Esa stopped help please

jobdone1

Hi guys need some help my mother-in-law who has been receiving employment support allowance contribution based of £88 and a few pence a week. Payments have stopped because she has declared a private pension. Her private pension is £3,022 and eleven pence with a lump sum payable of £1,720.26. If you don't include the lump sum which we classed as a saving the £3,022.11 ÷ 52 weeks equals a weekly private pension of £58.11 this is below the guidelines laid out of no more than £85 private pension a week for it to start affecting your ESA. If you include the lump sum of 1726 to the £3,022.11 and divide that by 52 = 99 pounds a week or there abouts it states on their website that if she receives a pension of more than £85 a week then that's when they start reducing the ESA by 50% so I can't work out how they have come to this figure and to stop the ESA all together. Can someone please shed some light on this because I'm at a loss thanks :eek:

jobdone1

Anyone ? Some one out their must be able to advise I have give figures many thanks

nannytone_2

we're not getting the whole picture here.

why is her ESA £88 a week?

assessment phase would be £74 and once in the main phase it would be either just over £100 or around £109 ( depending on which group she was in)

jobdone1

Not sure she gets additional 15 quid due to her disability when I get home I will break it down for you

jobdone1

The only other income is full daily living pip max rate and lower rate mobility but pip is not means tested.

jobdone1

She was made medical retired from her job so that is all she gets from her private pension plus pip so in short they are expecting her to live on 58.11 a week from her pension as pip is non means tested I am baffled

nannytone_2

so she hasn't been assessed yet?

how long has she been claiming ESA?
if it has been 365 days it will stop ( it continues indefinitely if placed in the support group)

once she has been assessed and placed in the support group, then payments will start again.
is there any other household income?
does she have a partner?

jobdone1

She claimed it from March 1 this year as was due for an assessment last week that was canceled by the centre as they did not have the staff to do the assessment and reassured us that it was because of their staffing problems they would send a new date within 4 weeks and that her benefits would not be affected. On the later that was sent Saturday it states that due to a change in her circumstances her private pension was more and as a result her esa would end on the 29 April 2016 but as I have said her pension is 58.11 a week go figure that one I am lost

jobdone1

No partner no other income just pip and pension

nannytone_2

there is no obvious answer to this one then, and you will need to phone them and ask what's going on, because there doesn't seem to be a reason why it should be stopping

jobdone1

Thanks I will ring tomorrow and update