Anyone recently applied for ESA (new style)

[Hazdeliah]

Have a husband who is off with mental health issues. Has worked full time in professional roles until the last few years where he has become increasingly unwell. He is receiving care but any improvements have been short lived. He can’t work at the moment (or do much of anything) so I think he is entitled to ESA what I can’t work out is if the meetings are usually face to face or if they just accept documents from GP - have read different things. He really struggles with seeing people and if it’s a condition I might need to make a plan. Does anyone happen to know?

To claim New style ESA ( contributions based) he will need to have paid NI contributions over the past 2-3 years. the years they will look at will be 2020-21 and 2019-20. He can apply online, and will be asked to submit sick notes. It can be some months before he is called to an assessment for work capability but during this time he will be paid as assessment rate of around £150 per fortnight. Prior to assessment he will be sent an ESA50 form to complete. he may then need a face to face assessment or he may be able to be assessed just based on the form and medical letters/ reports etc. You should perhaps note on the form that he finds face to face things difficult, I believe there is a section to express any difficulties. If he is awarded support group of ESA after assessment then the amount he receives will go up. The whole process can take some time to be assessed unfortunately.

Sorry I should also add, I'm not sure if he is still employed but all SSP would need to have ended to claim New style ESA.

Thanks Babyroobs
He was working from September 2019 until this Jan so I presume that is enough NI? His salary was above average. By the end of last year he was going through medical capability and resigned as couldn’t cope with that so finished with all work/ pay in January.

I will fill his form in carefully- will def note the communication issues.

I recently applied for new ESA due to cancer and chemotherapy. Fill in form online then you get sent an appointment, mine was for an in person one at job centre even though doing chemotherapy and could put me at risk of infection landing me in hospital for few days. I phoned to complain, took all day on the phone and got it moved to over the phone and in the end they did it that day but norm appears to be in person where I am atm.

Next day had a text from them saying not accepting my breast cancer sick note but no reason why, another day on the phone to them and in the end after about 8 calls it was because it was for 6 months rather than 3 months. I complained and again that was sorted.

Then I phoned to ask when paid and was told was a block on it. But got that sorted over phone and £74.70/£77 a week has been paid for first 15 weeks. That is the lower rate, support group get £40 a week more. There is now a 28 page questionnaire to fill in which they are supposed to post me and a 2 page form for GP / hospital as doing chemo and they decide which group. They don't make it easy to claim and also in theory in lower group there are in person meetings as well at jobcentre but it is worth trying if you need the money. I think it would probably be £77 a week for your husband though worth trying.

If you are having Chemotherapy you do not need to fill out the whole of that form unless you have other health issues too that you want on record. There is a tick box on page 3 or 4 which specifically asks if you are having cancer treatment - just tick that box and get your health professional - consultant or Nurse specialist to complete the back page stating you are having chemotherapy. You will automatically be granted the support group without needing an assessment. Once granted support group there should be no job centre appointments at all. The process should be very easy for cancer patients and in my experience it generally is fairly smooth. Sorry that has not been your experience so far. On the ESA 50 form there is a space to say that you cannot attend appointments- use that space to explain the risk of infection. As I said though you will not need to attend an assessment, it will all be done based on the form.

You say this has been long term, he can’t do much of anything and has treatment. Has he considered claiming PIP?