To ask you to please help me fathom out contribution based ESA?

[averynicenigel]

I’ve NC back to an old name for this because I want to be able to say whatever I need.

I have absolutely no idea which end is up with ESA so would appreciate any pointers!

I have developed a chronic condition which meant I had to leave my job “by mutual consent due to medical concerns” last year. Since then, I have been claiming ESA. All has been fine with the claim, I’ve had my assessments (no I can’t have PIP) and the powers that be thankfully agree with me that I am too unwell to work and have placed me in the support group. Great stuff.

However. I am utterly confused about what is contribution-based ESA, new-style ESA, income-based ESA and any-other ESA.

I apparently have the wrong kind of ESA (contribution-based) to get any help with prescriptions or dentist costs. Also not allowed a bus pass or disabled railcard, and whilst I have managed to obtain a Blue Badge it was only because I wrote a 4 page statement and I suspect said the words “vagina” and “rectal pain” too many times for the poor council person to bear.

I literally bring in less than £500 per month from ESA. That is my only income. How can it be possible that I don’t have access to anything else which might help me? I don’t get why you are entitled to things which help with income-based, but not contribution-based?

AIBU to ask wtf and have I missed something?

To clarify, I DON’T think I’m more entitled to help than anyone else, just not sure why I’m not entitled when others are iyswim.

Do you get any help with hiding costs such as housing benefit and council tax help?

No, I’m living with my mum at the moment because she’s looking after me. Hoping to move out later this year so will have to navigate Universal Credit at that point

To clarify I get ESA £500 odd a month, PIP at £90 a month, plus housing benefit, council tax, and then my child benefit and child tax credit for 1 child as the other is now 19.

So basically the same as you. But I’m in wales so get free prescriptions. I was transferred from the one ESA to the other after so many weeks but I can’t remembe what.

It is possible to claim contributions based ESA as you are doing and under the old system you could have that topped up by income related ESA if you had no other savings or for example a partner that was earning. However because all areas are now under Universal credit I think you would have to be topped up by UC as this has replaces income related ESA. As you are in the support group your contributions based ESA can continue indefinitely, wheras for people in the wrag group it would end after 12 months. If you made a claim for Universal credit now you would get the standard element of £317 a month for you and an additional element called the LCWRA ( sickness element as you are in the support group) of £336 per month making a total of £653 per month ( Universal credit is a monthly payment). Then your contributions based ESA would continue to be paid separately ( around £110 a week ? ), but this would be deducted form the Uc amount. They would average the contributions based ESA over the year then divide by 12 to give an average monthly amount of around £476. So from Uc you would get maybe around £177 as a top up. Sorry it's complex. If you pay rent then you would also get a rent element on UC. I'm pretty sure you cannot make an existing contributions based esa claim into a contributions based and income related one, but you may want to double check with CAB or similar. I think someone on the support group of Esa is actually one of the few groups of people who are better off on UC. It is people who also get PIP and are eligible for severe disability premium who can no longer go onto UC but that doesn't apply to you if you don't get PIP.

So what other help and support do you think you should get?

Sorry so just to summarise ( as I'm not the best at explaining things) you should be getting more then you are, you should be topped up, and I think this would need to be by making a UC claim, but please double check with CAB or similar.

snowy - I think you should be getting more also if you are only on contributions based ESA. Were you getting more before your 19 year old left education? You may have had entitlement to sdp that you missed out on if you have been on PIP for a while - it may be worth checking up if you have missed out on money ?

Contribution-based ESA is higher than income-based ESA, and you're right, it passes a threshold that excludes you from all means-tested benefits.

So no free prescriptions, dental care, help with opticians, etc.

You may well be eligible for a Disabled Person's Railcard (not free to buy, but gets you discounts). I've always used my DLA mobility allowance to demonstrate eligibility, so I'm not sure for you. A blue badge might do it. Google should get you to the details. This will be valid nationally.

Bus passes... you'll have to google what's available locally. Again the blue badge will help as a passporting benefit.

Also see what your area has in terms of Dial-A-Ride.

Thanks Babyroobs I can’t believe how complicated it is! That does help make it clearer though, thank you.

Snowyalps I could really do with the small extra bits of help that free travel (particularly for medical appointments a long way away), prescription and dentist help. It’s not a lot, I know, and I don’t think I’m asking for loads to just be on the same playing field as someone on income based ESA? I pay £350 a month out for DS to do 2 x 9am to 3pm days in nursery while mum works as I can’t manage to look after him by myself. Once that’s taken out of my money there’s not loads left for prescriptions, or bus and train fares, or dentist appointments. Let alone clothes, shoes, whatever. I just don’t understand why income-based ESA would entitle you to that but not contribution-based. It seems a very bizarre system to me.

