Esa help please

jbatista

This is what I don't understand at all...

jacques_chirac

jbatista wrote: »

No we heard nothing at all

Did you send it Recorded Delivery, and/ or chase it when you heard nothing back?

nannytone_2

you said you received a letter daying he has been awarded ESA though?
he may have been assessed without a medical and may already be main phase.
if that is the case then he wont need sick notes.
you need to phone the DWP to find out
Just re read it and you say they sent a text.
but i think he may still have been placed on the main phase vecause you received a letter saying no payments will be made.
but the fact they are asking for a sick note contradicts this.
yiou really need to phone and find out because we are only guessing

jbatista

No to be honest we didn't ... Never thought anything of it and why did they send it to him in the first place.. I am so confused.. It was only a chance conversation with the gp who asked why he wasn't claiming anything at all that we explained to him and he said to claim.... I don't know where a this will end, struggling as it is... And why the hell do the DSS send text messages saying your esa has been awarded??

nannytone_2

they do send text messages.
to be honest, you shouldnt take a lot of notice of your doctor regarding benefits.
they are medical professionals and have only a basic knowledge of the benefits system.
he probably looks at your husband and THINKS he should be allowed sickness benefit without knowing the rules regarding contributions and houehold income limits

jbatista

Hi I phoned them this afternoon the man on the other end of the phone said my husband wasn't eligible for esa as he didn't have enough contributions .. I asked him why then have they asked for a sick note to which he said he didn't know.. I really am at a loss ... I am better going to the Cab and getting them to look at it?

nannytone_2

[t wpmt hurt to.
but to be honest, the decision not to pay him any benefit does seem the correct one.
the person on the phone is giving you the decision on a conts based claim.
your husbands would be income related so you need to ask specifically about this.
a claim can still me 'live' even if the claimant doesnt qualify for payment, and the benefit of this is that NI contributions will still be made for them

Indie_Kid

He would still need to send a sick note in for his NI credits until a decision is made on whether he's fit for work or not. But if he has enough years, I personally wouldn't bother.

jbatista

Ok I will get a sick note sent in.. Many thanks all of you for your help

epitome

You've had good correct advice so far.

But just to sum it up for you.

He has been awarded ESA NI CREDITS ONLY
Hence he has had a letter or text saying "you have been awarded ESA"

He did not work in 2011 or 2012 so would not qualify for ESA CONTS
You work more than 24 hours a week so he does not qualify for ESA IR

His ESA claim is now open for NI Credits, and he needs to send in sicknotes and return the questionaire to remain eligible for it. He will be assessed,you can phone 0800 2888777 option 3 to ask if they have recvd the questionaire.

If you stop working he can send them your P45 and will be eligible for £113.70 a week, and after 3 months eligible to get help with the mortgage.

Once he passes the ESA Assessment he would get more money from a minimum of £141(ish) a week to £211(ish) a week - depending if he gets DLA or PIP aswell and at what rates he gets them.

He should ask for a pension forecast to find out how many years he has. And to see if he needs these NI credits.
If you don't give up your job, then there will be no point in keeping his ESA claim open.

Why didn't he claim Incapacity Benefit in the 1990s? What happened to that claim? Maybe the IB has been open for NI credits since 2007?