Benefits and assets/change of circumstances

MrsJ1995

Hi,

I have been receiving contribution based ESA since 2019 and PIP since December.

In 2022, my husband and I received a large amount of early inheritance from my grandparents, in order to buy a house and a new car, which we did.

I did not report these changes to the DWP because my ESA is contribution based so did not think it would affect anything. It also didn't come up with PIP because that's not means tested either.

I just want to check whether I've done the right thing, or if I should've informed DWP and should get in contact to tell them retrospectively?

Thanks in advance for any help

HillStreetBlues

MrsJ1995 said:

Hi,

I have been receiving contribution based ESA since 2019 and PIP since December.

In 2022, my husband and I received a large amount of early inheritance from my grandparents, in order to buy a house and a new car, which we did.

I did not report these changes to the DWP because my ESA is contribution based so did not think it would affect anything. It also didn't come up with PIP because that's not means tested either.

I just want to check whether I've done the right thing, or if I should've informed DWP and should get in contact to tell them retrospectively?

Thanks in advance for any help

If it is only those two benefits you are claiming then no need to tell DWP.
Only needed for income related benefits such as UC  house benefit, council tax reduction, latter two would need to inform LA.

poppy12345

Your ESA is known as New style and this is a contributions based benefit only. 

Unlike the old contributions based, which could have had an Income Related top up. 

There were no new claims of the old contributions based after end of December 2018. 

MrsJ1995

Thank you both. I'm not sure if it is old contribution based or new style, as I started the claim in Dec 2018 (just didn't receive my first payment until 2019). Would it make a difference re informing the DWP?

I'm asking because the ESA Reporting Changes booklet I have says:

"Tell us if you or anyone who lives with you:
- has a change to the amount of savings or investments owned
- becomes the owner of any buildings
- gets a one-off payment such as inheritance or a lump sum payment"

But does this only apply if your total assets and capital goes from less than 6k to more than 6k? In my case, it was already above 6k hence me thinking I don't need to report the change.

I'm a worrier with this sort of thing and get quite anxious about making sure I've done the right thing with the DWP, hence the double checking.

HillStreetBlues

MrsJ1995 said:

Thank you both. I'm not sure if it is old contribution based or new style, as I started the claim in Dec 2018 (just didn't receive my first payment until 2019). Would it make a difference re informing the DWP?

I'm asking because the ESA Reporting Changes booklet I have says:

"Tell us if you or anyone who lives with you:
- has a change to the amount of savings or investments owned
- becomes the owner of any buildings
- gets a one-off payment such as inheritance or a lump sum payment"

But does this only apply if your total assets and capital goes from less than 6k to more than 6k? In my case, it was already above 6k hence me thinking I don't need to report the change.

I'm a worrier with this sort of thing and get quite anxious about making sure I've done the right thing with the DWP, hence the double checking.

How much ESA do you get?

poppy12345

Support Group CB amount is £129.50/week. Unless there’s a deduction for any pension over £85/week. 

If your ESA is more per week then this then at least
part of it would be Income Related, which is means tested. 

MrsJ1995

It's £129.50 per week

poppy12345

MrsJ1995 said:

It's £129.50 per week

Then this will be New style ESA and not affected by capital.

MrsJ1995

poppy12345 said:

MrsJ1995 said:

It's £129.50 per week

Then this will be New style ESA and not affected by capital.

Ok thank you, so do I need to inform DWP of the changes mentioned in my original post?

HillStreetBlues

MrsJ1995 said:

poppy12345 said:

MrsJ1995 said:

It's £129.50 per week

Then this will be New style ESA and not affected by capital.

Ok thank you, so do I need to inform DWP of the changes mentioned in my original post?

No, if those are all the benefits your household claims, as both your ESA & PIP aren't means tested