Here goes --complicated -HELP

keep_the_faith

Heres hoping someone can give a bit of advice here as i feel im going crazy !willl try and make this simple and to the point . im 51 currently receiving contribution based esa and have been for 4 + years . i am still on £71 a week which i believe is the amount you recieve for the probationery period whilst its decided which group you then fall into !I attendedmedical and received 0 points (have depression hip pain and fibromilgia .i asked to appeal this and received letter stating i had no need to appael .and continued to recieve 143 fortnightly .For the past 18 months i have had care of my grandson who will be 4 in june he was placed with us through social services as my daughter was addicted to drugs .A residency order has been applied for which daughter is not contesting .We have been receiving an allowance of £540 a month from social services ,this will stop when residency order goes through .My partner is a self employed taxi driver, who after paying car payment of 140 a week and depot rent 140 a week brings home around 200 a week . question is will be entitled to benefits and how do you caim tax credits when self employed ? does his income include car payment and depot rent or is it the money after that ,and what will happen re my esa surely i shouldnt have been on that rate for so long , is it there error or mine ?.

Morglin

You cannot be receiving contributory ESA, after 4 years.

If you are still receiving ESA, after a medical, then you must be getting Income Related ESA.

As your entire situation seems complicated, I would suggest you go to a local CAB, who will check out what you are getting, and give advice as to what, if anything, you should be claiming.

Lin