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.

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.

No, there's no "usually" about it.

Contributions-based ESA is awarded when the sick/disabled person has paid the correct NI contributions. Full-stop.

(According to their level of incapacity, they may be placed in the WRAG and only get contributions-based ESA for 12 months; or placed in the Support Group and get contributions-based ESA indefinitely.)

So as said above, someone could have £500K in the bank and a partner earning another £500K and still get contributions-based ESA – just like a millionaire pensioner receiving their contributions-based pension that they've worked for, regardless of savings or income.

Or someone could be getting contributions-based ESA and have no other income, assets or support whatsoever.

When someone gets contribution-based ESA, you can't draw any conclusions about the rest of their financial affairs. Only that they were working and paying NI immediately before they became ill/disabled.

Morning, thanks for additional replies. I don’t have any other income or savings personally, DH is a student so gets student loans. I do claim child benefit but from what I could gather we can’t claim tax credits because of DH being at uni. He does also work in a bar but I don’t know if I should rerun the tax credits based on that income? He doesn’t earn enough to pay tax.

I have got a prepay cert for my prescriptions which does help as I have 7 or 8 prescriptions every month so definitely worth it. I was just thinking about it all last night and wondered why there was a difference. It is SUCH a dog’s dinner! I did go in to our local disability equality place when i was first diagnosed and he didn’t seem to think I’d be entitled to anything other than ESA and I also couldn’t find anything else online so I thought that was right. It seems it’s worth another look anyway to see if there is anything else I can claim.

What a headache it all is! Thank you all for replying, I am at least a bit clearer now...a bit

Yes- that is right- it is based on your previous work and NI conts you have in the last few years. I got mine after having PND after maternity leave for example.

there are some benefit calculators online for an idea of what you might also be able to claim- turn2us, or entitledto, spring to mind. Or CAB.

Yes it sounds complicated with him being a student as well. Think a benefits check would be best, not sure how student income is regarded for these benefits.

Also there are no new claims for tax credit now, it is UC, so you would need to claim that

Oh sorry I forgot - I was turned down for PIP. I do actually think the assessment was pretty fair on that criteria. It doesn’t mean I can move without pain but I can move and on their criteria I wouldn’t score anywhere near 8 points. I think I ended up with 4 points in each category.

Will try and book in with CAB I think.

Sounds right to me.

I'm disabled, not entitled to any form of ESA because DH works, no housing benefit, tax credits. I get PIP but it's £500 a month and compared to the full time professional wage I have lost by daring to become disabled, it doesn't touch the sides.

And that's how they screw disabled people.

Supermassive And that’s how they screw disabled people

Yep. Like you say, how dare we

There was a good Guardian article doing the rounds yesterday which just brought it home to me how much has been cut

I'll see if I can find it, thanks.

It's really shit isn't it? Just as you can't go any lower where you are suffering with pain/loss of movement/coping with a wheelchair/losing independence and whatever else you have to deal with, you realise there's barely any help out there too. They kick you when you're down.

Good luck anyway, I hope you manage to find something extra that you're entitled to.

Giving you 4 points in each section shows you have some problems. Sounds like you could at least get lower PIP in each part. Remember it is reliably, etc that you so the activities, and safely.

i would reapply with the support group letter. Get proper advice and see if you can score any points good luck

PS PIP can bring other benefits as well, such as top ups on tax credits- although with UC could be different. Best check with an advisor.

Is it too late to appeal with PIP decision? Might be quicker if you can

Apply for dentist/prescriptions etc on the low income scheme. Conts based means you don’t have an automatic entitlement to it but it doesn’t mean you definitely won’t be entitled

'm disabled, not entitled to any form of ESA because DH works, no housing benefit, tax credits. I get PIP but it's £500 a month and compared to the full time professional wage I have lost by daring to become disabled, it doesn't touch the sides.

Have you had 365 days of income based ESA?

*conts based /\

Also your local library might be able to help with getting a bus pass - I had a series of "computer says no" with my council re a bus pass, and ended up crying on a lovely library man who agreed that the council had misread the DVLA letter (saying, you can can get your licence back if your doctors agree you've been symptom free for three months; the council decided that actually meant that I'd be better in three months) and resent off my application which was then approved. Worth checking exactly what category you're applying under, and making sure a doctors letter uses the correct wording (in my case the GP had to say that my condition was "now regarded as permanent".

