esa3 form

calcotti

Incidentally because you are in the ESA Support Group you are someone who would be entitled to more benefit on UC than ESA (even with an income based top up) assuming you are aged 25 or over. Your maximum UC entitlement would be £649.67/month (taking into account £7,000 savings) which is £149.92/week. Obviously to get UC you would have to engage with the UC claim process. If you did claim you would continue to get contribution based ESA of £111.65 paid fortnightly but would then receive a monthly UC top up of £165.85.

Wacko18

Hello, thank you for your help.

I didn't realise the benefits system was so complicated and now I'm even more confused. With regards to the esa3 form and bank statements. It sounds like its not a regular yearly thing, is that right? Also is it safe to send a bunch of bank statements to the DWP?, and do they return them afterwards as paperwork goes missing all the time which would worry me?

Do the dwp then have access to your bank account at any time they like?

Regarding UC, I know nothing about this other than the horror stories about it. How can I have ESA and be eligible for UC? Do you have to come off one and go onto the other and who decides this?

Sorry for all the questions.

TELLIT01

Wacko18. When people transferred from IB to ESA they should all have been sent the form ESA3 to complete, but a great many were not and therefore potentially lost out on income related benefit. It would seem that you are probably amongst the final tranche of people to be dealt with.
The reason for requesting bank statements is to enable them to accurately calculate what you may be owed. Your concern about them getting lost is understandable so you may wish to contact your local Job Centre and ask for an appointment to get them to photocopy them all. I'm assuming that is still an option, although they will probably do all they can to discourage you from that course.

Wacko18

Thanks TELLIT01, I non know that its to check if I'm eligible for any back payment but the whole thing about sending a bunch of bank statements worries me. I've not had good experiences when dealing with the DWP in the past as there has been no records of phone calls made, letters sent out but no record of it on their system and so on, so I'm concerned about the statements going missing within the DWP as its pretty chaotic from what I can tell at times.

I don't think they will return the statements to me afterwards as that would involve too much work for them. My other question though is, when they have your account details, do they then have access to your account at any timetime?. If yes, then why do they need to do further financial checks in the future? I just need to sort it out in my head what the procedure is. Thanks.

calcotti

Wacko18 wrote: »

It sounds like its not a regular yearly thing, is that right? Also is it safe to send a bunch of bank statements to the DWP?, and do they return them afterwards as paperwork goes missing all the time which would worry me?.

No this is not an annual thing. As TELLIT01 has explained it is a one off exercise because the DWP made a mess of transferring people from IB to ESA and now have to review all of the transfers. This process is almost complete - you must be amongst the last to be reviewed.

I would not send originals to the DWP. Get copies made. As TELLIT01 says local JobCentre may be willing to assist.

Wacko18 wrote: »

Do the dwp then have access to your bank account at any time they like?

No.

Wacko18 wrote: »

Regarding UC, I know nothing about this other than the horror stories about it. How can I have ESA and be eligible for UC? Do you have to come off one and go onto the other and who decides this?

I am not encouraging you to claim UC just making you aware. The ESA you are on has two elements a contribution based part and an income based part. When you were transferred from IB you were automatically entitled to the contribution based part. You should also have been assessed for the income based part which is what the ESA3 is about. For new claims to ESA only the contribution part remains and the income based part has been replaced by UC. You can therefore continue to get contribution based ESA and have it topped up by UC (rather than income based ESA). In your case (because you are in the Support Group but not entitled to the SDP) the UC award would be more generous than the ESA award. As I said in my earlier post you would therefore continue to receive fortnightly ESA payments with a monthly UC payment.

Even if you want to investigate this do not rush it. You can read about UC here https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/universal-credit/

You can check your entitlement with an online calculation such as https://www.entitledto.co.uk/benefits-calculator/Intro/Home?cid=6b842691-1c74-48e1-970b-bb68edef29a4

Two additional points:
1) The ESA review will take several months for the DWP to complete.
2) Even if you are awarded some income based ESA (which I would expect you to be) this is currently due to be phased out by the end of 2023 in which case you will be told by DWP that need o claim UC in the future in order to get an income based top up. Should there be a change in government these future changes may be revised.

calcotti

Wacko18 wrote: »

Why do they need to do further financial checks in the future?

If you have capital and receive a means tested benefit DWP may carry out occasional checks to find out whether your capital has changed although the onus is on you to keep them informed.

Wacko18

Hi calcotti,

Thanks for breaking it down for me.

I understand that the esa3 form was only to check for any backdated owed payments from when I was transferred from IB to CB ESA.

I just thought that anyone on means tested benefits gets a regular 1-2 years benefits check up as normal and that they use your bank details to do so if they have them but you say they dont have access to your bank account, right?. Also what do they do with your bank statements afterwards then after they have checked your balances?

Ive never been on means tested ones before even when I was on incapacity benefit, so I don't understand how it all works.

I wont send original bank statements though and il get my family to phone the job centre as i have difficulty in talking on the phone due to getting confused/muddled and forgetful.

thanks for also breaking down the esa and I understand it a bit better now. In that its either cb ESA + ir ESA top up, or cb ESA + uc top up. Am I classed as a new claim or an old claim as it's been 2 yrs since changing over though? Also do I get to choose whether to get accessed for ir esa top up or uc?

Sorry if it sounds like I'm repeating myself.

Wacko18

Hi, forgot to ask how long does it take to get backdated bank statements froms banks?, and if the form is not received in time for the return date, will the DWP just close the form?

With it coming up to xmas I'm worried it will not get there beforehand.

calcotti

Wacko18 wrote: »

Also what do they do with your bank statements afterwards then after they have checked your balances?.

No idea.

Wacko18 wrote: »

Am I classed as a new claim or an old claim as it's been 2 yrs since changing over though?

If you return the ESA3 you will be assessed for income based ESA - that’s what it’s for. DWP will then include any income based ESA you are entitled to in your future payments and pay you arrears for any you have missed out on since the transfer.

If you choose to you can claim UC at any time. Obviously this will be a new claim. Claiming UC would end your entitlement to any income based ESA from that date but would not end your existing ESA claim. It would continue as a contribution based claim only which is why you would continue to get fortnightly ESA payments as described in my earlier posts. UC is paid monthly and the amount you would receive would take account of what ESA is paying you.

calcotti

Wacko18 wrote: »

Hi, forgot to ask how long does it take to get backdated bank statements froms banks?, and if the form is not received in time for the return date, will the DWP just close the form?.

Don’t know the answers to these questions. If necessary you could return the form with a note that you will supply the bank statements as soon as you have got them. Just make sure you keep a note of the return address. Regardless of when you send them write your name and NI number on each page.