ESA Query

joseph9a

Hi there,

Me and my ex girlfriend split up a few weeks ago and she has moved out and got her own flat. she is currently getting carers allowance which is topped up by income support and she gets housing benefit and help with council tax.

The reason the relationship ended was because we just weren't getting on we were both suffering with depression and making each other worse. She also suffers with anxiety which stops her doing things like answering the door (unless someone shouts im me like her dad) and she cant go the shops we tried to go together once an she got outside in the car and broke down in tears and said bring me home. I think she may also have agoraphobia but i'm not sure. She has been like this since i met her but when i first met her i would say it was mild but now it is severe. She tried a year or 2 telling her doctor about it and he said you need to get out more and you will get over it, and never offered any medication, support or counselling which really annoyed me. So much so I couldn't type here exactly what I said.

So she is at the point now were she is really struggling and she doesn't leave her flat. She is in no fit state to work, she does not even answer the phone unless it shows on caller display who it is. One time someone rang an i said, its someone for you don't know who it is, an she was in bed and just threw the blanket over her head like hiding.

I know I've gone into detail but i just wanted to explain how bad the situation is. She has been asking could I help her get on her feet, I've give her a bit of money but i'm only earning minimum wage and cant afford to support 2 houses. If she was here I could feed her yes, but I cannot afford to be helping with the upkeep of another home. She chose not to be here, and she didn't want to live with her dad and before anyone says she shouldn't get benefits if shes being picky, she told me if she had to go an live with her dad she would kill herself, so that is why she stayed with me for so long even though the relation ship was going nowhere. And I genuinely believed her as she has tried to take an overdose in the past. Her mum who she says has been great helping her (who i can't stand) said there is no space for her at her home where she lives with her boyfriend and other daughter. So the 3 of them in a 3 bedroom house, but there's no space, really annoys me as she said she would live with her mum if she would have her.

Anyway you've got the picture, what it is as my girlfriend or ex is really struggling financially and mentally, would she be entitled to ESA? someone told me she would. She said she wants to try anti-depressants but she finds it hard speaking to her doctor about it. She went to see the doctor a while ago and they said is there anything else and I went "can I just ask" an she looked at me an mouthed "no please" so like if she wont speak up for herself to the GP and she doesn't want me to what can I do? If she went with her mum, her mum wouldn't stick up for her and argue back with the doctor as she doesn't know how bad she is. She is the type that if the doctor said how are you feeling are you ok? she would just go yes fine, as she thinks they wont listen to her. She has had no life at all for the last 3 years and if she doesn't do something about it soon she may never.

Can anyone give me some advice what I have to do to get the doctor to listen? I wish I could see her GP without her there on her behalf. And then with the way she is and if she got some medication or counselling etc. would she be entitled to ESA? I think she should be as she cannot do normal things like answer the door, answer the phone or go shopping with having a panic attack.

All of this what I have said if she knew I had she would be really embarrassed and say I was putting her down, but it's reality, and other people just say to her oh don't worry so much, but to me they don't care. Really sorry to go on but I don't tell people what went on in the relationship and as I was typing everything was coming out.

Can I just say any advice would be appreciated but if you are going to criticize and say she needs to just get a job then please don't respond to the post.

Thanks

nannytone_2

who is you ex caring for ( you say she receives carers allowance and income support) and how is she managing to care if she wont go outside?

joseph9a

nannytone wrote: »

who is you ex caring for ( you say she receives carers allowance and income support) and how is she managing to care if she wont go outside?

She cares for one of her aunties, who lives round the corner from her, part of the reason why she picked the flat. She goes there to help her cooking, getting dressed, getting up out of bed and ready for bed. She has always had me taking her but now were not together she had to find somewhere close by. Her mum and dad used to take her occasionally but not as much as me. Although she cares for her Aunt she couldn't put her up either as she lives with her husband in a 1 bedroom flat, you know like flats which are just for the elderly.

lukieboy96

Does she care for her Aunt 35 hours? As I thought this was the hours needed.

pmlindyloo

There are two separate issues here.

First of all her benefits.

She cannot be getting tax credits unless she has children. Does she?

How old is she and how many bedrooms does she have?

