Backdating ESA following Atos assessment?

Damo808

Hi all! I'm wondering if one of you lovely helpful money saving experts can help me

I understand that successful ESA claimants typically have their weekly payments increased following an Atos assessment.

The rates are £72.40 (assessment phase) increasing to either £101.15 (for the WRAG) or £108.15 (for the Support Group).

I would like to know if the increase in payments is backdated at all; if so, from when do they calculate it?

I have been in the assessment phase of ESA for over a year and was only assessed last month, so I figure I am looking at being owed about a year's worth of increases, but of course I could be wrong!

And of course all this assumes they don't kick me off ESA altogether. I am rather ill and in receipt of enhanced rate PIP, but I have learned to assume nothing when it comes to Atos and DWP!

Thanks in advance.

help4help2013

your suppose to be assessed within the first 13 weeks so if you have been waiting over a year for the assessment then any monies owed should be backdated from week 13 either at the WRAG rate or the SG rate

do you live alone?
and does anyone claim cares allowance for you?

if they dont and you get placed in the support group you may be entitled to apply for a severe disability premium which is an extra £62 a week i think

see link below for more info on that

https://www.gov.uk/disability-premiums-income-support/overview

Damo808

Thanks! I appreciate the quick answer :beer:

help4help2013 wrote: »

your suppose to be assessed within the first 13 weeks so if you have been waiting over a year for the assessment then any monies owed should be backdated from week 13 either at the WRAG rate or the SG rate

That makes sense

Regarding the Severe Disability Premium: I live with my mother currently. She is looking after me while I recover so looks like I can't claim SDP. My mother is in receipt of state pension, so doesn't appear to be entitled to carer allowance either. I tried a couple of benefit calculators that both pointed to the same conclusion. Bit of a shame but there we are!

TELLIT01

There's no "should be backdated" about it. You are entitled to the increased figure after 13 weeks assuming the assessment ends with you going into either the WRAG or Support Group.

allen35

Damo808 wrote: »

Thanks! I appreciate the quick answer :beer:



That makes sense

Regarding the Severe Disability Premium: I live with my mother currently. She is looking after me while I recover so looks like I can't claim SDP. My mother is in receipt of state pension, so doesn't appear to be entitled to carer allowance either. I tried a couple of benefit calculators that both pointed to the same conclusion. Bit of a shame but there we are!

Depends on your mums income, if she is entitled to PCGC she should claim underlying entitlement to Carer's Allowance which will increase her Pension Credit by £34.20pw or it may increase her Council Tax Benefit/Housing Benefit if applicable.

You can request 3 months backdating too.

Damo808

Thanks for the clarification all

I have one question though. Although I have been too ill to work since Jan 2014, I only got around to applying for ESA in March 2014. Following acceptance of my application, DWP agreed to backdate my assessment rate payments to start from 7 Jan 2014, the date when I became too ill to work.

So presumably my 13th week is 13 weeks from 7 Jan 2014? Not 13 weeks from the March date when I made the claim?

helping_hand2014

TELLIT01 wrote: »

There's no "should be backdated" about it. You are entitled to the increased figure after 13 weeks assuming the assessment ends with you going into either the WRAG or Support Group.

you cant guarantee anything with the DWP these days whem it comes to back pay the OP "should be entitled to it " as previous poster said