ESA Income Related & Contribution Based

labradad

Can anyone please help.
Is it possible to get both Income related and contribution based ESA at the same time?
I was on income based but due to poor health have been moved from work group to support group. This in turn means I am now getting contribution based. As a result the council now want nearlt £500 by 1st Feb.
I am at my wits end, so if anyone could please help.

schrodie

labradad wrote: »

Can anyone please help.
Is it possible to get both Income related and contribution based ESA at the same time?
I was on income based but due to poor health have been moved from work group to support group. This in turn means I am now getting contribution based. As a result the council now want nearlt £500 by 1st Feb.
I am at my wits end, so if anyone could please help.

Yes it's perfectly possible to receive both IB ESA & CB ESA. The law states that you can have a certain amount of money a week to live off. If your CB ESA doesn't provide that then you can have your CB ESA topped up with IB ESA.

It may be worth giving your local CAB a ring ands ask them for advice.

labradad

I thought that was the case. Have been ringing round all morning but keep getting told no you can not. Any idea how you go about it?

jacques_chirac

When did you first claim ESA? It is possible to be on CB ESA with an IB top up, but it would be unusual to be on IB ESA and then change to CB ESA. Were you in regular work for the three years prior to claiming?

Misseh

Never heard of this, it should be one or the other.
CB for when you have gained enough NI and IB when you have run out/don't have enough.
As far as I'm aware (also being on ESA) you're either one or the other - not both. I personally was on CB for a year, then automatically transferred over to IB.
Are you also claiming DLA? For disability/illness living costs?

labradad

Yes on DLA
Was on ESA Income based in work group, health as got far worse so moved to support group. Have been told though that if in support group it has to be contribution based. So health gets worse get a bill from council and have to star paying for prescriptions!

labradad

Worked non stop for 30 years before my health got bad

lukieboy96

My letter says that I am both. This is from when I changed over from Incapacity benefit last year.

KxMx

I am on ESA (WRAG) and put in a HC1 application for help with health costs under the Low Income Scheme

They sent me a HC2 certificate which is full help with NHS costs and free prescriptions.

I queried this (always got HC3 in the past) and was told they had mistakenly thought I was in the Support Group.

Then got my proper entitlement HC3 (partial help, no free prescriptions I pre-pay £10.40 per month over 10).

So being in the Support Group should entitle you to free prescriptions and full help with NHS costs under the LIS.

Being in the SG may passport you to other entitlements, despite the benefit being Contributions based.

Council Tax varies now from authority to authority; being in the SG may mean you get more help or not; depends if your LA makes any distinction between CB ESA and SG.

I'd suggest ringing the benefits office that deals with your claim for clarification. Then take it from there.

labradad

"It is possible to be on CB ESA with an IB top up"
That is exactly what I am trying to do but dont know how to do it. If anyone can please help me.

labradad

KxMx wrote: »

I am on ESA (WRAG) and put in a HC1 application for help with health costs under the Low Income Scheme
They sent me a HC2 certificate which is full help with NHS costs and free prescriptions.
I queried this and was told they had mistakenly thought I was in the Support Group.
Then got my proper entitlement HC3 (partial help, no free prescriptions I pre-pay £10.40 per month over 10).
So being in the Support Group should entitle you to free prescriptions and full help with NHS costs under the HC1 scheme.
Being in the SG may passport you to other entitlements, despite the benefit being Contirbutions based.

If you could please tell me how I go about doing this I would be for ever grateful.