Old Contributions Based ESA - What is a change of circumstances?

K80_Black

sportsarb wrote: »

You can even move to northern Ireland and keep your ESA(C) claim and we are jurisdictionally different from DWP.

I'm not sure that this is correct. When I moved to Northern Ireland, I had to close my old claim, and start a new one, where I had to provide fit notes and be reassessed. I wasn't aware of the different jurisdictions and thought it would be a simple case of updating my address - far from the truth.

sportsarb

K80_Black wrote: »

I'm not sure that this is correct. When I moved to Northern Ireland, I had to close my old claim, and start a new one, where I had to provide fit notes and be reassessed. I wasn't aware of the different jurisdictions and thought it would be a simple case of updating my address - far from the truth.

When did this happen may I ask?

K80_Black

sportsarb wrote: »

When did this happen may I ask?

About 4 years ago. Things may have changed and it's not really relevant to the OP - just wouldn't want someone to read it and take it as gospel when it might not be the case!

sportsarb

K80_Black wrote: »

About 4 years ago. Things may have changed and it's not really relevant to the OP - just wouldn't want someone to read it and take it as gospel when it might not be the case!

There aren't many things I would speak authoritatively about on this board but this is one area of things that I have good reason to know plenty about.

Procedurally, yes the DWP claim needed to be closed, that was solely so the record could be transferred in to the processing centre in NI and it couldn't be done while the DWP claim is live on the system because that's just the way the payment system operated/s.

However, once that was done, the claim is supposed to be rebuilt back on to the system using all information that was pertinent on the DWP administered claim including WCA details and associated grouping ie. Work Related Activity Group and Support Group.

The only time there was supposed to be any deviation from this was when there was an appeal ongoing.

Its not at all unbelievable that some cases will have fallen through the cracks because it took human intervention to make sure that these cases were dealt with correctly, and humans make mistakes, but all claims from 2012 for ESA(C) and from roughly 2014/2015 for IR were supposed to be dealt with as I outlined above.

It is still the case for ESA(C) but with UC now being in everywhere, if IR needs to be claimed then it would be UC here now too.

K80_Black

I don't doubt your knowledge - and it's nice to know it was human error in my case. It was totally shambolic - the person I spoke to at the DWP just thanked me for my new address and I thought 'job done' - until my money was due and I received nothing. When I called to find out why, they advised me to reapply in NI, which meant almost 3 months with no money.

It was also even more complicated for PIP, as at the time NI was still on DLA, so I've had the joy of being assessed for DLA in England, then reassessed for PIP, then DLA in NI, then PIP in NI.

JKS$(

sportsarb wrote: »

...I have no doubt that you will continue to be told that you need to make a UC claim but insist that your ESA(C) claim is kept open regardless of anything else...

Thanks so much sportsarb - I don't doubt it either :rotfl:

K80 Black - sorry to hear of your experiences. I wouldn't be surprised if it all goes pear shaped for me if/when I move areas.

It it wrong that I now expect everything admin related to ESA to be more difficult than it should be?