ESA support group - Can I claim Severe Disability Premium, & how?

cats_rule_dogs_drool

Hello

I received a DWP letter today stating that I've been put into the ESA support group, and will receive £125.05 a week from mid March. I have to say I'm very happy about this, as going through the claiming process has been quite an ordeal for me.

I would be very grateful for some help please with an additional premium question.

I have had a PIP assessment 8 days ago, and I'm waiting to hear on that.

Can I now claim the 'Severe Disability Premium', or do I need to be in receipt of PIP enhanced rate to be able to apply? Also, how do you apply? Is it done over the phone or through a form?

(If it helps, I live alone, a family member looks after me, they don't claim any benefits, and I receive contribution based ESA, though I was informed I'm entitled to income based, but I get contribution based, as it's the highest paying award)

Thank you.

epitome

If you are getting ESA £125.05 then you are on ESA Income Related in the Support Group
ESA Contributory would be £109.30

You will have to wait for your PIP to be awarded.
If you get PIP Daily Living either Standard or Enhanced rate

Then you can apply for ESA SDP.......it will be awarded from the earliest date that you satisfy all 4 conditions:

In receipt of ESA IR
In receipt of PIP DL
Living Alone
No one gets Carers Allowance

cats_rule_dogs_drool

epitome wrote: »

If you are getting ESA £125.05 then you are on ESA Income Related in the Support Group
ESA Contributory would be £109.30

You will have to wait for your PIP to be awarded.
If you get PIP Daily Living either Standard or Enhanced rate

Then you can apply for ESA SDP.......it will be awarded from the earliest date that you satisfy all 4 conditions:

In receipt of ESA IR
In receipt of PIP DL
Living Alone
No one gets Carers Allowance

Hello
I'm not sure what you mean, as I am on contribution based ESA.
From March, it will be made up of 73.10 single person rate, £36.20 support rate enhancement, and £15.75 enhanced disability premium.

I'll try and add a screenshot of the letter I received today.

epitome

Your letter will say somewhere on it "your Income Related amount is £125.05"

Enhanced Disability Premium is not available on a ESA Conts only claim.

You are on ESA Income Related.

cats_rule_dogs_drool

epitome wrote: »

Your letter will say somewhere on it "your Income Related amount is £125.05"

Enhanced Disability Premium is not available on a ESA Conts only claim.

You are on ESA Income Related.

As in my OP, I'm entitled to both, but they are paying me the highest amount (thats what the advisor told me on the phone)

Is that why I get the higher amount?

amyjaj

I'm on my 14th week of my claim for ESA. I was on contributions and income related. I came home today and I have a letter from my local council about my housing benefit. It says that the Department of work and pensions had updated my income to ESA (income related). I also rang the people that do the medical assessments for ESA. They said that they received my questionnaire and additional medical evidence from my doctor back in November and my file was passed back to Department of work and pensions. It Won't need to be looked at again unless Department of work and pensions request a reassessment. Does that mean I've been put into a group now? I also receive disability living allowance!

paragon909

amyjaj wrote: »

I'm on my 14th week of my claim for ESA. I was on contributions and income related. I came home today and I have a letter from my local council about my housing benefit. It says that the Department of work and pensions had updated my income to ESA (income related). I also rang the people that do the medical assessments for ESA. They said that they received my questionnaire and additional medical evidence from my doctor back in November and my file was passed back to Department of work and pensions. It Won't need to be looked at again unless Department of work and pensions request a reassessment. Does that mean I've been put into a group now? I also receive disability living allowance!

It would suggest that you have been put into a group, As they wouldn't refer it back without getting a face to face interview if the paper evidence didn't satisfy them to give you enough points.

This happened to me on my PIP assessment, I just sent a load of papers etc and was told I didn't need to attend a face to face, Brilliant stuff....

Best call DWP tomorrow and get them to check.

cats_rule_dogs_drool

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epitome wrote: »

Your letter will say somewhere on it "your Income Related amount is £125.05"

Enhanced Disability Premium is not available on a ESA Conts only claim.

You are on ESA Income Related.

2nd image is from the base of the first page of the letter, and the 1st image is from the second page where the calculations are.

[IMG][/img]

nannytone_2

if you get cont based benefit and your circumstances mean that you would receive more with an income related claim ....
they 'top yp' the vinyl based claim with income related so you are no worse off.
it is quite common to receive BOTH cont based and income related at the same time

cats_rule_dogs_drool

nannytone wrote: »

if you get cont based benefit and your circumstances mean that you would receive more with an income related claim ....
they 'top yp' the vinyl based claim with income related so you are no worse off.
it is quite common to receive BOTH cont based and income related at the same time

I'm entitled to both equally looking at my letter, but I wonder what that means when you come to claim for other entitlements....
For instance, you can get free dental care / prescriptions on income based ESA, but not on contribution based, so where do I fit? :undecided

pmlindyloo

cats_rule_dogs_drool wrote: »

I'm entitled to both equally looking at my letter, but I wonder what that means when you come to claim for other entitlements....
For instance, you can get free dental care / prescriptions on income based ESA, but not on contribution based, so where do I fit? :undecided

Yes, you can claim those extra 'benefits'.

I will try and explain it!

Contribution based ESA is based on your NI contributions and someone could claim this if they had a million pounds in the bank because it is not means tested.

The payment of contribution based benefits come from a different 'pot of money' so they will always pay this first even if you are eligible for an income based benefit because you have savings under £16000.

If you meet the criteria for an income based benefit as well as contribution based then they will 'top up' your money so you can get any disability premiums (extra money) that you are eligible for.

As already said these disability premiums are not paid unless you meet the criteria for income based.

In effect, you meet the criteria for both the income based benefit and the contribution based benefit. So, as said, they pay you the contribution based benefit and then 'top it up' with extra payments (the income based part)

For the extra benefits - free prescriptions etc - you are treated as if you are on income based ESA (because you are eligible for it)

Hope I've explained it clearly enough