ESA or Universal Credit?

poppy12345

Scotchmum7485 wrote: »

Thanks very much for your reply.
I'm absolutely clueless on all of this and there letters hardly give any details, hence why I had to join a forum to try and find out.
Should I phone them tomorrow to find out if I've been automatically moved over to esa again !? X

Yes ring them tomorrow morning and ask. You can also ask when you're going to recieve your backdated money at the same time. There maybe a slight delay if the money is over a certain amount but you should recieve it soon. How much you get would depend on your circumstances. For EG do you claim Income related (my guess is yes) also also do you claim PIP or DLA if so do you live alone? (At the bottom of the letter from ESA it should tell you what your weekly amount is)

epitome

Scotchmum7485 wrote: »

Hi all
Sorry for jumping in on your post, new here and no idea how to make a new post ����
I first claimed esa in April 2016 due to having a mental break down after a breakdown in relationship.
I didn't get my esa medical assessment till 30th of May 2017
I failed that assessment. I went to money matters got help with my mandatory reconsideration and today received my letter saying they reviewed my case and put me in support group.

I'm currently getting jsa while my mandatory reconsideration was being done do I need to sign off jsa or will I be moved back to esa automatically!?
And will I get back dated payments !?

It will not be done automatically. You have chosen to claim a different benefit, JSA, and only you can choose to close JSA. The DWP cannot make that decision on your behalf.

You should ideally wait until your next signing on date, sign-on and ask them to close your JSA when you are in the jobcentre. This way you will get your next payment of JSA on time and you will have 2 weeks to get your ESA sorted out.

You don't have to wait till your next signing, you could go to the Jobcentre and ask them to close JSA, or phone JSA and ask them close, it just means you could end up waiting for a payment of ESA beyond the date that you would have been paid JSA.

ESA Support Group for a single person Income Related is approx £125 per week. This will be backdated to to the 14th week of your ESA claim after waiting days had been served, if you served waiting days on ESA effectively it means your ESA Arrears will be to the 15th week of your claim. If no waiting days served, then to the 14th week.
You will not need sicknotes anymore
You will only get the difference between £125 and what you got from JSA and what you got from ESA.

After asking JSA to be closed,
wait 1 working day,
Phone **JSA** to confirm that JSA has been closed
Keep phoning JSA until JSA tells you that your JSA has been closed.

Once JSA is closed, then phone ESA and ask them to send a HOTT to ESA to request your ESA Reopened for Support Group.

Phone ESA again about 1 week later to confirm what action has been taken, if nothing, then phone ESA to send a HOTT asking for a call back to confirm that your claim is being re-opened ASAP.

When your ESA is open again you can ask ESA when your next assessment will begin.

*Note: Had you claimed UC instead of JSA , you would not be allowed back onto ESA you would stay on UC in the Support Group.

Scotchmum7485

Poppy12345
I do live alone with my two kids I don't know what Pip is
I've only had the letter saying my mandatory reconsideration was done and been reassessed to support group x

Scotchmum7485

Epitome
I'm due to receive my jsa money tomorrow. So I should phone tomorrow and tell them to close it and reopen my esa!?
Universal credit isn't in my area till October so could only get jsa or live on nothing.
Thanks for your reply x

NeilCr

Epitome

I'm always highly impressed by your posts. So much detail and knowledge

I would like to ask you, though, about the restoral of esa once an appeal is lodged

It was my understanding that this did happen automatically (or it should ,anyway!). In my experience that does usually happen and CPAG and CAB would seem to agree. It can only happen once the DWP had been notified by HMCTS of the appeal

http://www.cpag.org.uk/content/benefit-during-employment-and-support-allowance-dispute

https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/while-youre-getting-esa/esa-money-and-benefits-during-reconsideration/

Have you got a link to indicate differently please as this is something I see regularly. I would say I always advise clients to contact the DWP, in case the paperwork goes astray!

poppy12345

Scotchmum7485 wrote: »

Poppy12345
I do live alone with my two kids I don't know what Pip is
I've only had the letter saying my mandatory reconsideration was done and been reassessed to support group x

PIP is a disability benefit for those that have difficulty in daily life. Take a look at this link it explains all you need to know including the descriptors and points That you could score. http://www.focusondisability.org.uk/personal-independence-payment-PIP-assessment-points.html
Also take a look at this PIP self assessment test,http://www.mybenefitsandwork.co.uk/pip/indexxx.php if you complete it, it will give you some idea whether it's possible to claim it. It's not a guarantee you'll get it of course and it's a long process too.

Scotchmum7485

Thank you so much Poppy12345 I seriously am clueless on all thing associated with the dwp x

Alice_Holt

Scotchmum7485 wrote: »

Poppy12345
I do live alone with my two kids I don't know what Pip is

Here is some info on PIP:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/before-claiming/check-you-are-eligible/
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-points-system
https://www.rethink.org/living-with-mental-illness/money-issues-benefits-employment/personal-independence-payment

If you are successful a Daily Living award is c.£55pw and you may get a disability premium added to your ESA award of £62pw.

It would be worth a visit to your local CAB to discuss eligibility and for a benefits check.
Like ESA it is points-based around specific descriptors.

I see poppy has also replied to you with more info.

Scotchmum7485

Thank you Alice
The information on this forum is more valuable than what I've received in over a year from Dwp
Thank you so much x

Alice_Holt

By the way - to post a new topic:
Use the red "New Thread" button on the top left hand side of the Benefits & Tax Credits sub board page.