Backdated Carer's Allowance when on ESA

JaneDoeJohnDoe

In short - claimant on ESA WRAG (old pre 2017) but claimed CA in April & asked for it to be backdated to Feb 2025. (Caring after someone who lives elsewhere & is on full PIP)

CA was awarded very early May & claimant told ESA DWP by writing as found the wait on the phone rather stressful for over one hour (& gave up) to ESA helpline.

CA was paid in mid May but CA unit wrote in early May saying that as claimant was on ESA that they (CA unit) would have to contact the Local Office regarding entitlement to any CA back payment.

ESA had not responded to claimant’s letter, so they rung ESA & got through. ESA only then added the Carer's element of ESA to the ESA claim & acknowledged claimant was getting CA. They did not know anything about the back payments of CA. 

A 'How your benefit is worked out' letter arrived from ESA & that is only from 20 May 2025 but is correct with basic single person allowance ESA + WRAG (pre 2017) amount + Carer's element added with the CA then deducted as income.

A phone call to CA unit by claimant got the reply of "there's no time frame for a response from ESA regarding back payments"

To make things even more complicated claimant has now just had to migrate to UC from ESA to avoid missing the final date.

My thoughts are 1. If CA is backdated to Feb 2025 as eligible then that can be paid by CA unit to claimant

2. ESA then would have been overpaid to claimant by an amount of CA minus the Carer's element of ESA

3.Claimant simply pays back the difference to ESA

Is it possible to actually suggest that to them in writing, or is that basically 'out of order' & they have their own long-winded way of sorting it out? Does seem a tadge unfair if claimant is eligible for back payment of CA that they can't get the ESA Carer's premium from Feb also.

huckster

Seems illogical for CA to pay back payment only for ESA to then raise an overpayment for same sum. 

Surely ESA just need to be provided with CA award details, so an ESA Decision Maker knows date the claimant is wanting the Carers Element to be paid from ?