Help needed with income related esa and sdp for couples

pilsthedoughman

Epitome - thank you so much for your reply.

my CA underlying entitlement was actually effective from 26/4/14 and not 2/5/14.

According to the Age UK guidelines (you might want to google it - pages 16 to 19) for ESA and SDP's my applicable amount should include the double rate of SDP throughout AND the Carers premium too ? their guidelines say that in theory a couple both inreceipt of DLA / PIP and Carers allowance for each other can receive both the double SDP rate and 2 x Carers premiums ?

This would make sense - otherwise why should I be penalised for claiming Carers Allowance - its just doesn't make any sense ?

But then a lot of the benefit rules don't make a lot of sense anyway !

allen35

If you had underlying entitlement to carer's allowance you should receive the couple rate of SDP for this period.

It sounds like you were initially awarded ESA contributions based with possibly a top up for your wife of income based.

In this case you received the higher amount of the two which was the ESA.

SDP can be payable if someone claims carer's allowance but doesn't receive payment as in your circumstances.

epitome

I have done some digging for you, and the words used by DWP-ESA are

"SDP is payable if x, y, z, ....... and..... "there is no CA in payment""
As you have CA (UE) there is no CA in payment so, SDP is payable.

This means that you would be entitled to couples rate SDP £120/122.20 from the start of the claim to the end of the claim

And 1 carers Premium £34.20 from the time CA started to the end of the claim (but you already got this).

pilsthedoughman

Epitome - again many thanks for your help.

my letter asking for my ESA payments to be looked at retrospectively (with proof of my PIP award, an IS10 and pages 16-19 from Age UK) has been with ESA for a month now and they tell me it is currently being looked at so I should hear in the next 10 working days about any back payment - I will post on here how it goes.