ESA moving in with partner help

Pauluk5

Hi hopefully someone can help. My partner and I both claim ESA income based. I'm in work related group, partner is in support group. We also both get PIP, be basic rate her a higher rate daily living, neither of us get mobility. 
We have been together for 7 years and are now thinking about moving in together, sharing bills etc, but worry what this will mean regarding our existing claims. 
At the moment we have separate addresses, separate bills and rent, we both get help with housing benefit on our properties.
We both have mental health and physical problems, and worry about what will happen if we move in together, whose claim it will be under (my partner gets more money than me so does that mean the claim will be in my partners name or a joint claim) .. will be be reassessed or moved onto universal credit and what happens if we move in and it doesn't work.. will either of us lose our claim and have to start all over again. 
We do want to live together and get married but worry what this will mean or how risky it is as neither of us are healthy at the moment. 

calcotti

If you live together then you will each need to report a change. You will be able to choose who gets the income based ESA. Your entitlement will be higher if your partner is the lead claimant for income based ESA (because she is in Support Group). 

If your ESA includes SDP I would expect your existing amounts to be
Your ESA at the moment - £177.00 (assuming claim made before April 2017)
Her ESA at the moment - £204.75
Combined amount = £381.75

Your joint entitlement if she is lead claimant £325.80

Your joint entitlement if you are lead claimant £290.45

poppy12345

It's worth remember that the partner of the claimant does not receive any NI credits when claiming ESA. I don't know if it's possible to ask for your claim to be NI credits only based on LCW but i'm sure others will know for sure.

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

It's worth remember that the partner of the claimant does not receive any NI credits when claiming ESA. I don't know if it's possible to ask for your claim to be NI credits only based on LCW but i'm sure others will know for sure.

I thought of that but as both have already had WCAs the partner should, I think, continue to get NI credits on the grounds of LCW even though they will not be receiving payments - as you indicate.