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ESA Rejected - Please help

AdvicePlease81
Posts: 1 Newbie
Hi everyone looking for some advice.
For the past 4 years my husband has worked as a supply teacher. He worked on Average 3/4 days per week for that period through 2 agencies. I work full time, and the reason my husband only worked the days he did was so that he could look after the children and that he would be there over summer holidays.
In April he became very ill, and has been told he is unable to work as he is having ongoing tests to his brain as they think he may have a tumour. He has had seizures, blackouts, migraines, depression and anxiety since April. He has also had his drivers licence taken away so physically cannot get to work and the school he was in will not insure him to work there encase he fits in front of the children ( health & Safety and all )
His employer told him he was not eligible for SSP has he has not earned enough with them so we were told to apply for ESA.
We have had a letter today advising us that they cannot pay him ESA as he has not paid enough National Insurance contributions from 2015 / 2016. I was pregnant during that time so he did work less some weeks than others.
We have been advised to appeal, but i am devastated. He has not received any money since the beginning of April, I earn £21k per year and work 37 hours per week so he is not eligible for the income based ESA.
Has anyone been in this situation before and actually had this result turned around.
He worked for an agency and didn't get paid during school holidays etc and im wondering if this is taken into account.
Things are getting really desperate now with money i have virtually exhausted our savings and knowing he cant work for a minimum of 6 months and not receiving any money is depressing me.
For the past 4 years my husband has worked as a supply teacher. He worked on Average 3/4 days per week for that period through 2 agencies. I work full time, and the reason my husband only worked the days he did was so that he could look after the children and that he would be there over summer holidays.
In April he became very ill, and has been told he is unable to work as he is having ongoing tests to his brain as they think he may have a tumour. He has had seizures, blackouts, migraines, depression and anxiety since April. He has also had his drivers licence taken away so physically cannot get to work and the school he was in will not insure him to work there encase he fits in front of the children ( health & Safety and all )
His employer told him he was not eligible for SSP has he has not earned enough with them so we were told to apply for ESA.
We have had a letter today advising us that they cannot pay him ESA as he has not paid enough National Insurance contributions from 2015 / 2016. I was pregnant during that time so he did work less some weeks than others.
We have been advised to appeal, but i am devastated. He has not received any money since the beginning of April, I earn £21k per year and work 37 hours per week so he is not eligible for the income based ESA.
Has anyone been in this situation before and actually had this result turned around.
He worked for an agency and didn't get paid during school holidays etc and im wondering if this is taken into account.
Things are getting really desperate now with money i have virtually exhausted our savings and knowing he cant work for a minimum of 6 months and not receiving any money is depressing me.
0
Comments
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I'd advise to claim for Income Related ESA instead, but your wage will rule that out.
There is PIP, another disability benefit that he could apply for:
https://www.gov.uk/pip
Have you been cutting outgoings?
This may be the way forward.
If income has gone down the previous lifestyle can't be maintained.
I'd suggest looking at where every penny is going with a spending diary. You can assess what can be stopped and what can be reduced. Choose the things you want to maintain and find cuts to pay for it.
Shop around for best prices on gas, electric, insurances etc. Change the way you food shop by dropping a brand, more cooking from scratch, consider (if you don't already) shopping at more than one SM to get the best deals & prices. Local market for fruit & veg and discount stores for household items can work out cheaper than the SM.
Introduce more stringent budgeting and accounting generally.
Check out the debtfreewannabee board for ideas, you can also post a Statement of Affairs and get very knowledgeable advice on where you can save money.0 -
As above, Try a PIP application:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/check-you-are-eligible/
http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php
I would suggest getting some help with the form as he will need to fit his condition around the descriptors.
Are you getting CTC's?
If not try putting info into a benefits calculator to check.
https://benefits-calculator.turn2us.org.uk/AboutYou
May be worth continuing the ESA claim as this will maintain his NI credits towards the SP.
Are you / he in a union?
Might there be any grants available to you?
Also look at - https://grants-search.turn2us.org.uk/?_ga=2.178898276.1589760106.1500649174-318055956.1478278793
Here is the NI requirement for CB based benefits_
http://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-basedAlice Holt Forest situated some 4 miles south of Farnham forms the most northerly gateway to the South Downs National Park.0
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