If she is receiving Carer's allowance and Income Support 'top up' then she should be receiving full housing benefit up to her entitlement (which is based on age and how many people living in the accommodation) She should be getting most her council tax paid as well. Can you let us know exactly what she is getting so we can check and offer advice?

Secondly her health. Unless she is willing to go to the doctors then she will not be able to apply for ESA as you need a fit note to apply. The amount of money that she will receive to begin with is the same as she is receiving now so financially it will not help in the short term.

You can ask to speak to her doctor without her present and say you believe that she is 'at risk' and you are very concerned about her. The doctor will not be able to discuss her with you but should listen to your concerns.

There is a great deal of help available - medication/counselling etc and once this is all in place then she may be eligible for ESA.

There is another benefit called Personal Independence Payment which is not means tested (you can work and have savings) but to be eligible you have to have care and mobility needs. You can google for more information.

The problem with applying for this is that she would need evidence (doctors/other professional reports) of her problems.

Plus, caring for her aunt and claiming CA in this situation MAY be seen as inappropriate although I realise that she is helping someone who is close to her and in familiar surroundings.

joseph9a

lukieboy96 wrote: »

Does she care for her Aunt 35 hours? As I thought this was the hours needed.

She goes twice a day every day and each time is there between 2 and 4 hours so yes id say she covers 35 hours a week

joseph9a

pmlindyloo wrote: »

There are two separate issues here.

First of all her benefits.

She cannot be getting tax credits unless she has children. Does she?

How old is she and how many bedrooms does she have?

If she is receiving Carer's allowance and Income Support 'top up' then she should be receiving full housing benefit up to her entitlement (which is based on age and how many people living in the accommodation) She should be getting most her council tax paid as well. Can you let us know exactly what she is getting so we can check and offer advice?

Secondly her health. Unless she is willing to go to the doctors then she will not be able to apply for ESA as you need a fit note to apply. The amount of money that she will receive to begin with is the same as she is receiving now so financially it will not help in the short term.

You can ask to speak to her doctor without her present and say you believe that she is 'at risk' and you are very concerned about her. The doctor will not be able to discuss her with you but should listen to your concerns.

There is a great deal of help available - medication/counselling etc and once this is all in place then she may be eligible for ESA.

There is another benefit called Personal Independence Payment which is not means tested (you can work and have savings) but to be eligible you have to have care and mobility needs. You can google for more information.

The problem with applying for this is that she would need evidence (doctors/other professional reports) of her problems.

Plus, caring for her aunt and claiming CA in this situation MAY be seen as inappropriate although I realise that she is helping someone who is close to her and in familiar surroundings.

I'll edit the post I meant help with council tax not tax credits.

so you say if she does get ESA she will be in the same position financially? I dont understand how though?

here is a rough break down of what she gets and pays:

Her rent is £420 per month including water ( I think she gets most of this maye 90% as she declared water is included which reduced her rent by £30 i think)

She pays £8 a month towards the council tax

£59.50 carers allowance per week

£20 per week income support

Thats all she gets, I cant understand how if she got ESA she would be in the same position financially, would one of her other benefits stop?

joseph9a

I think she has about £75 spare a week to pay for gas, electricity, food, and the contribution towards her rent for water, which just isn't enough for her. she also has things like TV licence as well im not sure if she is aware about (are people on benefits entitled to a reduction?)

nannytone_2

how old is she?
your figures seem a little wrong. if she is over 25 then she should be receiving a total of around £1-5 a week between carers allowance and income support.

if she claimed ESA she would receive the assessment rate which is the same as income support.
she would then need to have a work capability assessment and pass that. then her income would raise by around £28 a week. but that is assuming she passed

joseph9a

nannytone wrote: »

how old is she?
your figures seem a little wrong. if she is over 25 then she should be receiving a total of around £1-5 a week between carers allowance and income support.

if she claimed ESA she would receive the assessment rate which is the same as income support.
she would then need to have a work capability assessment and pass that. then her income would raise by around £28 a week. but that is assuming she passed

She is 23

I don't know the exact figures she done everything with her mum and the local one stop shop so everything she is getting she is entitled to. I may have some of the figures wrong but im sure they are pretty accurate. so if she got ESA would she loose income support?

nannytone_2

at 23, the amount she receives sounds about right.
you cannot claim ESA at the same time as income support as they are both out of work benefits ( the same thing but for different reasons)