Remember it is reliably, etc that you so the activities, and safely

This! Also whether you do them in an acceptable manner. If your pain is severe when walking, you might still score points for not walking to an acceptable standard. I’ve seen a few disabled friends sharing this...

www.disabilityrightsuk.org/news/2016/july/pip-walking-through-pain-not-walking-acceptable-standard

Have a look at some PIP guides and the point descriptors online, and see if you think you reasonably qualify for 8 or more points. If you need to sit down in order to cook, or you need to lean on something to get off the toilet safely, that counts as needing an aid. Likewise you could score points if you need grab handles for the bath, or help washing your hair.

You don’t even have to need the help all of the time. It counts if you need help over half of the time. This is because they recognise people have good and bad days.

No, Lyra. Apparently not entitled to either contribution or income based ESA because I was a student then worked for a year so didn't have enough of either. Despite working for 12 years prior to uni.

A lot of people get zero points on an initial PIP claim. Giving 4 for each point means good chance of reapplying and getting it IMO. having gone through it twice myself with low points and now getting the proper amount. Pip info site online very good for help as the criteria change due to previous appeals etc.

I suspect you're on "new-style ESA" which is the new name for contribution-based ESA, although unless you went on ESA quite a while ago, there is no other sort of ESA because of Universal Credit.

Confused yet?

I wish I was reading this at work where I would have access to reference books and benefit calculation software. I'm a benefits adviser, but haven't dealt with a single case where one of a couple is a student since before UC came in.

Re-run the calculation you did again, but including your husband's wages. His student loan counts as income too, but I don't know how flexible the online calculators are: there might not be somewhere you can enter this (deduct £300 for books). I'd be surprised if you weren't entitled to a some Universal Credit, and if you are, you'll get free prescriptions (and possibly free school meals).

You may be entitled to free prescriptions on grounds of low income even though you're not on UC. You can check here
www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/help-with-health-costs/get-help-with-prescription-costs/

I'm really surprised you didn't get PIP. IME, anyone placed in the support group (known as having Limited Capability for Work Related Activity under UC) is sufficiently affected by their health problems to qualify for PIP as well. If your condition has got worse, I'd recommend reapplying, but get specialist help with the forms.

If you'd like me to look into things in a bit more detail, pm me, but I won't be able to do anything before I'm back at work on Tuesday.

Ah yes, that's deliberate, SupermassiveBlackHo.

This is yet another change that's been brought in since I became ill.

The period in which your NI can count towards ESA/UC has been greatly narrowed.

This has the effect of cutting the number of people eligible for sickness benefits, while looking like a piece of boring bureaucracy too unsexy to make a headline screaming "X party cuts disability benefits".

I suspect it disproportionately affects women (more likely to have a career break), although obviously those who become disabled when young or after retraining will also be hit.

My cont based has been going years since was on incapacity. It seems unfair in a way I feel. Anyway OP what we did was get the ESA support group report- this is called ESA85A. It says why you are in support group. You can then use this for PIP- so if it is 'risk' you then say well, due to risk...and link to PIP descriptors you struggle with. Or if it is about task completion...same...due to problems completing tasks (see ESA report) I struggle with X reliably, repeatedly etc. they can't really challenge this without going against the ESA report.

We found doing this they initially ignored it, but them when it came to appeal quickly changed their mine- and even apologised- gave a 5 year award! - based on the ESA.

they are even looking to merge the assessments in future.

Now that you mention that your partner is a student you would need to be careful claiming UC as his student loan would reduce your Uc pound for pound after a certain amount is disregarded. I'm not sure who advised you that you couldn't claim tax credits because your partner was a student - that is wrong but irrelevant now as you wouldn't be able to make a new claim for child tax credits. Couples claiming tax credits when one is a student fare way better than those on UC.

I really appreciate you all coming to explain! I will book in with CAB for a review as the online calculators don’t like the student status. I can’t believe how complicated it is! Absolute disgrace to those who find it difficult to fill out forms etc, anyone with ESL or SEN.