Ending SSP, what can be claimed next?

Boohoo

Hello.
I am after some advice for my brother in law.
He had a cycling accident in May last year on his way to work and was in hospital for 2 weeks.
He had a bleed on the brain and no broken bones but it left with not much mobility on 1 side of his body, similar to a stroke the doctors said.
When he was released he had to go and stay with his 80 year old dad as my BIL lived in a flat and the rehab team said they will not release him as it was not suitable and he would have to stay in hospital or a rehab home otherwise.
During this time he was paid full pay for 8 weeks from his firm and then they said he would get SSP for 28 weeks and then he would have to claim ESA.
He has had to let his flat go as he could not afford the rent on £95 a week. He had saved £24,000 as he was going to buy home but that has gone down to less than £9,000 as paying for the flat and paying his dad rent and other bills he has to pay.

He called his firm last week and asked about when his last SSP will be and was told mid-March but he worked it out that the last week of July was on full pay and the next 26/28 weeks will be SSP and made it 12/02/2021 as when that runs out.

He did get paid his annual leave of 23 days in September and then at the end of December and he think what they did was add the 23 days and the 26/28 weeks together and that maybe why his firm comes to mid -March date.

Long winded post i know.
He doesn't have internet at his dads place so i said i would look into it for him and when i looked it mentioned that you have to be within 4 weeks of ending SSP to claim and i don't want to mess it up for him and he is waiting for a confirmed date from his firms HR but that person is working from home and only goes into work 1 day a week.

He is 52 and has worked at this firm for over 15 years. He has trouble walking without a stick and is a lot better than he was but the rehab team said he may never get back to the way he was but keep up the physio and exercises and he may get there.

Any help and/or advice will be much appreciated and i can go to his house and fill out the online form as i have mobile data plan but he just has PAYG mobile.

poppy12345

New style ESA can be claimed now with the SSP1 form. A fit note will also be needed from his GP but he won't be paid any money until his SSP has ended. It pays £74.35 per week for 52 weeks unless placed into the Support Group and it continues for as long as he remains in that group. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

Universal Credit can also be claimed along side his SSP but he'll see a reduction of £4.35 per month for every £250 (or part there of) over £6,000 due to his savings. His SSP will reduce his UC entitlement by 63%. He will also need a fit note for this to start the work capability assessment process off.

He will not be able to claim for any help with the rent if he lives with his father.

If both of the above are claimed together the New style ESA will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Although it's still worth claiming them both together because New style ESA isn't means tested so savings/capital will not affect the amount he's entitled to.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

PIP (personal independence payment) may also be possible providing his conditions are expected to last at least 9 months. More information in link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

His father should also have a full benefits check by contacting a local advice agency near him.

TELLIT01

I find poppy12345's post somewhat confusing.  the SSP1 form is provided by the employer and will indicate when SSP payment ends, it's nothing to do with the GP.  The GP will have to provide the fit note (formerly described as sick note or medical certificate)

poppy12345

TELLIT01 said:

I find poppy12345's post somewhat confusing.  the SSP1 form is provided by the employer and will indicate when SSP payment ends, it's nothing to do with the GP.  The GP will have to provide the fit note (formerly described as sick note or medical certificate)

I couldn't see anything wrong with it personally but i have changed it.

Boohoo

poppy12345 said:

New style ESA can be claimed now with the SSP1 form. A fit note will also be needed from his GP but he won't be paid any money until his SSP has ended. It pays £74.35 per week for 52 weeks unless placed into the Support Group and it continues for as long as he remains in that group. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

Universal Credit can also be claimed along side his SSP but he'll see a reduction of £4.35 per month for every £250 (or part there of) over £6,000 due to his savings. His SSP will reduce his UC entitlement by 63%. He will also need a fit note for this to start the work capability assessment process off.

He will not be able to claim for any help with the rent if he lives with his father.

If both of the above are claimed together the New style ESA will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Although it's still worth claiming them both together because New style ESA isn't means tested so savings/capital will not affect the amount he's entitled to.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

PIP (personal independence payment) may also be possible providing his conditions are expected to last at least 9 months. More information in link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

His father should also have a full benefits check by contacting a local advice agency near him.

poppy12345 said:

New style ESA can be claimed now with the SSP1 form. A fit note will also be needed from his GP but he won't be paid any money until his SSP has ended. It pays £74.35 per week for 52 weeks unless placed into the Support Group and it continues for as long as he remains in that group. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

Universal Credit can also be claimed along side his SSP but he'll see a reduction of £4.35 per month for every £250 (or part there of) over £6,000 due to his savings. His SSP will reduce his UC entitlement by 63%. He will also need a fit note for this to start the work capability assessment process off.

He will not be able to claim for any help with the rent if he lives with his father.

If both of the above are claimed together the New style ESA will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Although it's still worth claiming them both together because New style ESA isn't means tested so savings/capital will not affect the amount he's entitled to.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

PIP (personal independence payment) may also be possible providing his conditions are expected to last at least 9 months. More information in link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

His father should also have a full benefits check by contacting a local advice agency near him.

