Any difference between New Style Esa and old Esa?

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DanielleNic87
DanielleNic87 Posts: 1,064 Forumite
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in Benefits & tax credits
Hi

Can anyone tell me if there is any difference between new style Esa and Old Style ESA "C"?

Why can't you make these claims over the phone?

Tia

February GC £26.68/£250

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  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,823 Forumite
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    Just a change to the way DWP process the claims. They don't have large numbers of agents taking calls. This is part of DWP rolling out changes due to Universal Credit implementation.

    Instead you follow the new style ESA process by phoning to get forms emailed to you. You then complete these and phone to book to go to a Job Centre who will validate the claim and arrange for it to be processed.

    ESA contribution based is for those who have paid enough NI during the last 3 tax years. The benefit only lasts a year. No changes to actual benefit
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
  • Paparika
    Paparika Posts: 2,476 Forumite
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    I ring up to claim and just send the sick note on.

    Did it last month and this month.

    I work but don't have SSP so have to claim when i go off sick
    Life is about give and take, if you can't give why should you take?
  • DanielleNic87
    DanielleNic87 Posts: 1,064 Forumite
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    huckster wrote: »
    Just a change to the way DWP process the claims. They don't have large numbers of agents taking calls. This is part of DWP rolling out changes due to Universal Credit implementation.

    Instead you follow the new style ESA process by phoning to get forms emailed to you. You then complete these and phone to book to go to a Job Centre who will validate the claim and arrange for it to be processed.

    ESA contribution based is for those who have paid enough NI during the last 3 tax years. The benefit only lasts a year. No changes to actual benefit

    Thank you. I have my appt at JCP tomorrow and was just curious why I couldn't make the claim over the phone. Hopefully not too long before its processed.

    February GC £26.68/£250

  • DanielleNic87
    DanielleNic87 Posts: 1,064 Forumite
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    Paparika wrote: »
    I ring up to claim and just send the sick note on.

    Did it last month and this month.

    I work but don't have SSP so have to claim when i go off sick

    I presume you are on not on new style ESA and that's why you could claim over the phone.

    February GC £26.68/£250

  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,487 Forumite
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    Ridiculous! The millions of pounds spend on introducing the system to enable ESA claims to be made over the phone effectively scrapped in under 10 years and replaced with a system (e-mail the document) which costs the claimant money to print out!
  • skcollobcat10
    skcollobcat10 Posts: 331 Forumite
    edited 13 August 2018 at 11:11PM
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    Question answered
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 16,487 Forumite
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    skcollobcat10 wrote: »
    Will there be redundancy for DWP staff if everybody is having to do forms online?

    I wouldn't think so because the information now has to be put onto the system manually (speaking about ESA), whereas before it was all taken by phone and input directly to the system. Processing staff were then responsible for collecting any missing info and putting the claim through the system. More manual work actually creates a need for more staff rather than less, although that will be offset by the move of many claimants to UC.
  • huckster
    huckster Posts: 4,823 Forumite
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    If you read the DWP reports on UC which have just been released, DWP at one time were expecting to need 10,500 fewer staff overall because UC was going to be a digital service.

    I think the direction of travel is still to have fewer Job Centres and claimants will mostly be supervised through digital services. Rather than attend Job Centres every week or fortnight, they will have online or telephone appointments. If the claimant fails to satisfy their benefit commitments online or by telephone, they will have to a attend a Job Centre which might be a distance from where they live.

    If you read the updates from DWP, every few months there are announcements of more Job Centres closing. DWP are moving some JC's to council buildings to save money. This means that DWP can save money on buildings and some staff.
    The comments I post are personal opinion. Always refer to official information sources before relying on internet forums. If you have a problem with any organisation, enter into their official complaints process at the earliest opportunity, as sometimes complaints have to be started within a certain time frame.
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