As Babyroobs has shown, it looks bloody complicated!!

Sorry, go by what Babyroobs said wrt to benefit payments.

I meant contribution-based ESA excludes you from things like free prescriptions.

Thanks Perking I’ll look again at bus and rail but it seemed to me that the blue badge wasn’t enough to prove eligibility. Maybe it would be but they don’t put on website, I will try to go in and speak to someone at least wrt the bus pass.

Sorry I didn't realise you had kids too. I think you should have a benefit check done with CAB or similar. It may be beneficial and being in receipt of a means tested benefit like UC with no income would mean you would get free prescriptions etc.

Off to bed but thank you and will check in again in the morning

Its PIP mobility component that gets people free bus passes. ESA will not do that.

Yeah...

When you see politicians and DWP press releases claim that the Universal Credit was brought in to "simplify" benefits... the above dog's dinner is the result of that "simplification".

You'll be unsurprised to learn that before the "simplification", things were much, erm, simpler.

I think Uc is simpler generally but it's a bit more complex in relation to whether you need to switch to it. and whether you are better off on it, so best for op to get advice from CAB particularly as she is likely to be currently on child tax credits.

And sorry I didn't mean to make it sound like a complex dogs dinner !

Oh bingo!

Are You Eligible?
The Disabled Persons Railcard is for people with a disability that makes travelling by train difficult.
You will qualify if you:
[...]
• receive Attendance Allowance or Employment & Support Allowance (ESA)
www.disabledpersons-railcard.co.uk/are-you-eligible/

Hmm, except the application form has no space for "AA or ESA", only for "AA".

I suspect this is yet another joyful effect of Universal Credit. They can hardly name UC as a passporting benefit, because it covers a multitude. So they've omitted it entirely – thus excluding many people who used to receive ESA.

Babyroobs, it is a dog's dinner.

Honestly, I started on Incapacity Benefit.

In the time I've been disabled, they've brought in multiple tiers, with different time-limits, and different related eligibility for other things depending on which flavour of ESA-oh-now-it's-UC-except-when-it-isn't...

It's vastly more complicated than it was.

Have you looked into getting a prescription pre-payment card, OP? It used to be about £10 per month by direct debit, but all your prescription costs would then be covered. You'll need to work out if its worthwhile for you, depending on how many different meds are being prescribed.

As I understand it, Income Related ESA is awarded to people who literally have no other income and would be destitute if they didn't get it. It is one of what they call passport benefits like Income Related JSA, Income Support and Guaranteed Pension Credit. Passported literally means that you are automatically entitled to other stuff too, because you have such a low income.

Contributions Based benefits are usually awarded where the claimant has some other form of income, or substantial savings, or has a partner whom they live with who has income. Therefore the claimant would not be destitute if they didn't get it. "Contributions Based" means the claimant has paid enough National Insurance to qualify.

You say ESA is your only income: how come you aren't claiming Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit for your ds? The combined basic weekly rate for one child is about £80 and I can't think of any reason why you wouldn't be entitled.

OP, the reason CB-ESA doesn’t entitle you to free prescriptions etc is because it’s not means-tested so your savings and any partner’s income aren’t taken into account. In other words, you can have £500k in the bank and still be entitled to CB-ESA.

Of course in reality most claimants don’t have that kind of money, but unfortunately it’s a blanket rule. If you have savings of less than £16k(?) you should be able to get a means tested top-up as a PP mentioned, which may make you eligible for free prescriptions etc.

You might also be eligible for help via the NHS Low Income Scheme, but get advice about the top-up first as that’ll be better for you. www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/nhs-low-income-scheme

You say you can’t have PIP. Is that because they turned you down or have you assessed yourself as not eligible? Being in the support group can sometimes help with PIP, eg if they scored you points for moving around.

Yes, cont based is not means tested so people can claim it no matter what they income (I understand) same with PIP.

Then, if you are also on a low income you may be able to claim income related top ups. For example in my case, DH is self employed and can claim tax credits, in their calculation the cont based ESA is considered taxable income along with his profit from self employment. The tax credit mean I can get free prescriptions (good as he also has a health condition so we bother get them, and as a family.). But it is the tax credit which brings this about not the ESA,

It's all pretty communicated and more so not there is UC also. I would get a benefit check with somewhere like the CAB, so make sure you are getting all you school be. You may get UC as well for example. and PIP.

Also I agree about support group and PIP.

Oh, also even if they did turn you down for PIP, still worth trying again as sometimes, well, they make mistakes. / mess up.