ESA work related group, back payment, benefit cap and very worried about it all

[dangermouseisace]

Hi I'm worried…very worried.

My assessment was 7 months late. I've found out I'm in the work related activity group, and I've got a back payment of £800+. Trouble is, now the payment is going up I'm going to be subject to the benefit cap! Does anyone know what happens now? Do you just get a letter telling you you have to pay rent etc?

I'm really worried about being in the WRA group. What does it entail? It's all very vague. I'm worried that I won't be able to do what they ask, and I'll get sanctioned. Does anyone have any experience? I can't work at the moment. I want to work in the future, but I think 16 hours a week is unattainable for the foreseeable future. Everything seems rather bleak.

If you are subject to the benefit cap then the extra above it is taken from housing benefit/LHA which you top up from ESA. If you get contribution based that will stop after a year and then you get income based where they take into account savings and other income.

You're excluded if you get DLA/pip or are in support group.

ESA WRAG is reducing to the same rate as JSA (it's gradual and at reassessment from next April is my understanding).

With regard to being in work group it varies massively as to what you're asked to do. You could be called to jobcentre every month and asked to do a cv, or it could be over the phone. You'll get a call soon to go into jobcentre to discuss what you'll be expected to do. It does vary massively. Workfare is also a possibility but unlike JSA is unlimited.

Basically if you're called in or asked to do something you need to or risk sanction. It should be things within your needs, but not every jobcentre views it like that.

The government are currently looking at ending those in support group not needing to look for work/do workfare as well. They've tried many times and will eventually succeed in my opinion.

I hope that helps to show it varies hugely. You'll get an idea when you go to see them what's expected of you, but you won't be left alone and you'll need to do what they ask.

Excluded from the benefit cap that should say!

ah well I won't be noticing any change in income at all then as literally every penny I get over JSA level will go to pay for rent! So when it goes down I'm assuming (with the inevitable screw ups) the HB will go back up. Maybe.

They are pretty horrible in my local job centre. I was completely humiliated last time I went in there to hand in a sick note. They humiliate everyone- you can hear them berating people very loudly whilst you are waiting- it's a very small office

The jobcentre in my county (there's one now for the whole county) is exactly the same, we lost our CAB as well and that's when things got really bad as there's no one to help with benefits appointments.

Yes it will go back up when ESA goes down.