New style ESA

leftholdingthebaby123

A family member has recently claimed new style Contribution Based ESA Support Group after being diagnosed with a severe lifelong illness.

The Award is initially for 12 months. After which time she will be sent another ESA50 to complete.  If she is awarded will it be Income Based or will she remain on Contribution Based?

I know in the past that after 12 months on ESA you had to claim Income Based, but as everything changes in the benefits system I kindly ask if someone could please clarify this for me. Also, will the Application automatically be sent out, or do you have to apply for it. Someone at the DWP also said they will have to start sending in fit notes again until they have made a decision on the next application. 

Thanks for reading and hope you can answer for me.

calcotti

The ESA50 should be sent now, not after 12 months, and a determination on status made before the end of the 12 months. If put in the Support Group the ESA continues indefinitely. If put in the Work Related Activity Group the ESA will end after 12 months. There is no 'next application'. If ongoing the ESA will be reviewed at some future date bit there is no set period for this to happen.

Income based ESA had been replaced by Universal Credit. They should use a benefit calculator to see if they can claim UC now. It can be claimed alongside the ESA.

poppy12345

leftholdingthebaby123 said:

A family member has recently claimed new style Contribution Based ESA Support Group after being diagnosed with a severe lifelong illness.

If it's a recent claim then it's unlikely she will have been placed into the Support Group already. She will need a work capability assessment beofre a decision is made. Unless she automatically qualifies for this group. https://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/employment-and-support-allowance/esa-glossary/support-group-descriptors

leftholdingthebaby123

Thank you Calcotti and Poppy. I don't think I explained myself very well. She did complete an ESA50 application and was placed in the support group after months of sending in fit notes and having a telephone interview. I called the DWP to ask the question I've asked you guys, and he told me she is in the support group for 12 months, then they will send out another ESA50 early next Spring for her to complete to see if there are any changes. If she is classed as Severe they will leave het in the support group. I remember a while back people on Contribution Based ESA had to claim I.B
after 12 months. I was left confused and told her I would put the question up on this forum.

poppy12345

The timescales they give is just a guide. At the moment reviews are suspended, whether that will still be the same in a year, i have no idea. ESA Support Group is an ongoing award until a new decision says otherwise.

Spoonie_Turtle

In the Support Group she can claim indefinitely, it will be new-style ESA still.

Any timescales with ESA are just a guide, they can reassess at any time, but realistically with backlogs it's more likely to be later than sooner.  It is an ongoing award though (unlike PIP which does have fixed end dates) so it doesn't matter how long it takes until reassessment.

calcotti

leftholdingthebaby123 said:

 I remember a while back people on Contribution Based ESA had to claim I.B after 12 months. 

That was never the case. In the past a claim for ESA was for both contribution based and income based. If the NI conditions were met the ESA would be contribution based and could also include income based to increase the entitlement. If the claimant was not in the Support Group the contribution based part would end after 12 months and the claim become entirely income based. No new claim was needed and the amount payable would not change (unless there was no entitlement to income based ESA).

leftholdingthebaby123

Thank you everyone.  I will pass this information on to her. The DWP were adamant she would have to complete another ESA50 early next Spring and whilst it's being considered she would have to send in fit notes, even though she has already been placed in the support group when they made a decision on her current ESA50 award. 

poppy12345

leftholdingthebaby123 said:

Thank you everyone.  I will pass this information on to her. The DWP were adamant she would have to complete another ESA50 early next Spring and whilst it's being considered she would have to send in fit notes, even though she has already been placed in the support group when they made a decision on her current ESA50 award. 

When ringing ESA you are speaking to someone from a call centre and not someone from DWP. She will not need to send anymore fit notes at anytime.

calcotti

leftholdingthebaby123 said:

... whilst it's being considered she would have to send in fit notes, even though she has already been placed in the support group when they made a decision on her current ESA50 award. 

When a review does take place in due course she should not be required to provide FIt Notes while the review is done.

leftholdingthebaby123

Thank you for your reassure Poppy. I spoke on her behalf after going through security as she is unable to talk coherently. The call centre man definitely said to me that she's in the support group until May 2023, then they will send out another ESA50 and whilst it's being considered she will have to send in fit notes and go back down the the initial rate of ESA.  Thanks so much, I thought it was incorrect and I didn't want to confuse the lady anymore. This site is absolutely brilliant.