioritise food over credit card bills.

p999j

i'm not claiming SMI. I have applied for it, but they have not replied, except today when I asked they said I would be unlikely to get it because I should not have been getting ESA. My Health insurance is £1100 a month.
It was income based ESA.

jacques_chirac

Poppie68 wrote: »

If you are claiming SMI you must be on IR ESA, therefore
Pension payments count in full for income-related ESA. One-off lump sums are treated as capital.

He could have been applying for an income based top up, in which case he might have been eligible for some assistance.

p999j, as you are on IB ESA the full amount will be taken into account. How much ESA were you receiving, and do you know how much SMI you might have been eligible for? If at the higher end (a mortgage of £200,000) you may still qualify for a small payment. Do you have your original award letter? That will confirm if your PHI was taken into account or not.

Widelats

Sure, offer the dss a repayment of £1 per week - its a offer they can not legally refuse i believe since your skint.

Poppie68

Did you inform ESA when you started claiming, about your insurance payments, or were you already recieving ESA when you started recieving the insurance payments.

Poppie68

jacques_chirac wrote: »

He could have been applying for an income based top up, in which case he might have been eligible for some assistance.

p999j, as you are on IB ESA the full amount will be taken into account. How much ESA were you receiving, and do you know how much SMI you might have been eligible for? If at the higher end (a mortgage of £200,000) you may still qualify for a small payment. Do you have your original award letter? That will confirm if your PHI was taken into account or not.

Thanks did'nt know about income based top ups.

jacques_chirac

Widelats wrote: »

Sure, offer the dss a repayment of £1 per week - its a offer they can not legally refuse i believe since your skint.

If the OP is still eligible for any benefits the DWP can determine the amount they deduct at source. It will not be a massive amount but it will be more than £1.

p999j

According to my mortgage provider, I would have been eligible for £360 in SMI or thereabouts. I am sure the JC knew I was on health insurance but I need to see a copy of the forms to know for sure- I got help doing them so I am sure they must show that payment. My mortgage is £120K.