Dismissed from work due to ill health what benefits can I receive?

calcotti

If you need help with rent you will need to claim Universal Credit (assuming that you do not have savings over £16,000 which prevent you claiming).

If there are no housing costs involved then initially new style ESA or UC would pay the same amount of money. However if your health means that you are found to have Limited Capability for Work and Work Related Activity then UC will pay more money than ESA (I have inferred from your post that you are a single claimant).

You can claim ESA first and then, if found to have LCWRA, claim UC as well if you wish. However if not found to have LCWRA you may in due course need to claim UC anyway because the ESA will end after 365 days as mentioned by poppy12345.

The relevant period of NI contributions for new style ESA is April 2016 to March 2018. You need a complete NI record for these two tax year to qualify.

You can simply claim UC and ignore ESA. The principal advantages of ESA are that you are likely to get a payment sooner, it is paid fortnightly rather than monthly which can be helpful and you can ask for it to be backdated so that payment start7 days after your job ended whereas UC cannot be backdated.

Alice_Holt

calcotti wrote: »

The principal advantages of ESA are that you are likely to get a payment sooner, it is paid fortnightly rather than monthly which can be helpful and you can ask for it to be backdated so that payment start 7 days after your job ended whereas UC cannot be backdated.

OP - Another advantage of New Style ESA is that it is a benefit payable for those not fit for work, (you will need to supply fit notes to the DWP prior to your ESA assessment).
With UC you may be expected to comply with a claimant commitment ( https://www.entitledto.co.uk/help/Claimant-commitment-Universal-Credit ). Although your work coach should take account of your fit notes and not force you to job-search, we have seen cases at my local CAB where job coaches (who have a far bit of discretion in this matter) have expected more of an ill claimant than that claimant feels able to give.

More about claiming New Style ESA:
https://www.disabledviewuk.com/useful-information/esa/new-style-esa/

Michael1967

Thank you everyone for the information it is greatly appreciated. When it comes to new style esa Is ssp that I have received still national insurance payments taken out of it? Also if my contributions are ok would I need to show the job centre my wage slips or can they find that information out from the hmrc etc?

Michael1967

Poppy you say that new style esa if not in the support group is only paid for 365 days is this due to the national insurance contributions I have paid ? Does this also involve going through a WCA assessment to stay entitled to it for the 365 days and keep giving in doctors notes for the 365 days? Thank you for the information

poppy12345

Michael1967 wrote: »

Poppy you say that new style esa if not in the support group is only paid for 365 days is this due to the national insurance contributions I have paid ? Does this also involve going through a WCA assessment to stay entitled to it for the 365 days and keep giving in doctors notes for the 365 days? Thank you for the information

It's time limited for everyone unless placed into the Support Group.



Yes, you'll need a WCA assessment and you'll need evidence to support your claim. If a decision is made before those 365 days and you're found fit for work your money will stop.



If the decision is WRAG (LCW) then you'll remain on the same money but it will stop once you reach 365 days.


If the decision is Support Group (LCWRA) then your money is increased to £110.75 per week, payable from the 14th week of your claim. If the decision takes longer than this then you'll be back dated the extra money.


You'll need fit notes to claim LCW for UC too, if you choose to claim this.

Alice_Holt

This will give you some background to ESA:
https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/employment-and-support-allowance/

DWP get your NI record from HMRC - you will not need to show wage slips.

To check your NI record:
https://www.gov.uk/check-national-insurance-record

You will have a WCA
https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/start-the-esa-test
In theory after 13 weeks.

If placed in the WRAG group, you will be invited to claim UC (the LCW group) after 365 days. This is income based - so is not available if savings are over £16k, and is affected by any other income you may have.

Michael1967

Thank you for the information poppy. Just one more thing I’m sorry for the amount of questions it’s just so I know where I am with everything. Iv heard that sometimes although genuinally ill the WCA assessments can be difficult to pass for whatever reason for some people and I know if that were to be the case I can appeal the decision. But if for whatever reason I was not to pass the WCA assessment would I then be able to claim universal credit without any sanction as leaving work originally I was dismissed under grounds of ill health and not for any other reason?

Alice_Holt

Michael1967 wrote: »

But if for whatever reason I was not to pass the WCA assessment would I then be able to claim universal credit without any sanction as leaving work originally I was dismissed under grounds of ill health and not for any other reason?

I would think it very unlikely that you would be sanctioned in these circumstances - especially following a period on ESA.

You would, however, be expected to job search (see the UC claimant commitment I posted earlier).

Michael1967

Thank you for the information Alice it’s very much appreciated

Alice_Holt

Do look at PIP too.

https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/personal-independence-payment-pip/pip-self-test

https://www.rethink.org/living-with-mental-illness/money-issues-benefits-employment/personal-independence-payment
Look at the PDF under Useful Resources - bottom left.