Hubby advised to join my ESA

Loo44

Hi all, just a quickie. I'm on ESA in the support group due to disabilities. Husband made redundant and had started JSA claim, but he's now been advised to joint claim on my ESA. Have we been given the correct information? Many thanks

nannytone_2

it's an option.
yes he can simply be added to your claim and it would be paid at the couples rate.
the only downside is that he wont get a National Insurance credit.
do you receive DLA/PIP?

Loo44

We were told he'd get more money this way, but I dont want it messing up my claim which took me ages to sort! I'm not receiving pip or dla, although may try as have had a pituitary brain tumour - not sure if this a good enough reason, but I'm house bound, if not bed bound! Thanks nannytone xx

nannytone_2

adding him to your claim won't mess it up and should be straightforward.
as for claiming PIP ( there is no DLA for new claims now) the diagnosis is almost irrelevant, it is awarded based solely on care mobility needs.
i only asked because if you received PIP, your husband could claim carers allowance.
although the amount of carers allowance would be deducted from any joiunt ESA claim, an extra premium would be added, meaning about an extra £35 a week

Loo44

I've just looked at the esa3 form and it's huge! It wants all the info I've already supplied on the original esa form! What a nightmare. My brain doesn't function too well, so will have to ask hubby to complete it. Many thanks for your kind help xx

Loo44

Nanny, can I claim ESA support group AND PIP?

supertomsk

I assume you are on ESA Conts based as your hubby was working. Your claim will now become income related. Do you have savings,/redundancy payout? If over £6000 these will be taken into account. It may be better for your hubby to claim JSA conts based in his own right. Normally a couple rate is lower than 2 Conts based claims.

It may be worth putting the 2 different sets of circumstances into a benefits calculator.

http://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/startcalc.aspx

Loo44

Thank you supertomsk and blonde bubbles x

epitome

supertomsk wrote: »

I assume you are on ESA Conts based as your hubby was working. Your claim will now become income related. Do you have savings,/redundancy payout? If over £6000 these will be taken into account. It may be better for your hubby to claim JSA conts based in his own right. Normally a couple rate is lower than 2 Conts based claims.

Partially correct,

OP will most likely have ESA Conts, OP can add partner to her ESA claim and under certain circumstances this will make the claim ESA IR, HOWEVER, OP will always remain entitled to whatever she is currently getting on ESA Conts, i.e. if she has ESA CONTS SG now at £108.15 per week,....... after adding her partner to her claim one of two things will happen .....
Either ESA IR amount will be higher than the ESA Conts i.e. it might end up at approx £171 in which case the claim is ESA IR and the payment will be £171 a week
Or ESA IR will (as a result of the things you mention) end up being less than ESA Conts i.e. it might end up at £95 per week...in which case the claim will remain as ESA Conts at £108.15 per week.


The Jobcentre is just trying to get rid of your partner, the fewer people they have coming through their doors every week the better it is for them.

Your partner can remain on JSA Conts and still be added to your ESA claim.... Your partner will then still recieve National Insurance Credits towards his pension.... Be aware that if he stays on for National Insurance credits he should check -at the end of the year- with National Insurance whether there are any gaps in the last 2 years and pay the gaps to fill them in. Theres's no point signing on to JSA for the next 10 months to get NI credits if he has a 3 week gap in May 2014 which he then does not pay off.

Loo44

Thank you epitome, a very helpful reply x

scootw1

Loo44 wrote: »

Hi all, just a quickie. I'm on ESA in the support group due to disabilities. Husband made redundant and had started JSA claim, but he's now been advised to joint claim on my ESA. Have we been given the correct information? Many thanks

Is your husband ill? I thought ESA was only for disabled? Correct me if I'm wrong