Mum died, C/A stopped but ESA going down?

[maddiemay]

I am 51 and have been a carer for my mum for 3 years in her home, I was receiving £58 Carers Allowance, £45.15 ESA total £113.15 per week, and £20 per week DLA.

Had a ATOS medical in early Jan 2013 (never heard the outcome)

 

Jan 18th mum died, in my grief I wrongly assumed my ex husbands kindness meant we would become a couple again, and here is where the problem began.

 

Contacted DWP, on 20th Jan, told them of mums death and to end my Carers allowance, I was told you are still entitled to it for 6 weeks after the death.

Wrote to DWP begining March, told them I no longer wanted to claim ESA, as I was reconciling with my husband,

Needless to say, we didnt reconcile, called DWP within 2 weeks, claim was in the closing down stages, but the lady said she had managed to catch it just in time, I then get a letter telling me:

 

From 14th March to 11th April: I will get £103.60 per week (£71 + £32.60 because Im a carer??

From 11 April, I will get £105.00 per week, because of a change in benefit rates

From 9th May I will get £71.60, because of a change in money coming in??? Um where from????

These amount apply from 14th March to 3rd April??? So why does it go up to 9th May then???

 

Im very confussed!

 

I have received £148 in total from 6th March, and obviously no C/A so things are a bit desperate now.

 

1) Am I entitled to any kind of dissability premium on top of the basic £71 per week, as I am on DLA (indefinate) and do I have to apply for it.

2) Why would they say I will get £32 a week until April because I am a carer, when my entitlement to C/A ran out on 6th March?

 

Please dont get me wrong, I'm only wanting what I'm entitled to, I just cant face speaking to anyone at DWP, I think I always manage to get the one having a really bad day, so if anyone can figure it out, I would be really grateful.

I hope I've made things clear, but please ask if it will enable you to help me.

 

Thanks

[Nystagmite]

There's no disability premium on ESA. Just the severe and enhanced disability premiums. Have you been assessed and put into a group yet?

[maddiemay]

Had medical in January, but mum was still alive then, so would have been put in support group if they had made the decision before she died, which is unlikely as it was only a matter of a few weeks between.

The thing most confussing is the 'change in money coming in, in May.

Thank you for answering my question, much appreciated.

[maddiemay]

Sorry, no feedback from medical yet.

[estellyn]

Had medical in January, but mum was still alive then, so would have been put in support group if they had made the decision before she died, which is unlikely as it was only a matter of a few weeks between.

The thing most confussing is the 'change in money coming in, in May.

Thank you for answering my question, much appreciated.

 

I'm sorry for your loss, maddiemay. I'm a little confused, your mum still being alive wouldn't have had a bearing on your ESA decision. What group is down to whether you meet one of the support group descriptors or not.

 

How long have you been on ESA?

[maddiemay]

Oh, I was led to believe that if you were a carer, you would most likely get put into the support group, as one of the discriptors you mention is, 'if you are a carer'. I understood that the reason a medical was requested was because, the form for which the DWP determine the need for you to go for a medical or not, was never completed by me and returned to them, due to the fact that they sent it to a completely fabricated address, consisting of a combination of my mums last and previous address's, and there was no time to send another before the re-arranged medical (I only found out about the medical because they phoned on the morning to cancel) they made another appointment, it was during this call, it transpired they had the address wrong.

Im so muddled, hence my need to ask you guys to help.

Really grateful to you

[maddiemay]

Oh sorry, been on ESA, around 2 years

[estellyn]

Oh, I was led to believe that if you were a carer, you would most likely get put into the support group, as one of the discriptors you mention is, 'if you are a carer'. I understood that the reason a medical was requested was because, the form for which the DWP determine the need for you to go for a medical or not, was never completed by me and returned to them, due to the fact that they sent it to a completely fabricated address, consisting of a combination of my mums last and previous address's, and there was no time to send another before the re-arranged medical (I only found out about the medical because they phoned on the morning to cancel) they made another appointment, it was during this call, it transpired they had the address wrong.

Im so muddled, hence my need to ask you guys to help.

Really grateful to you

 

No, you being a carer has no impact on what group you are put in - except that they would take into account anything you did in your caring duties to assess your fitness to work (for instance walking, lifting, preparing meals etc). Support group is based on meeting one of the support group descriptors or exemptions/special circumstances, none of which are related to caring.

 

The carers allowance run on is for 8 weeks following the death of the person being cared for, but there is evidently some errors with your award calculations, which you should phone up and query. Do you have any other income of savings which might be affecting your award calculations?

[maddiemay]

No no savings, or any other income. Maybe I will have to call them then, Im sure they'll have a simple answer, as much as I'd like them to have made a mistake, they probably havent, although I cannot think of any reason why the payments would go down due to a change in money coming in! Or why I havent received what they say Im due.

