ESA stopped

Sayj

I needed advice for the following letter it doesnt make sense when I've been on income related esa support group on going for past 10 years and had my reassessment last year not due for a year yet 

Sayj

Attached 

poppy12345

Sayj said:

had my reassessment last year not due for a year yet 

Was a decision made on that reassessment last year? My thoughts are that you've been placed into the WRAG and because Contributions based ESA is only paid for 1 year when in this group, your year has now ended so no further payments will be made but they will continue to pay your NI credits towards your state pension.

Sayj

poppy12345 said:

Sayj said:

had my reassessment last year not due for a year yet 

Was a decision made on that reassessment last year? My thoughts are that you've been placed into the WRAG and because Contributions based ESA is only paid for 1 year when in this group, your year has now ended so no further payments will be made but they will continue to pay your NI credits towards your state pension.

I was kept in the support group ongoing and have always received income related the decision was made last year april and I'm not due to be reassessed until late end of the year as what I was told. Not received anything other than this letter and payment stopping 😭

poppy12345

The letter says 12th March 2020 and it's now almost middle of April, have you been receiving payments? Very often letters from DWP make no sense at all but you will need to ring them on Tuesday when they open back after the bank holiday weekend.

Sayj

Not been able to check as I bank with the post office and due to covid19 I've been self isolated but I guess your right will need to call them with the letter I have only just got it today strangely dont kno where it been lost but thank you

Spoonie_Turtle

I have no idea what it means, but very interesting that it references the tax years ending 5 April 2007 and 5 April 2008 - how that relates to March 2020 I have no clue.

Robbie64

Spoonie_Turtle said:

I have no idea what it means, but very interesting that it references the tax years ending 5 April 2007 and 5 April 2008 - how that relates to March 2020 I have no clue.

It will be the tax years that were used when the original poster first claimed ESA. As an ongoing claim the tax years that were first used to determine the initial claim will continue to be used to determine ongoing eligibility. In this instance it would suggest that the OP first got ESA at some point in 2009.

Also as usual that letter is appalling. Whoever designs the computer system that produces these letters wants replacing. I once got a 26 page letter from ESA that was so badly worded I couldn't make head or tail of it and I'm someone who worked for the DWP through its different incarnations for almost two decades as an Adjudication Officer / Decision Maker. If I couldn't understand it what chance would an ordinary person have?

That letter seems to be saying several different things at the same time, some of which is contradictory, and I can't understand what it is trying to say. If one of my staff had sent that I would have had them up for extra training. Although these days those letters are seemingly auto-generated.

calcotti

ESA letters are the worst.  Understanding contribution based and income base awards is nigh on impossible. When they enclose a calculation the calculation usually relates to a different period of time to the letter (but it remains the claimants responsibility to check their entitlement). Given how many years ESA has existing it is astounding that they have never been simplified.

Alice_Holt

calcotti said:

ESA letters are the worst.  Understanding contribution based and income base awards is nigh on impossible...Given how many years ESA has existing it is astounding that they have never been simplified.

     Quite.
    Part of the reason for DWP pre-COVD19 long telephone waits was these nonsensical (usually computer generated) letters. 
   Now with the hugely increased volume of DWP calls, the OP may have several hours on telephone hold. So, I would suggest the OP also posts a Mandatory Reconsideration request.

  One can only hope that as DWP managerial / back office staff have been redeployed to the claimant facing roles - "..many of the civil servants working in functional areas such as finance, change programmes, capability – some 10,000 in total..." - that post-COVID19 some sensible changes are made so that claimants can get clear accurate information both from letters /  call-handlers. Getting it right first time (or at least trying to) would save the DWP a lot of unnecessarily expense and work.        

kingfisherblue

The letter states that you will not be receiving income related ESA any more. Lower down, it refers to your partner possibly having to attend a Work Focused Interview. Does your partner work?