Work component ESA - what happens when it ends?

[Psychoduck]

Hi there,

 

Hopefully this wont be as issue and I will have a job in 3-4 weeks (it looks promising, but not set in stone). Here's my question though.

 

My wife and I are on a joint ESA claim. She is the main claimant, so as far as the government are concerned I don't exist (I have to have her ask for interviews at the JC for me, and she has to be there in person to hear everything I say, and I'm allowed no help with education, travel, back to work payments or anything)

 

Part of our claim has led to my wife being on the Work Component of ESA. She's not found work, due to her stress and anxiety attacks, along with a knee surgery that went wrong (apparently it shouldn't have been done at all) that has left her barely able to walk without intense pain. The work group are aware of her situation, and have been helpful in putting her in touch with cognitive therapists, but their reports have always been of the "a long way to go" variety with regards to work. It's a shame, because if my wife was in work and not me, we'd get the back to work £40 a week bonus for a year, which would open up more options as to what job we could take, because we'd not need the same standard wage to make sure we cover all living costs. As it is, I've already been told by the Job Centre to turn down one job because their better off report said I'd be £50 a month worse off.

 

I'm rambling a bit now, sorry.

 

Basically, her ESA work component ends in 2 months time whether she is in work or not. But what happens then?

 

Does she go to another one? does she go to the Support group of ESA? does ESA end all together? or does it go back to basic ESA and we lose £60 a fortnight (which will leave us really strapped for cash, until creditors adjust and accept lower payments once more)?

 

We just want to know, so we can start preparing should I not get this job I'm kind of relying on.

 

 

Thanks for the help

[estellyn]

You need to call the DWP and ask for an ESA3 form, which you complete and send back, this will enable you to onto income based ESA at the same rate.

[Psychoduck]

I was already of the impression we were on Income Based ESA.

 

When we signed up for it, they asked who earned the most prior to the claim which was my wife as I was part time then. They took her tax code, and signed us up on a join claim with her being on Income Based ESA, and be being a partner.

 

That rate, to my knowledge is roughly £112 a week. She gets an extra component now of £28 a week for work support related activity.

 

Will the ESA3 form entitle us to the total of £140 a week? or did you mean the same rate as in the normal 112 a week, but we have to send in the form and it's not automatic?

[estellyn]

OK, I'm really groggy today - new meds. So why is the wrag component ending - is it the end of the contribution based ESA (the 365 day limit), or the end of the period of award following the initial assessment?

[Nystagmite]

Does your wife receive any contributions based ESA? It's possible to receive contributions based ESA and income based at the same time.

[Psychoduck]

Nystagmite: Nope, just income based.

 

Estellyn: We're not entirely sure, she was just told today that it will end in 9 weeks. No explanation was given at the group, she was just bluntly told that and she never really thought much about it til she got home and had a bit of a panic attack over it.

 

We've been on ESA for about 3 years. During which time she's had two medical assessments, both of which scored 0points and went to appeal. Appeals combined have taken up about 18 months of of our 3 years. Both appeals were successful and awarded 17 and 19 points. Benefits were then reinstated. So i guess it's past the 365 days of contribution based esa, so it may be the end of the period of award.

 

We're not sure if we lose the WRAG payment or not, because we're not sure if the WRAG is actually ending and then it's done, or if it's just the WRAG with the current group she is with is ending and she will be moved to somewhere else. None of it has been explained to her, and she has a real hard time going to the job centre about it because she panics (she had a fit last time she went when she needed to get an appeal for the assessment), but like I said in my original post I can't go and ask the job centre because they act like I don't exist and pretty much won't say anything to me unless my wife is there too which could cause her to have another attack.

 

Sorry I can't give much more detail than that. I think I may have to wait for my wife to go back to the WRAG in two weeks, and see if she can wring some more info from them but there usual response is 'speak to an advisor"

[estellyn]

Well it's either one of two things:

 

Either it's the end of the cont based ESA, in which case the income based will continue at the same rate.

 

Or, the end of period awarded following assessment - but surely in this circumstance she should be reassessed.

 

I suggest you call and ask for a call back from a decision maker for clarification.

[Nystagmite]

You should have a letter stating why it's ended?

[swinginapig]

You will only receive the Income Based if you fit the criteria of no other income or savings of no more than £16000. As you say it is a joint claim you do fit one of the criteria, just depends now if you have any savings of more that £16000..

[**Margaret**]

:Psychoduck:

 

Payment of an income related award of employment n support allowance doesn't just end without explanation or reason. The possibilities include:

 

Your wife's coming to the end of a recommended period before reassessment. All other things being equal Jobcentreplus may or may not send her for another work capability assessment. Should they do so, the first thing you'll know about it will be another ESA50 (or very rarely, a new decision letter). Payment of the existing award will continue until the new decision. She can't be put back on assessment rate or paid the support component without a new decision.

 

Jobcentreplus suspend payment of/close the claim cos the claimant's contravened the conditions of entitlement. Doesn't seem likely for your wife.

 

Errors n omissions by Jobcentreplus. Happens. None of us are perfect.

 

And what I think may be happening in your wife's case, but it's a shot in the dark. 'speak to an advisor' suggests that her work related activity is a time limited placement somewhere other than the jobcentre. And that it's placement rather than payment that's coming to an end.

 

For further info, the correct advice is to speak to/phone her jobcentre advisor or, as :estellyn: suggests, ask for a call back from her benefit delivery centre.

 

Good luck with the job application, Margaret.