Thank you estellyn

Maddie

[RaeUK]

Whilst I can't answer your specific query, the letter you received would have been a computer generated one. This is why it would say 'a change in money coming in', it's a bog standard phrase. It can also refer to an adjustment they've made as that would affect the money you have coming in. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

[estellyn]

What can sometimes happen is there is a mistake when processing the changes to your claim. I've seen this happen quite a few times. If you live alone with no other household income or savings then once the CA stops you should be receiving the bog standard ESA standard rate plus wrag or support element. The only other thing that might reduce it is overpayment clawback or social fund repayments, things like that - but if so it should say on your award letter.

[**Margaret**]

:maddiemay:

 

Sorry you've lost your Mum.

 

Two actions (possibly three with your letter to close it) on the same claim at the same time ...... Was trying to make sense of the figures earlier today but ......

 

Can you cope with phoning Jobcentreplus tomorrow? (Or ask someone to phone for you so long as you're with him/her.) Know it's easier said than done but the alternative's a letter and possibly waiting weeks for a reply.

 

You need to know whether there's a decision from the January reassessment, and if the answer's yes, the details of the decision and the date it was made.

 

Also, can you tell us if your previous award was based on national insurance contributions or income and which component you were awarded.

 

Margaret.

Edited April 9, 2013 by **Margaret**

[maddiemay]

Hi everyone

This claim is income based.

 

I had a medical about 4 years ago which went to appeal and was ruled in my favour in my absence, admittedly at that time I was only receiving the NI credits.

[maddiemay]

Well, I got brave and called them, I indeed did get the one who thinks he's above me because he's working and Im not, he managed to reduce me to tears. Apparently the claim has been closed down after all, and a letter was sent out to me on the 2nd April.

Thank you to everyone who has tried to help

[estellyn]

Well, I got brave and called them, I indeed did get the one who thinks he's above me because he's working and Im not, he managed to reduce me to tears. Apparently the claim has been closed down after all, and a letter was sent out to me on the 2nd April.

Thank you to everyone who has tried to help

 

was the claim closed as a result of the Atos assessment, if so you need to appeal the decision.

[**Margaret**]

:maddiemay:

 

First off, congrats on finding the courage to call.

 

Suspected that Jobcentreplus may've closed your claim but, unlike them, I prefer innocence until proven guilty. Not even starting to speculate as to why you received all the computer generated gobbledegook.

 

Did you find out whether they made a decision following the January reassessment or if the claim was closed in response to your letter.

 

'Failed' reassessment = appeal.

 

Closed claim without a decision = new claim.

 

Issues of my own with phones so I understand how you feel, but you need to be sure (one way or another) why your claim was closed so you know what to do next.

 

Take care, Margaret.

[maddiemay]

I didnt even get a chance to ask the outcome of the ATOS assesment, all the guy would keep spouting off was that, I had reconciled with my husband and the claim had been closed down. I tried to explain, I had been told that the close down had been stopped, but he was having none of it, and to make matters worse he said I have to pay the £148 I received a couple of days after the alleged halt on the close down, back!

I have already sent my letter of appeal, although as I have not yet received the letter from DWP sent out on the 2nd, Im not actually sure what Im appealing against, but I had to get it off asap.

[**Margaret**]

:maddiemay:

 

Grrr ......

 

At the misleading gobbledegook and the appalling attitude of the call centre.

 

Not that Jobcentreplus've closed your claim. Can't blame 'em for that, although they could've been clearer about it. Cause of the overpayment's far from clear, but if you can show it's their error it's not recoverable.

 

You've cause for complaint against Jobcentreplus, but they've not done anything that's appealable through the formal appeals process.

 

A new claim should be linked to your previous one which means you should receive assessment rate employment n support, plus whichever component you were previously in receipt of, from the first day. And probably a work capability assessment to go with it.

 

Sincerely, Margaret.

[Nystagmite]

wrong thread!

Edited April 10, 2013 by Nystagmite

[maddiemay]

Thanks Margaret, I shall wait a few days to see if anything happens, it will all probably catch up with itself in due course, in the meantime, Im giving serious thought about looking for work in caring, not sure if I could handle it, caring for your own mum is out of love, but prepared to give it a go, there are lots of other mums out there who need help. I would probably need a lot of support from any employer so thought I would speak to the disabilities advisor at the DWP about it.

Thanks for the advice, dont understand the wrong thread comment, sorry

Maddie

[Nystagmite]

Sorry, I replied and realised I was in the wrong thread.

 

Have you asked where the following comes from:

 

From 14th March to 11th April: I will get £103.60 per week (£71 + £32.60 because Im a carer??

From 11 April, I will get £105.00 per week, because of a change in benefit rates

From 9th May I will get £71.60, because of a change in money coming in??? Um where from????

These amount apply from 14th March to 3rd April??? So why does it go up to 9th May then???

 

Normally, there's a page at the back which explains how they worked out how much you get each week. This is based on what the law says you need to live on, other income and premiums.

 

You may need to phone then up and ask.