Tying up loose ends regarding stopping work and recovering from illness ..

Alice_Holt

If your doctor is willing to sign you off as not fit for work, and your NI record for the last 2 tax years is sufficient then you will be able to claim New Style or Contribution-based ESA.

You are paid ESA at the assessment rate of £73pw for 13 weeks before you have the work capability assessment, however in reality it is usually much longer. Whilst you are receiving ESA you also get NI contributions towards the State Pension.

In this period of 13 plus weeks you may be able to find work.

If you delay claiming until January the relavant Tax Years advance one year from 2014/15 and 2015/16, to 2015/16 and 2016/17. For ESA it is not your total NI contributions that count, it is the only NI contributions in the relevant years I have quoted,

"You qualify for contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) if you have paid sufficient National Insurance contributions. There are two contribution conditions you must meet:

First contribution condition - in one of the last two complete tax years, you must have paid Class 1 or 2 contributions on relevant earnings at the lower earnings limit for at least 26 weeks. This means you must have worked for at least 26 weeks of the last two complete tax years; and

Second contribution condition - in both of the last two complete tax years, you must have paid or been credited with, Class 1 or 2 contributions to the value of 50 times the lower earnings limit.
The 2 tax years that are relevant are the ones that were completed before the benefit year in which your period of limited capability for work began.

The tax year runs 6 April - 5th April
The benefit year runs from the first Sunday in January.
The lower earnings limit for the 2014/2015 tax year was £111 per week, for 2015/2016 it was £112 per week."
https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/employment-and-support-allowance-contribution-based

Do you understand why both pmlindyloo and tellit have suggested you apply for CB ESA this month.

NI contributions towards the SP is different to NI contributions for ESA entitlement. To be clear:
If you apply for CB - ESA this month, then the tax years that count are 2014/15 and 2015/16;
If you apply for CB - ESA in January, then the tax years that count are 2015/16 and 2016/17;

pmlindyloo

I think the first thing to do is have a chat with your doctor and see what he/she feels about your returning to work. You need to do this asap because of the cut off time for your new style ESA (based on your NI contributions)

If he is willing to write a fit note to cover you then you can apply for ESA. You can also do something called Permitted work whilst claiming ESA. You must work under 16 hrs and not earn more than £120 per week. Google for more information or come back and ask.

This would give you the opportunity to ease your self back into work.

If your doctor says you are fit for work then you can claim new style JSA (again based on your NI contributions). You would have a claimant commitment and be expected to look for full time work unless your job coach was flexible about your looking for part time work until you are fully recovered.

So, book an appointment with doctor asap and go from there. ESA would be, IMHO, your best option from reading your previous thread about reducing your present medication (but then, I am not a doctor!)

another_casualty

Thanks again for your kind help and advice .
Looking at everything and weighing everything up , I think it’s best to do nothing . When I say nothing , I mean look for work in the spring .
I will feel more confident by then . I have been seeing a personal trainer for a couple of weeks , which I will keep on doing for some time . It may seem crazy but as I am not paying rent or a mortgage it seems best to carry on , but focus on getting ready for Easter time .

There seem to be so many hurdles to go through for a pittance , I feel like a knackered race horse before I start .
I will polish up my cv and covering letter, hit the agencies in Poole / Bournemouth and Southampton and see what gives . I don’t want a kings ransom and only really need a part time position .
I may seem stupid , but compared to the way I was with stroke like symptoms I could be a lot worse off or even dead
Daunting times ahead .