Old Style CBESA Reporting Changes - Real Changes or Poorly Worded DWP Letter?

JKS$(

I've been a long-term claimant of the old style CBESA & PIP since I tool ill-health retirement around 8 years ago. I'm in the support group & don't expect to move out of it (unless DWP deem me cured) I've never claimed any housing-related costs.

I receive an occupational pension & every financial year I inform ESA about this, so they can deduct a proportion of it from my ESA payment. I've been single for many years, so no partner to consider. I don't see that changing either!

Along with my yearly letter detailing the new rates, I received ESA Reporting Changes
 (ESA COC 05/23) telling me about changes I must report. 

I'm wondering if it's a badly worded letter & only applies to IRESA - I wasn't aware there was a £6.000 capital limit for CBESA, or that other people who live in my household & are not my partner  'matter'. Nowhere in the letter does it mention either IR or CB ESA, it's all just ESA.

My award notice states I'm entitled to CBESA, as have previous award notices. 

Can someone who understands PlanetDWP confirm that all I need to inform them of is my occupational pension? (In terms of financial information, I mean, assuming all my personal & medical details remain the same)

Or have the rules changed drastically? If so, when?

Apologies for the length of this post - DWP (sometimes) send me letters in large print -

 









Much of this is new to me. I don't understand why DWP need to know if my adult daughter (who does not claim any benefits) changes GP, moves out etc. If they really feel they need to know every time her working hours change I'll be on the phone every few days...Or being on hold....

Alice_Holt

Some ESA claims include both income related and contribution related elements.
DWP letters often aren't clear on exactly what elements are included in an award.
  
Unless you are crystal clear that yours is solely CB, I'd be inclined to give the DWP all the financial information and let them sort out the implications for your claim.
If solely CB, then savings and income other than an occupational pension will have no impact. But I'd still be inclined to disclose this info, and keep a copy of the letter.

I'd also disclose you have an adult daughter living with you (if that's the case) and leave it at that.
If she moves out, and you live alone, that may enable an income related Severe Disability Premium to be paid - so if that happens do notify the DWP.  

JKS$(

Thanks @Alice_Holt, much appreciated.

I am confident my claim is only CBESA with no IRESA because

1.ESA helpline always confirm this when I ring to check they've received my occupational pension details (as I require large print documents, DWP correspondence can be anywhere from 1-6 months late)
2. Every yearly ESA award only mentions my CBESA entitlement. 
3. I applied as I had sudden, catastrophic vision loss. ESA helpline suggested CBESA then, as there was far less paperwork for me to complete. They said I might qualify for IRESA after the first 12 months when the CB claim would run out unless I was placed in the support group. As I was put into the support group, my CB claim can continue until SPA.

Is the severe disability premium only IR? 

 Are adult children living back at home, or adult friends/relations living in my home expected to declare their income to DWP in the same way a partner has to for IRESA? 



 

Newcad

That letter certainly reads as if they believe that you are entitled to IR ESA.

The SDP and EDP premiums are only ever Income Related - are you getting either or both of those premiums?
(EDP is referred to on the letters as "Disability Income Guarantee").
If you are not sure then if you say how much ESA you get that should tell us if either/both are included.

An adult childs income has nothing to do with your ESA, - but if an adult child (or any adult) is living with you (or caiming Carers Allowance for looking after you) then that could affect any entitlement to the SDP, but the EDP would still be paid if you are entitled to IR ESA in Support Group.

PS. The ESA helpline workers have always been confused about whether someone has CB or IR ESA or Both. Their training was never very good about it and many didn't/still don't even know that you can have both.
That's got even worse since you can no longer make a new claim for IR ESA now, so they are not trained about it.
And as already said the letters can be a dogs dinner about it too.

JKS$(

Thanks @Newcad.



My latest award letter. My occupational pension was £728.29 each month for last financial year, hence the deduction. I haven't yet had this years' figure from my pension provider.

I understand what you say about Carers' Allowance - nobody ever has (& probably never will) claim it for looking after me. CA is covered in the ESA Reporting Changes letter from them, but I still don't understand why I'm also being asked to tell them about the income of other adults who live with me (& are not my partner) if the only reason they need to know is because of CA?

Are IR ESA claimants' awards affected by other adults' (not partners') incomes & situations?

Are UC claimant's awards affected by other adults' (not partners') incomes & situations?

Newcad

That award letter clearly indicates that you have CB ESA only.

Otherwise there would be an EDP/Disability Income Guarantee of £20.85 showing before 'Income and Benefits'.

The bit about 'Income Related Amount' has always confused people, it's an internal calculation and so shouldn't really be put on the letters. The DWP do now acknowledge that it can be confusing, but they have no plans to change/remove it-  because everybody with IR ESA will be migrated to UC and so then there won't be any IR ESA.

So the bits about Income and Capital on the Change of Circumstances letter doesn't apply to you.
You can tell then that stuff if you want to, but as it makes no difference to CB ESA then that would be a waste of your time and theirs.

Obviously that CoC letter is just a generic 'Catch-All' letter so that they don't need to think about which version they should send to who and can just send the same one to everybody.

JKS$(

Thanks @Newcad, that's how I've always understood the CBESA rules to work. I shall continue to inform them of my occupational pension increase each year & leave it at that.

Thanks to all of you who took the time to post - it's put my mind at rest that I'm not doing anything wrong.