CB - esa

Kiki7976

Hi everyone.

Can anyone advise? I'm going round in circles trying to understand this.

I am in a Support Group and was always on CB ESA and still am. I recieced an updated letter and it in cluded the line You Are Not Getting Anymore Income Related ESA. I'm curious about this because I never have in 9 years anyway. In fact, I have a private pension which I have always declared and it has lowered my amount by a couple of pounds but that's OK. I've never had any IR top ups of anything either. My current amount I am getting is £110.19. 

My husband works but we have never claimed Carers allowence etc. 

Until I fell ill I worked all my life and always been honest about everything. Should I be concerned about this?

poppy12345

The income related part would be the disability premiums because they are means tested. As you have a pension and live with your husband that works, it means you're not entitled to any Income related top up. Your ESA claim is not means tested.

Alice_Holt

ESA letters are notoriously badly written, and very unclear. Usually generic, and can be misleading in individual circumstances. 
I don't think you need to be concerned.

Are you in receipt of PIP or DLA ?  

Kiki7976

Thank you so much for getting back to me. 
I have never had any income related top ups though.  Why would this be appearing now after all these years? I worry about absolutely everything.  The break down of the amounts are not a long either. Should I be concerned? I don't really want to call anyone. I also understood my husband could work. 

poppy12345

Kiki7976 said:

Thank you so much for getting back to me. 
I have never had any income related top ups though.  Why would this be appearing now after all these years? I worry about absolutely everything.  The break down of the amounts are not a long either. Should I be concerned? I don't really want to call anyone. I also understood my husband could work. 

As Alice has advised, the ESA letters often make no sense. There's nothing for you to be concerned about. CB ESA is £114.10 per week. As you receive a pension that must be more than £85 then your ESA is reduced by 50p for every £1 over £85.

CB ESA is not means tested so a partner that works, savings and capital do not affect the amount you're entitled to.

Kiki7976

Hi again. Thank you so much for all your replies. I've been worried sick since this form came in yesterday. 
I do recieve DLA. Is that OK?

calcotti

Kiki7976 said:

Hi again. Thank you so much for all your replies. I've been worried sick since this form came in yesterday. 
I do recieve DLA. Is that OK?

Yes. It's ignored.

Kiki7976

I genuinely don't feel like calling anyone about this, being honest. Can anyone explain why on the award letters the give a IR break down then deduct it then finally give you the CB bottom line u are entitled to? I was paranoid that I did ever recieve IR ESA at one stage but my figures have all been roughly the same since I started ESA. 

It also says my partnet might be called to attend a work focused interview. Why? I began to get obsessed and was hunting all my paperwork. Not a great weekend. 😕

Kiki7976

The fresh letter I recieved on Friday is not so detailed as the last one I had. 

Kiki7976

Last year it read - 
Living Expenses for u and partner - 114.85
Extra money because of Disability Income Guarentee - 24.10

Extra money because of support group - 38.55

Which gives total income related - 177.50


Your income related amount is 177.50 less 101.56 (those were dla subtotals) so u would have been entitled to 75.94
However because u are entitled to cintrubutuins based esa we pay you 108.66

Does that read OK? 

This year is much shorter

Living Expenses for u and partner - 0.00
Extra money because u are in support group - 39.40.
Which gives income related amount of 39.40

No income was taken off ESA allowence. 
Your income related amount is 39.40 less 0.00 so you have been entitled to 39.40
However because you are entitled to to CB ESA we will pay you 110.33

Does this make any sense?

poppy12345

Looks like to me that they assessed your entitlement to the Income Related top up because of your pension and your partners earnings you're not entitled to it. This means that as i advised, your ESA claim remains all Contributions based (which isn't means tested) they do like to confuse people with these ESA letters. Nothing at all to worry about.