ESA question

tazwhoever

I am on ESA SG for over two years. At the moment there is job which I might get (within my capacities and ill health). If I manage to get this, I will need to leave ESA as it’s just over 16 hours. Feel very scary jumping from benefit to work.

How do people feel going to work after ESA?

Your views please?

Thanks

datec66

You have a 12 week linking period to get esa back as it was with the sg if it doesn.t work out with the job.

TELLIT01

If the job is 16 hours per week or more your entitlement to ESA will end. If the job is minimum wage you may be able to undertake it as Permitted Work if the employer is willing to reduce it to 15 hours per week, but you MUST get Permitted Work agreed to by ESA BEFORE you start it.

epitome

TELLIT01 wrote: »

but you MUST get Permitted Work agreed to by ESA BEFORE you start it.

I disagree, if the work is less than 16 hours a week, and the pay is -after tax, etc,- no more than £120 per week

You can start the work, and immediately infrom the DWP that you have started and they will send a PW1.

1. You could ask for your claim to be suspended if you are in any doubt.
2. The DWP could suspend your claim whether you agree or not...if they have any doubt.
3. Both you and the DWP could both be happy to allow your claim to continue payment whilst you send back your PW1 and payslips, they will likely put a time limit on for the return of docs, if not returned then the claim would be suspended.

The decision to allow permitted work can be made retrospectively.



I think you should start the work -as long as it is not going to impact on other parts of your life like Housing - you have 12 weeks to see if you like it, if you don't, you can go back to ESA SG. If you start the work, you should inform ESA immediately. If 16 hours or more then ask for your claim to close from the 1st day of work.

tazwhoever

epitome and TELLIT01 - thank you.

The job is more than 16 hours a week and is part time. It will pay around £160 a week. I don't think I will be financially better off as such. I will still need to claim HB.

I just wanted views how it's like going from benefit to work?

If it doesn't work out with my ill health, I guess I would need to make a rapid reclaim on ESA. How does that work?

epitome

To claim ESA again.

First you would need to end your employment.

Then make a new claim...you just make a new claim as anyone else would...but in processing the claim the DWP would realise you are within 12 weeks of ESA SG finishing.

We did forget something in the advice above...

You can only claim ESA Income Related again within 12 weeks if you are not in a Universal Credit Full Service area.

If you are in a UC Full Service area -and you needed an income related benefit- you would have to claim for Universal Credit ...now I don't know what the linking rules are for a UC claim, if this is classed as natural migration to UC then you would regain your Support Group rate on UC.

For ESA Conts (assuming you have entitlement to ESA Conts)
You either reclaim ESA Conts out side UC FS areas
or if inside UC FS areas you claim ESA Conts New Style.

TELLIT01

epitome wrote: »

I disagree, if the work is less than 16 hours a week, and the pay is -after tax, etc,- no more than £120 per week

You can start the work, and immediately infrom the DWP that you have started and they will send a PW1.

The way the rules are applied has clearly changed, or at least they are now different to the way they were applied in the office I was in. epitome is more up with current practice so go with that advice.

Hoogle

All though Ill health these days is often used for numerous things I am going to assume yours is genuinely a life altering illness, If so have you not thought about claiming PIP does take about 12-16 weeks to process but depending if you are awarded it or not or what rate it will be awarded at then you can work full time if you want and still receive PIP.

Daily living care Standard £55.65 per week
Enhanced £83.10 per week

Mobility care Standard £22 per week
Enhanced £58 per week

Depending on your assessment results you may get awarded either daily living and mobility or just daily living. But then there is a good chance that you will not be entitled to PIP it is all down to why you are on ESA in the 1st place. But it does not matter if you earn £1 million a week once awarded you can still receive it until next assessment. It is none means tested.

BorisThomson

But then there is a good chance that you will not be entitled to PIP it is all down to why you are on ESA in the 1st place.

PIP and ESA are entirely separate, an individual could be on ESA for one reason and receive PIP for a different condition.

TELLIT01

BorisThomson wrote: »

PIP and ESA are entirely separate, an individual could be on ESA for one reason and receive PIP for a different condition.

I think the point which was trying to be made was that qualifying for PIP is no guarantee that the person qualifies for ESA, and vice versa. Equally, failing to qualify for one doesn't mean they wouldn't qualify for the other.

tazwhoever

epitome wrote: »

To claim ESA again.

First you would need to end your employment.

Then make a new claim...you just make a new claim as anyone else would...but in processing the claim the DWP would realise you are within 12 weeks of ESA SG finishing.

We did forget something in the advice above...

You can only claim ESA Income Related again within 12 weeks if you are not in a Universal Credit Full Service area.

If you are in a UC Full Service area -and you needed an income related benefit- you would have to claim for Universal Credit ...now I don't know what the linking rules are for a UC claim, if this is classed as natural migration to UC then you would regain your Support Group rate on UC.

For ESA Conts (assuming you have entitlement to ESA Conts)
You either reclaim ESA Conts out side UC FS areas
or if inside UC FS areas you claim ESA Conts New Style.

Do I need fit notes again from GP?

Currently I receive ESA SG (CB) £109.65.