Can ESA be paid weekly to a vulnerable claimant

Robbie64

As per the thread title.


If a claimant is classed as vulnerable (alcohol issues and mental health problems) and is getting into debt from misspending two weeks worth of ESA in three days on alcohol can the DWP pay ESA each week?


An answer to a question asked at whatdotheyknow.com suggests it is possible. The question asked is from November 2017 but the document referred to in the answer is from early 2009 at a time when benefit payments such as Income Support and ESA were being moved to fortnightly.


See



https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/weekly_payment_of_esa_pip_and_un



https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/445659/response/1082154/attach/html/4/ESA%20weekly.pdf.html


Is this guidance still current? If still current how would someone go about getting ESA paid weekly? Phone the contact centre or put the request in writing? The guidance I linked to above was introduced at a time when there were still caller facilities at a number of benefit offices. These days it's half an hour or more on hold listening to Vivaldi...