ESA Stopped at 65

tractorgirl1 · 12 July 2019 at 7:32PM

Hello,

I'm writing on behalf of my mum, who has just had a nasty shock.

She was on ESA, also gets DLA (Care component = Middle rate. Mobility component = Lowest rate.)

She was to be paid her ESA on Monday (8th July), but didn't get a payment, and she has only just got a letter today to explain that...

"We cannot pay you an allowance from 6 July 2019. This is because: You have reached state pension age and you should claim Retirement Pension. If you do not have enough money to live you may be able to get Income Support or Pension Credit. Your local Security Office or pension Centre can tell you more about this."

She didn't get her ESA of £223.30 (paid every two weeks), but she got a payment of £159.50 with reference "DWP JSA" (it was a Faster Payments Incoming, not Bank Giro)

The letter also says "A payment of £159.50 has already been issued to you for the period from 26 June to 5 July 2019"

She is 65 (born Feb 54), and has had schizophrenia all of her life. I have now applied for her pension on her behalf online. She also gets DLA.

How long does a state pension application take to process?
Her ESA ended on the 6th of July, any idea why she got this random £159.5 JSA payment instead on the 8th instead? (I'm guessing she won't get another one in two weeks?)

Apologies for the rambling, I'm just extremely concerned my mum is just going to get just her DLA and nothing else in the intermediary period whilst her pension application is processed.

elsien · 12 July 2019 at 7:43PM

tractorgirl1 wrote: »

Hello,

I'm writing on behalf of my mum, who has just had a nasty shock.

She was on ESA (Care component = Middle rate. Mobility component = Lowest rate.)

She was to be paid this on Monday (8th July), but didn't get a payment, and she has only just got a letter today to explain that...

"We cannot pay you an allowance from 6 July 2019. This is because: You have reached state pension age and you should claim Retirement Pension. If you do not have enough money to live you may be able to get Income Support or Pension Credit. Your local Security Office or pension Centre can tell you more about this."

She didn't get her ESA of £223.30 (paid every two weeks), but she got a payment of £159.50 with reference "DWP JSA" (it was a Faster Payments Incoming, not Bank Giro)

The letter also says "A payment of £159.50 has already been issued to you for the period from 26 June to 5 July 2019"

She is 65 (born Feb 54), and has had schizophrenia all of her life. I have now applied for her pension on her behalf online. She also gets DLA.

How long does a state pension application take to process?

Her ESA ended on the 6th of July, any idea why she got this random £159.5 JSA payment instead on the 8th instead? (I'm guessing she won't get another one in two weeks?)

Apologies for the rambling, I'm just extremely concerned my mum is just going to get just her DLA and nothing else in the intermediary period.

I'm confused - ESA doesn't have Care and mobility components, do they? Are you getting that and DLA confused in your post?

Think ESA might be paid in arrears, hence the payment after the end date, but she could phone and check if she's concerned about an overpayment.

[Deleted User] · 12 July 2019 at 7:47PM

You can't get ESA and OAP they are overlapping benefits, OAP should be paid automatically without the need to claim it. DLA will continue until she is transferred to PIP.

Alter_ego · 12 July 2019 at 7:50PM

venison wrote:

OAP should be paid automatically without the need to claim it.

I had to claim mine. So long as OAP means SP

tractorgirl1 · 12 July 2019 at 7:52PM

Apologies! She was on ESA, but also gets DLA (Care component = Middle rate. Mobility component = Low rate.)

I have no idea how her ESA was calculated.

sportsarb · 12 July 2019 at 7:56PM

Not sure about how long it takes to process SP but it shouldn't really be too long given there's not that much information to gather.

The payment is from the day after she was last paid to, to the day before SPA is reached, so it's not a full fortnightly payment. She will not receive any further payments from ESA because she no longer has a condition of entitlement.

The reason it mentions JSA is because ESA is paid via the JSA system. They'll have made a manual payment because the automated system won't have issued the payment in time.

First thing on Monday, get the SP claim made.

tractorgirl1 · 12 July 2019 at 8:02PM

Thank you! I've already done the application online (she received a unique invitation code). She was due to get her DLA this Monday (15th), I'm assuming she will still get this.

She was then supposed to get her ESA on the 23rd, which I'm guessing will now be her pension. I have no idea how the benefits system works but I would be doubtful they would process her application in a week?