Advice on claiming benefits (mental health)

[TabithaTiger]

I'm looking for some advice on behalf of my DD. She's 24 and living with her partner who's 25. She's really struggling with mental health (suspected ASD, PTSD) and can't cope with work at the moment. She was working up until end December.

Her partner works full time and earns about £25k, their rent is £850pcm. Is anyone able to point us in the direction of where to go to find out what (if any) benefits she can claim while she is signed off sick please? I have looked online for her but I'm finding it confusing.

[Lancssss]

PIP isn’t means tested. So if she qualifies for that her partners wage would be irrelevant. ESA is means tested and I think her partners wage would be too high to qualify.
PIP is all about whether you’re able to manage mobility wise and daily living activities.
Have a look at the descriptors to see if you think she’d qualify. I’d advise getting help to fill the forms in if you think she does. Benefits and work do brilliant guides for £20 ish.

[Akire]

Is she on SSP? Because that takes place of benefits for first 26weeks then after that can apply for long term sick benefits like ESA. She can apply for PIP if it’s long term condition over 6months and expected last longer.

If you look on entitled To website you can put in sick pay and his wage and see if get any housing element towards rent.

[TabithaTiger]

Thank you for replying. I've had a quick look at PIP, I don't think she would qualify for that as she doesn't have mobility issues and hopefully will be well enough to work again within a couple of months it she gets the help she needs.

Akire I'm not sure how statutory sick pay works, is it just for people who are signed off but are still employed? She was working through an agency until she became really unwell and had to leave.

[Sunshinedreaming2022]

I presume she’s on SSP right? In which case she may be able to claim universal credit to top up her wage and help pay rent for the time being.
I hope she feels better soon

[Akire]

In that case she “unemployed” she can’t claim job seekers as she’s not well enough work so should be able make a straight claim for ESA. It’s all online so get ball rolling.

Has she been doctors and had it logged so far? What support is she getting? You will need doctors support going forward and more evidence better for your ESA claim. It will be a medical normally so more health care professionals she has with information about issues the better. Just turning up claiming mental health issues is not going carry much weight in my own experience with friends. It’s not easy engaging with system but needs must

[Orangesandlemons77]

ESA can be cont based which is not income based, depends on her NI record...

[Akire]

P.s I know it’s all under UC now but the rules for each benefit are different even if the payment comes under UC not ESA

[Orangesandlemons77]

Apparently there is something called new style ESA which is the cont based one?

[TabithaTiger]

@Akire she's seen the Dr and been given medication and had been referred to mental health services.

What is the difference between Universal Credit and ESA please?

[Akire]

Employment and support allowance ESA and job seekers are old benefits you can no longer claim but people like me not moved over Uc yet. Everyone now has claim UC but under different rules so someone on low wage may claim UC or out work or sick but all different rules and things they have to do.

So if I’d say claim ESA I mean it be paid as UC but she be getting it under ESA rules. But technically the bank statement will say it’s Universal credit payment. Dotn worry no one knows system till thrown in at deep end and even then

[Babyroobs]

Ok here is some correct advice !
If your dd is being paid SSP from her employer, then this should run for 28 weeks. When this ends or if she is not currently getting SSP but has paid national insurance contributions over the past 2-3 years ( the tax years they would look at would be 2020-21 and 2019-20 ), then she can claim a contributions based benefits called new style ESA. She can claim this irrespective of her partners income.
If she does not qualify for New style ESA then she can look at whether she can make a joint claim for Universal credit with her partner but this will depend on whether they have savings, what his net income is per month and what their one bedroom local housing allowance is. They would need a benefit check to see which of these she could claim and which would work out best for her. She may be able to claim both but the new style ESA would be deducted from the UC.
To claim either New style esa or UC she would need to submit a sick note.

[Babyroobs]

New Style ESA is not means tested, UC is means tested and would be joint with her partner.

[Babyroobs]

@Akire

P.s I know it’s all under UC now but the rules for each benefit are different even if the payment comes under UC not ESA

It is not all under UC. It is perfectly possible that op's dd has paid NI contributions and would qualify for new style ESA in her own right if for whatever reason she is not getting SSP. New style ESA is not part of UC.

[MananaTomorrow]

Yes.
If she is unwell and unable to work, I’d have a look at the (so called new style) ESA or PIP.

If I understand well, PIP is harder to get than the ESA?

[christingle2]

There’s benefit calculators she can try online eg www.entitledto.co.uk/

ESA and PIP are options…I’m not too familiar with them

With UC, she can possibly get found as having “low capability for work” but this requires her to attend an assessment and it’s a lengthy process

If she is considered disabled and in need of a carer, perhaps they could try carers allowance?

Just going to be honest, it’s doubtful they will get £850 in housing costs from benefits. There’s a high chance her partner’s income may be too high for them to get much income from benefits too

[TabithaTiger]

Thank you to everyone who has replied. It all seems so confusing, I'm not sure how someone who is unwell or has learning difficulties is supposed to navigate all this of they don't have anyone to help them.

I'll look into ESA for her.

@christingle2 her partner can cover rent and bills for a little while and I'm going to help out a bit. It would just be useful if she could claim something to pay for food, medication, etc

[TabithaTiger]

@Babyroobs she isn't getting sick pay as she was working for an agency, not permanently employed. She left as she couldn't cope, was having panic attacks, etc.

How does she go about getting a benefit check? She should be able to get a sick note from the GP I would imagine.

[Orangesandlemons77]

The reason I mentioned new style ESA was due to income as it's not means tested (her partner's income)...

[Babyroobs]

[quote TabithaTiger]@Babyroobs she isn't getting sick pay as she was working for an agency, not permanently employed. She left as she couldn't cope, was having panic attacks, etc.

How does she go about getting a benefit check? She should be able to get a sick note from the GP I would imagine. [/quote]
Ok so if no SSP then if she has worked and paid NI contributions over the past few years she should claim New style ESA ( contributions based). This is the quickest benefit to claim if she qualifies.

If not eligible for new style ESA then maybe UC.
Citizens advice will do a benefits check or one of the online calculators.

[Babyroobs]

A claim for New style ESA is very easy to claim online via the Gov.uk site.