Thank you for your reply.
He has an appointment to see his GP on 22/02/21 for his fit to work note(or not) but since his accident he has not seen a GP in person due to COVID but this time the GP said he would try and do a video call. 

He knows that he wont get any money for living with his dad but is paying him something.

His dad is one of the generation that saved for his retirement and has pensions that are over £18,000 a year and other savings for a rainy day so i dont think he would get anything. He lost his single person Council Tax discount because BIL moved in.

Boohoo

Not sure what happened to the above post as it quoted poppy twice.

Boohoo

poppy12345 said:

New style ESA can be claimed now with the SSP1 form. A fit note will also be needed from his GP but he won't be paid any money until his SSP has ended. It pays £74.35 per week for 52 weeks unless placed into the Support Group and it continues for as long as he remains in that group. https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

Universal Credit can also be claimed along side his SSP but he'll see a reduction of £4.35 per month for every £250 (or part there of) over £6,000 due to his savings. His SSP will reduce his UC entitlement by 63%. He will also need a fit note for this to start the work capability assessment process off.

He will not be able to claim for any help with the rent if he lives with his father.

If both of the above are claimed together the New style ESA will be deducted in full from any UC entitlement. Although it's still worth claiming them both together because New style ESA isn't means tested so savings/capital will not affect the amount he's entitled to.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-universal-credit

PIP (personal independence payment) may also be possible providing his conditions are expected to last at least 9 months. More information in link. https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/benefits/sick-or-disabled-people-and-carers/pip/

His father should also have a full benefits check by contacting a local advice agency near him.

Hello.
Sorry for not adding anything to my thread for a while.

My BIL called me today and he has just got his payslip and the SSP1 form from his employer.
As i thought his firm has said he started his SSP 25 days after he stopped getting full sick pay from his firm.
He was told that his last SSP will be middle of March but they have him down as 25/02/2021 being the date his SSP will stop.

Can he make a claim for the new ESA or UC as i went on Entitledto and Turn2us and got different results on what to claim.

The other thing is if the new ESA is means tested and they deduct so much from his benefit for being over that amount is there a way he can move that money from his bank/savings accounts to reduce his liability?

He has told me that he has £15,000 now as he re-checked his accounts and due the brain bleed he does forget things.

I suggested that he transfers £8,000 to his dad's account and say that is his rent, board, lodgings and bills contribution for a year.
I do know that he pays his dad £120 pw but that is food and for other bills for the house. 
His dad lost his council tax discount when he moved in. I have seen his energy bills from when BIL moved in and ones before he moved in and they are very high as the heating is on 12 hours a day as BIL fells the cold more now. The use the washing machine 5 or 6 times a week mostly due to BIL mishaps and before his dad would do 1 load a week. Also his dad is on a water meter and that has nearly quadrupled due to more toilet, washing and bath/showers usage.

I know all the above bit might seem OTT but that is the reality now.

Thanks again for the help and replies i have had so far.
 

calcotti

As previously advised by poppy, now he has the SSP1 he can now make the claim for new style ESA but entitlement to be paid will only start from the day after the SSP ends. He needs to supply a Fit Note also for the ESA claim.

New style ESA is not means tested (with the exception of pension income and certain insurance payments which can affect the amount payable).

As also previously advised by poppy, he could have claimed UC while still getting SSP if eligible and could have been paid UC while getting the SSP. UC cannot be claimed if capital is over £16,000. Moving capital to accounts of other family members will be seen as deprivation of capital and he would be treated as if he still had the money.

Did he look into PIP?

poppy12345

If he claims Universal Credit as well as New style ESA then this is means tested and moving money into someone else's bank account will be classed as deprivation of capital and he's still be classed as having that money. Although with £15,000 of savings then it's unlikely he will be entitled to any UC at the moment.

Spoonie_Turtle

Boohoo said:

I do know that he pays his dad £120 pw but that is food and for other bills for the house. 
His dad lost his council tax discount when he moved in. I have seen his energy bills from when BIL moved in and ones before he moved in and they are very high as the heating is on 12 hours a day as BIL fells the cold more now. The use the washing machine 5 or 6 times a week mostly due to BIL mishaps and before his dad would do 1 load a week. Also his dad is on a water meter and that has nearly quadrupled due to more toilet, washing and bath/showers usage.

Then the sensible thing to do would be to increase his weekly payments to reflect that.  But transferring a lump sum will be classed as deprivation of capital, as already advised.  This is also the kind of thing PIP is for, the increased costs from having a disability

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

If he claims Universal Credit as well as New style ESA then this is means tested and moving money into someone else's bank account will be classed as deprivation of capital and he's still be classed as having that money. Although with £15,000 of savings then it's unlikely he will be entitled to any UC at the moment.

There wouldn't be any during the assessment phase but, even with £15,000 of savings, there would be UC entitlement of about £100/month (in addition to the ESA) if claimant is found to have LCWRA and the UC uplift is retained.

OP, given the circumstances BIL should claim new style ESA now and then claim UC just over three months after the start of the ESA claim. This means that if he is put into the ESA Support Group he would get a UC payment from the start of the UC claim.