esa increase?

jammie1

My husband gets esa in the support group and income related esa. We have today received a letter to inform us of the increase from April 2014 because of the change to the rates. However the letter goes onto say that from November 2014 it will go up again from £139.65 to £149.65 a week. There is no reason for this in the letter and I have searched online to see if esa rates go up again but nothing. The only thing I can think of is that he will have been on it 12 months by then, but likewise I can't find anything online about an increase when you have been on esa for a year? Can anyone shed any light?
Thank you

rogerblack

It's due to the utterly, utterly (text removed by MSE Forum Team) computer system.
What this means is that in Nov 2014, you will get a 10 pound Christmas bonus.

jammie1

Thank you, that did cross my mind actually but the sentence states it will be per week from 28th Nov so that threw me! Talk about a confusing way to put it!

Morglin

All down to a crappy IT system!

Lin

Murphybear

I don't think you get the Christmas bonus if you are on income related ESA, only if on contributions related.

rogerblack

Murphybear wrote: »

I don't think you get the Christmas bonus if you are on income related ESA, only if on contributions related.

You do if you are also getting DLA.
I also seem to have gotten one on ESA-IR - before I qualified for DLA.

melve

I have a letter saying they can pay me from april to November I don't get it at all also I am in support group and I will get Christmas bonus in December

epitome

melve wrote: »

I have a letter saying they can pay me from april to November I don't get it at all also I am in support group and I will get Christmas bonus in December

This thread tells you it is written like that because your rate changes in November to include the xmas bonus.

AFAIK , You do get the xmas bonus on ESA IR if you have underlying entitlement to ESA Conts.

melve

thanks for your post I get it now if I can help you with anything just ask and consider it done.

John_Clark

Just thought I would bring this thread to the top as I also was expecting a £10 increase
I got a letter dated 27 February 2014 which states - Quote:
From 28 November 2014 your Employment and Support Allowance will be £118.15 a week.
Being paid fortnightly I received;
20 Nov: £216.30
4 Dec: £226.30
18 Dec: £216.30
I suppose the DWP would say their letter is correct. It just neglects to mention that from the next week its going back down again. I don't know why they have phrased it in this confusing way. Perhaps its no longer politically correct to say the unemployed get a Christmas Bonus?

nannytone_2

i dont understand why you would think that it would be a permenant increase.
benefit rates only change once a year in april, aoart from some who get the xmas bonus ( that is if your circumstances dont change during that time).
the nmas bonux isnt paid to the 'unemployed' anyway.
it is paid to people on sickness/disanility benefits, pensioners and those on income support. so technically to all but the unemployed that receive benefit