Hello all Caggers. I have not posted on here for a while, but tend to look around from time to time. As most of you will already know there is currently a payout going on with the mess with switching claimants from incapacity benefit to ESA. We filled in the long winded form and sent it back to DWP in December. Around a week ago, we received the B16 form to fill in and send back. When did the DWP start counting their partners earnings and adding ESA to the combined income of the household? I seem to remember in the not to distant past, my partner who was on Invalidity Benefit which then changed to Incapacity Benefit and finally (at this present time) is Employment and Support Allowance, used to be classed as only them receiving the benefit, not taking into account any earnings that I earn. Does someone know what date this happened? I am curious to know, before I fill out the B16. Regards, Allets.

I used to be a sole trader selling music by mail order lists, vinyl and compact discs. My business closed down nine years ago due to me having severe debts, personal problems and so on. I suffer from severe mental health problems after several breakdowns and more problems that I won't go into here. I still have a business bank account that I never closed down due to hoping that one day I may get better and then just forgetting more recently after further health setbacks. I've been getting Income Support with disability additional money and then ESA after it changed paid into this bank account all that time. My Dad died in September 2013 and left me £15,000, my share of his will after it had all been divided up. I got this money in the autumn just gone and declared it to the DWP. I sent them bank statements showing that I'd used most of the money bar for a few thousand on things like new furniture, clothing, a holiday and paying for my Dad's funeral costs. I sent them receipts for everything and bank statements and they were satisfied that I hadn't spent the money frivolously and the little bit that I had spent on personal items to enjoy such as DVDs and days out, I have been getting a small amount taken off my fortnightly payments to cover that. Anyway to get to the point, today I got a B16 form in the post with no explanation as to why, the only thing I can think of is that because I never closed my business account they assume I'm still in business. I have no records of my old business, just a name on a bank account. How do I prove that I'm not trading to them? It's messing my head up even worse, I could do without all this. Thanks for any help.