WTC Disability element/Self Employed/Self Isolated.

kimi1977

Thanks for everyone's help on the forum, helping people with important information at the moment is crucial. 

Not sure what to do or what to claim or ask for help

My situation.

What I claim:  Working Tax Credit/disability element

My work: Self employed
Work sector: IT freelancer, work from home, main client and area of work :  horse racing/sports industry (stopped a few days ago, no more income)
Work hours: gone from about 30 hours a week to 3 hours now.
Health: Cough developed over last week, stable no worse, no better.  Self isolating to protect others , finding it easier as I work from home anyway
so used to the environment of the home life.
Do I claim ESA? Or do I apply for Universal Credit, not sure what to do
Finances, have informed bank, card companies payments will soon stop possibly April onwards.  

Thanks if anyone can tell me what I do in my situation.

calcotti

Although your hours have dropped HMRC have indicated that they will still treat you as working (for a time at least) because of the current situation - although I can't find an official announcement on this.

If you have paid Class 2 NI for April 2017 to march 2019 you can claim new style ESA while self isolating or ill but not simply because of a drop in income. ESA would be taken into account as income when calculating Tax Credits but given that your other income has dropped probably will not make a difference.

You can claim UC (unless you are over the savings limit of £16,000) but this will end your Tax Credits claim. However I think workers with Tax Credits disability element often get less on UC than on tax Credits.

There are benefit calculators here https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators. You can use these to assess your likely entitlement. (I doubt these will be completely up to date as I they probably haven't been altered to reflect yesterday's announcement about changes to the standard allowances).

kimi1977

thanks, calculator looks like I can get £73 ESA and £65 WTC.   I didn't realise you could combine ESA/WTC.   so i could get about £138 week

calcotti

kimi1977 said:

thanks, calculator looks like I can get £73 ESA and £65 WTC.   I didn't realise you could combine ESA/WTC.   so i could get about £138 week

As I said earlier you will only get the ESA while treated as ill - not simply because your work has dried up.

kimi1977

calcotti said:

kimi1977 said:

thanks, calculator looks like I can get £73 ESA and £65 WTC.   I didn't realise you could combine ESA/WTC.   so i could get about £138 week

As I said earlier you will only get the ESA while treated as ill - not simply because your work has dried up.

My situation is both, I am ill and have limited self employment now directly because of Covid-19

I notice the ESA form states to make appoinment and see Job centre,  bit difficult I am self isolating, are they changing this to email applications?

calcotti

kimi1977 said: I notice the ESA form states to make appoinment and see Job centre,  bit difficult I am self isolating, are they changing this to email applications? 

I assume they are having to modify procedures but I don't know what is being done.