ESA claim due to stop - what do I do?

Crisp_£_note

Hi

Due to credits running out my ESA claim is due to come to an end in mid May and payment will cease.

Will DWP / JSA automatically contact me before this to advise us what we need to do or should I start enquiring myself now?

I don't feel I am capable of going back to work as I have AS and agoraphobia.

It was about 2 years ago I was switched from IB to the new ESA, I have had a handful of appointments since then with a JSA advisor who advised I could look into becoming self employed as a solution. This way I could work from home in my own time doing something I am capable of and comfortable with.

I have to attend my PIP assessment later today :eek:

At present the only income I have is husbands Tax Credits (no children) which almost pays the household bills and my ESA which pays for food etc. What my husband earns pays for the overheads of his business as he is a self employed vehicle valeter. Work is very quiet still for him right now so there's not much coming in from his 'wages'. Tax Credits see that he is 'on average' working 29 hours a week balance out from the long shifts he does with his seasonal summer job. So although at the moment he isn't clocking up hardly any hours it balances out. I just hope this doesn't decrease or get cut this year as we wont have any income whatsoever!

However his seasonal car-park marshalling work at various uk festivals will come into season again soon. But again I see none of that myself.

I'm also concerned that if our benefits stop we wont be entitled to help with Housing and Council Tax benefits either?



Any helpful advice is appreciated.

Thanks.

pmlindyloo

I know you've posted about this before but can understand you are going through a 'panic moment' with your PIP assessment due today!

When you are self employed it is always going to be a very difficult situation if your business 'fluctuates'.

I think, 'deep down', you know your choices.

1. Your OH gives up his self employment and he is added to your ESA claim which will then become income based. Then he looks for a job where he is an employee. (My OH is self employed and so I know how difficult this change would be.)

2. He continues as he is and you lose your contribution based ESA and survive on what money he earns, his working tax credits and, fingers crossed, your PIP.

A case of doing the sums really. Perhaps you need to wait until you find out if you are awarded PIP?

Any work you can do from home which doesn't aggravate your illness?

Sorry, haven't got any great ideas - good luck with the PIP (deep breaths!)

Crisp_£_note

pmlindyloo wrote: »

I know you've posted about this before but can understand you are going through a 'panic moment' with your PIP assessment due today!

When you are self employed it is always going to be a very difficult situation if your business 'fluctuates'.

I think, 'deep down', you know your choices.

1. Your OH gives up his self employment and he is added to your ESA claim which will then become income based. Then he looks for a job where he is an employee. (My OH is self employed and so I know how difficult this change would be.)

2. He continues as he is and you lose your contribution based ESA and survive on what money he earns, his working tax credits and, fingers crossed, your PIP.

A case of doing the sums really. Perhaps you need to wait until you find out if you are awarded PIP?

Any work you can do from home which doesn't aggravate your illness?

Sorry, haven't got any great ideas - good luck with the PIP (deep breaths!)

Thanks pmlindyloo for understanding. Yes I am in a panic :eek:

This shows some of the options clearly though. I cannot see anything beyond today though to be honest. I don't hold much hope in being awarded PIP better to look at the negatives than expect a positive I always say. All I see is a very miserable future financially because of an extremely stubborn husband. If I can do anything to bring in a small income I will of course but I don't see crafting as a viable opportunity with the cost of materials against the chance of people purchasing in a now already saturated market even if I was interested in taking on a new hobby.

We shall see what today brings and how things unfold. I only hope it won't take long now before I hear the final decision results. I was turned down twice in past years for DLA (one I appealed and still lost) so again not much hope unless their assessment has changed for the better which I doubt. Sounds like ATOS have made it harder and worse.

Thanks again for advice and support sorry I am in a flap right now :cool:

tomtontom

You say they are some of the options, can you think of any more? Is your husband refusing to get a proper job?

ATOS do not decide who gets awarded PIP or what criteria is used, the DWP does.

rogerblack

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

Hi

Due to credits running out my ESA claim is due to come to an end in mid May and payment will cease.

Will DWP / JSA automatically contact me before this to advise us what we need to do or should I start enquiring myself now?

They will not contact you.
However.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/esa214-a-guide-to-employment-and-support-allowance-the-work-capability-assessment

Have you gone through the descriptors and understood if you might meet one of the 'support group' descriptors.

If this is the case, and you do, you qualify for the support group, payment would resume.

This can either be due to a change of condition, or you making a late appeal against the decision to initially place you in the work-related group.
As it's been under 13 months, you are under the absolute time limit.

Crisp_£_note

tomtontom wrote: »

You say they are some of the options, can you think of any more? Is your husband refusing to get a proper job?

ATOS do not decide who gets awarded PIP or what criteria is used, the DWP does.

He is very stubborn in more ways than one. Let's leave it at that.

Horseunderwater

http://pseudo-living.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/esa-descriptors-and-points.html
That link should take you to esa descriptors - the ones you need are 2nd lot down.

Crisp_£_note

Thank you.

BigAunty

Crisp_£_note wrote: »

He is very stubborn in more ways than one. Let's leave it at that.

Just to prompt him to have a bit of a rethink on the subject, more a nudge than a shove, dig up the information on how the self employed will be treated under the proposed move to the Universal Credit system and show it to him.

Is he aware that greater conditionality is planned to be bought in when tax credits are scrapped under UC? In the whitepaper for UC, the government made it clear that they were frustrated with the long-term benefit dependency of the self employed and feel they should aspire to net at least the National Minimum Wage for their business, otherwise should either wind up their businesses or take up regular employment alongside it.

Hopefully, another poster can clarify the extra conditionality and rules for the SE under UC because the govt aren't impressed that a WTC claimant merely has to be busy for x amount of hours to qualify, they want the emphasis to be placed on profit rather than time spent.

Upsidedown_Bear

BigAunty wrote: »

Hopefully, another poster can clarify the extra conditionality and rules for the SE under UC because the govt aren't impressed that a WTC claimant merely has to be busy for x amount of hours to qualify, they want the emphasis to be placed on profit rather than time spent.

Just found this:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/254254/uc-and-self-employment-quick-guide.pdf

Crisp_£_note

Thanks for all the advice on the self employment but it falls on deaf ears as usual so pointing these things out to o/h is futile. Been there several times in the past nothing changes unless its his way and he wants to do it. I'm the one who takes the flack and suffers the consequences of having to spend my ESA on food rather than more beneficial things (well food is beneficial yes but i'm sure you know what I mean there!)