Esa contributions

Ariadne1

Hi

Can someone advise please
Ny husband was in a min wage job which was term time. This was manageable for him as he has severe peripheral neuropathy. He is now at the stage where he has had to stop work and has tried to claim ESA.

He got a letter this morning saying he has not claimed enough contributions in the last 2years. Can someone advise how much he should have paid please.

He isn't entitled to income based.

Many thanks

Horseunderwater

Something like £5100 & £5310 gross wages should have got him enough NI. If you find his P60's for years end 2012 & 2013, post gross wages & NI paid on here & someone who knows more will help.

Ariadne1

Horseunderwater wrote: »

Something like £5100 & £5310 gross wages should have got him enough NI. If you find his P60's for years end 2012 & 2013, post gross wages & NI paid on here & someone who knows more will help.

Thanks so much for the reply.

His gross wages for 2013/14 was 10882 and NI was 453. Doesn't sound a lot for the really hard work he had to do and the work he had to do at home :mad:

TIA

epitome

Did he earn more than 5100 in 11/12
and more than 5350 in 12/13
?

13/14 is not being used for ESA C new claims until next year.

Ariadne1

Thanks so much. He probably didn't earn a lot in 2011/12 as from April to September he was getting carers allowance and them he started the job in jan 2011.

He certainly earned more than 5350 in 2012/2013.

I appreciate your reply.

epitome

Ok, so right now his claim will be for National Insurance Credits only.

If you find that he is still out of work due to illness in late September this year, and you think he will be still out of work in January 2015...He can try 1 of 2 things...to achieve the desired goal of being paid ESA in 2015.

He could close his claim end of September 2014 and wait more than 12 weeks and then reclaim from January 2015 but no earlier than the first Sunday. This method will definately work but he will lose 12 weeks of NI credits....maybe unecessarily.

or

He could leave his claim open as NI credits and then make a claim from the first Sunday in January 2015. This method may not work, if it does not work he could close the claim in January then wait 12 weeks (as above), the downside is he won't be paid until the new claim is made from around May.


From what you have said he will qualify for ESA payments in 2015. But there is confusion on ESA as to whether you need to close the old claim for 12 weeks or you can leave it open and then just make a new claim. This is one topic I will have to get a definitve answer to.

Ariadne1

Many thanks epitome, I really appreciate this information.

It is more than likely that he will still be unfit for work as he has a progressive neurological disease.

I have a really stupid question but as neither of us have ever claimed esa or jsa, how do you close the claim for esa if your GP us still providing sick notes

Sorry to be so stupid about all if this.

epitome

*He* phones ESA on the day or a couple of days before or after the day he wants it closed from and says, "please close my claim effective from xx/xx/xxxx"
and it will be closed.

rogerblack

I would wonder about the alternative - instead of waiting till Jan 2015 to put in the ESA claim, do not close the earlier ESA claim - but put in 15 weeks (or so) earlier an claim for ESA(C) dated Jan 15 - an 'advance claim'.
Only if refused halt the claim.

Ariadne1

Many thanks guys
This information will be really useful. This is all such a minefield:(
Without your assistance I wouldn't have a clue.

Ariadne1

A further update for those who kindly offered advice. I checked our current account on Saturday and saw that there was a payment from DWP. Yesterday I wrote a letter asking for the decision to be reviewed and this morning there was another letter from DWP saying that the decision not to award esa because of insufficient contributions was overturned and DH was now being paid.

That of course was what the payment was for that We were going to call them about

That will go a long way to help.