Incapacity Benefit Clerical Case

AniseedBalls

I was on income support as a single mum due to illness,but because had children was put on income support.

I was contacted a couple of years ago to be moved to incapacity benefit due to illness and returned the forms. I received contact telling me the forms were changing and were incorect so I asked for the new forms. They then postponed moving my case and said I was due to confusion over new form and that it was reversed for now, to be left as a clerical case on incapacity benefit but was not to be concerned that income support would continue to pay me till the new ESA took over.

I had a few problems when son turned 16 when declaring him still in college as to who had my case and the incapacity benefit people who were still answering the phone then could not find my files and again said it was due to I was a clerical case, but they passed me to income support and that was resolved.Income support again confirmed that I was incapacity benefit but again the quote a clerical case and not to worry till contacted re change over to ESA. even though confusingly income support were still to pay me.

I had received no futher info re ESA, but I fully expected a letter to arrive telling me to fill that form in prior and medical etc.... What I received was a letter informing me that as my child is now reaching 16 that I am no longer entitled to income support on basis of her age.

I am confused as they are requesting I either make claim for ESA or JSA and make no mention of the fact I am supposed to be classed as incapacity benefit waiting for transfer to ESA. Seems they have left me as a single mum still on income support due to age of child rather than what applied for as change because of my condition. I am confused why they kept telling me clerical incapacity benefit when in fact if I was income support why the caffuffle.

Should I contact them re it or do you think it makes no difference and just make claim for ESA as new case. I will be honest I am not well and very depressed wanting it all to just go away. Rather than transfer me over time they have left it till matter of few weeks till my money is now supposed to stop and i know ESA can take an age.

I mean I even for some time had to provide medical certificates for incapacity benefit and then they told me they were no longer required hence my confusion.

Any advice appreciated and I plan to keep the thread open to gain advice as I go along as I am mentally ill, very low at the moment and think this may be a trigger to push me over the edge as well as have other problems.

They could have at least sent the ESA forms and told me what needed doing rather than just leave my case to run this way. Just to add I also get high rate DLA for care and low rate care for mobility and income support are very aware of this and must have known my case needed transfering properly.

Thanks for reading

mikey_bach

Hello
first of all don't panic.
Incapacity clerical claims are common they will have a record of your claim don't claim ESA.
As you child is sixteen and you are still on I.S they know about your IB
The letter you have had is a standard computer letter that everyone with a child of sixteen has, its quite simply a further education letter.
You should be receiving over £105 per week if you are then ever thing is ok
Your are getting basic I.S with a disability premium.
My advice be would see what happens next if I.S do stop your claim then ring ask for a call back and say you have a clerical IB case tell them to check their IB tracker you will find it soon goes back into payment.

From next year then the last of the IB claims will go over to ESA if you have anything with ESA on from the Department ESA 50 for eg DONT ignore it this means that your process to ESA has begun please complete it and return.

So at the moment sit tight, send that computer letter back to I.S stating if your child is at school and wait.

If you are only getting £71,70 per week then you claim should have closed when your child turned seven or twelve..........

AniseedBalls

Thank you you were right I am still income support till moved I guess to ESA at some point due to having a valid Incapacity benefit form filled in whilst they were doing.a change which they retracted.

Was asked to confirm both kids are still in education and told not to worry my payments would carry on.

Payment is officially dated due fortnightly on a Thursday but always appears Wednesday. So due to Xmas took the Thursday to mean would receive it Xmas eve. My child benefit and child tax credit has gone in,but no income support for me which appears same time in bank.

So again I am worrying is it just going in later today or is it something to do with prior issue, but have not had any new communication since told not to worry, they would sort it.

Worry worry seems all I do. Does anyone else have income support not in yet?

AniseedBalls

Not gone in :-( Luckily have record of last comms and track and trace shows delivered of my letter, so no reason why not gone in other than as my case is described as clerical perhaps someone manually has to do it, oh dear.

AniseedBalls

TBF to them got through straight away and it was the clerical case issue. They are doing same day payment so can lend the kids some of the dd money to get a treat each knowing will be replaced.

Mental illness makes me old before my age.

Merry Xmas :T