Is my ESA Income or contributions based?

Cyclamen

Hello All,

I feel a bit daft writing this but having a bit of a wobble and its been bothering me for a few days since the new letter stating April changes. 
I have been on ESA  (support group) since 2010 so feel i should know this and be confident but well here goes.
I used to say I am contributions based with underlying income related entitlement. 
Its useful to know if this counts as an official income related benefit as it affects other things - prescriptions, financial help, cost of a swim at council pool etc.
We are also on the old system so get income support in my husbands name but its a joint claim - that covers free prescriptions thankfully

Wording on letter.. 
"Your income- related amount is £129.50 less £0 so you would have been entitled to £129.50
However because you are entitled to contributions based ESA we will pay you £129.50.
starts  April 2023" 

So would this still count as an income related benefit ? 

thank you

sammyjammy

no it wouldn't but as you say you get income support as well so that would cover you for income related.

calcotti

You can't get income based ESA and your husband get Income Support.

Your ESA is contribution based. There is no such thing as an 'underlying entitlement' to income based ESA.

(Did you transfer to ESA from Incapacity Benefit?)

Cyclamen

Thanks both.

To be clear i was always transparent with my letters when asking if eligible..i was told to say 'underlying entitlement' by council benefits person years ago. 

Before we received income support (years back) my letters said the same thing and I was very clear, open and even sent the letter when applying for old warm home discount and it was accepted.  My prescriptions back then where done under my health condition or the help with health care costs form.  

I have always been on the ESA system not Incapacity.  My husband hung on as long as he could with work and way past the time he could manage even on a few hours a day so we applied for income support on the last day in our area before Universal credit kicked in.. we did ask if we should wait a day but were told to act fast by job center. 

With so many things relying on an income related benefit I wanted to ask.  From benefits checkers when we move to Universal credit it seems we will no longer get any support to replace the Income support.  Trying to plan future budgets and future.  So it would have been great if my ESA counted as Income related but if it doesnt it doesnt.

poppy12345

Your ESA amount is more than contributions based Support Group because this is £117.60/week. Therefore it must include some Income Related.

When you move to UC as part of managed migration then you won't be any worse off because your UC would include transitional protection to make sure you're not any worse off.

Contributions based benefits will never be part of UC so your contributions based ESA will continue but be deducted in full from any UC entitlement.

calcotti

poppy12345 said:

Your ESA amount is more than contributions based Support Group because this is £117.60/week. Therefore it must include some Income Related. 

I agree - it's why I asked if OP has migrated from IB to ESA and perhaps had transitional protection. 

The letter OP quotes appears to say says the contributions based ESA is £129.50 but that doesn't make sense to me.

I can't see how OP can get income based ESA at the same time as husband gets IS.

Cyclamen said:

With so many things relying on an income related benefit I wanted to ask.  From benefits checkers when we move to Universal credit it seems we will no longer get any support to replace the Income support.  

UC is what replaces IS.
UC claimants who are not on work and earning over a certain threshold get the same 'passport benefits' as those on IS.

Cyclamen

Poppy and calcotti.. my mistake, sorry i should have said the highre amount is from april.. the figure you quote sounds like my current ESA amount.

Universal credit.. benefits checkers show we will no longer get any payment to replace the income support when we switch over.  Is this transitional protection not shown on turn2us/ entitled too.. or i wonder if i've muddled the form.

Its strange wording saying i would be entitled to the full income related amount but as i have NI credits i get full contributions amount.  DWP could surely just write as you have sufficient NI credits you are not entitled to income benefit? 

With everything going on with cost of living  i'm very anxious about money.  Usually we are lucky enough to be able to only spend what we have and manage the bigger bills with a bit of rejigging or saving up.. but its getting harder now so i'm going over everything again

Spoonie_Turtle

What other income do you have?  Your ESA should definitely not wipe out UC entitlement, you should get the standard allowance, LCWRA and carers element plus any rent help, and transitional protection.

Regarding ESA letters mentioning income, mine is new-style and can never have an income-related component yet my letters still mention income - it's ridiculous.

poppy12345

Cyclamen said:

Universal credit.. benefits checkers show we will no longer get any payment to replace the income support when we switch over.  Is this transitional protection not shown on turn2us/ entitled too.. or i wonder if i've muddled the form.

The benefits calculator will not show any TP. I can only assume that you filled in the benefits calculator incorrectly. As you're in the Support Group for ESA then you need to make sure you tick the question that says something like.. Are you in the Support Group. This will then make sure that the LCWRA element is included in the calculation.

calcotti

Cyclamen said:

Poppy and calcotti.. my mistake, sorry i should have said the highre amount is from april....

Sorry I didn’t twig that - haven’t got the new rates in my mind yet.

if you have no other income then UC is definitely more than your ESA even if you were single but it will then be higher as you are a couple. 

Is your husband a carer? Does he claim Carers Allowance? If so the UC would include standard couple allowance plus LCWRA for you and carer element for him minus your ESA and his CA.

Cyclamen

We do have other income.. i found when we moved in together my ESA moved from Income to contributions based and i think i stopped being eligible for a premium at the time so it became lower.  That was a long while back now.  Back then my husband could still work a little. 

At the moment
I have a small work pension below the threshold on its own. 
ESA support  group for myself and PIP
Carers allowance for my husband and lower PIP for him
Incoem support joint claim
No rent or mortgage

I havent started to learn the UC system at all... It seems quite complicated and I am never sure when I will have to move onto it.  When the time comes i will read up but my health is such that I fully expect to more than qualify for the support group (or equivalent) until i move over to state pension in years to come