Esa3

kath40

Sent my ESA50 off about a month ago. Heard nothing since until this morning when a ESA3 form dropped through my letter box. Never even heard of this form. There was no covering letter with it. Rang DWP and was told that there is a letter on the way to me telling me I will be placed in the ESA support group (good news). The helpful enough lady wasn't sure about the ESA3 form though.

As far as I can see the ESA3 form is about claiming income based ESA which I wouldn't be able to do so as I have savings? So can I just return it not completed with an accompanying letter saying that I don't want to claim income based ESA?

My husband's only income is carer's allowance for me and interest on savings. I am on maximum DLA. Another question. On Incapacity Benefit my ill-health pension (approx £100 per week) did not affect my benefit because I'm on the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance. I see that on ESA any pension over £75per week will affect this benefit. Does the exemption from this still apply if on the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance?

Thank you for any advice.

Twisted_Cherry

Same thing happened to my friend this morning although we completed her ESA50 back in August. She got a letter yesterday confirming she had been placed in the support group along with the ESA3.

I am not sure what the limit is on savings, the DWP should be able to tell you that. This form though is completed also to see if you are enabled to qualify for additional premiums on your benefits, usually if you get DLA awarded as well.

I have just advised my friend to complete it and send it off, no harm in trying... she might get some additional benefits, she might not.

mazza111

It may be that they are checking that you don't also have an underlying entitlement to IR ESA or n IR ESA top up. Fill it in and send it off, they will only say no if you're not entitled to it

Horseunderwater

Do you have more than £6k in savings?
Do you have more than £6k - but less then £16k?
If the former then you would still get full IR ESA - assuming you are single and do not live with someone who earns money has a pension in their own right.
If the latter then you would still get some ESA - but the amount you get goes down £1 for every £250/pqart of £250 over the £6k until you get to £16k then it ceases.
So an example would be Savings of £7.5k so you would lose £6/week off the ESA due.

kath40

Thanks guys for your help. Twisted Cherry, you said...

"She got a letter yesterday confirming she had been placed in the support group along with the ESA3"

Did the form and letter come in separate envelopes? I only got the form in a large brown envelope with a return envelope inside but no letter. What concerns me is that the envelope had been opened and resealed crudely with Sellotape. Did someone open it and take my letter confirming the support group or will I receive it separately?

epitome

The ESA 3 is a courtesy incase you are entitled to get ESA IR.

But if your partner gets CA and you are on high rate DLA Care you would get more money by your partner applying for Income Support. So there is no point doing the ESA3 just throw it away there is no need to return it or to tell them that you will not be completing it.

You said you and your partner have savings... is this over £16,000 in savings?

If it is over £16,000 your partner won't get Income Support but if your partner is old enough for Pension Credit then they could claim that instead.

kath40

Thank you, epitome. It would have been nice to have had a covering letter with the ESA3 form simply explaining what it was for. I'm reasonably intelligent but was concerned at what this was all about. More stress unnecessarily caused.

I rang them yesterday and was told that it was not necessary to return it if I didn't intend to claim any further benefits in this instance (which is the case).

I can imagine many already stressed already ill people sitting wasting their time filling this form in.

Why can't DWP simply explain what forms are for?

Thanks again!

epitome

The Support group letter mentions that you may be entitled to more money by applying for ESA IR..

kath40

Point taken! Problem was that the support group letter arrived two days AFTER the ESA3.

mikey_bach

The ESA3 form is sent manually by the section..
No it wouldn't have been opened, probably stuck down then the processor realized they hadn't popped in a return envelope so reopened and stuck it down with sellotape
The support group letter is issued by the system. Can take a few days to be processed and generated before its printed and then it goes out,

They have come a long way though the ESA3 wasn't always sent out so there are lots of people out there who may be entitled to extra money and don't know

kath40

"No it wouldn't have been opened, probably stuck down then the processor realized they hadn't popped in a return envelope so reopened and stuck it down with sellotape"

That's what I thought might have happened!

Sad that some people might be entitled but never got an ESA3 and are unaware.