Income based support group ESA being cancelled

[aaronlowe]

I was on income based ESA in the support group.

 

I just got a letter today, 29 Mar 2018, dated 23 Mar 2018 that my ESA will be cancelled from 27 Mar 2018.

 

Reason:

You have not paid or been credited with enough National Insurance Contributions.

We have based the tax years ending 5 April 2011 and 5 April 2012 to assess your claim.

 

What confused me is that I was claiming JSA all through those tax years. I thought JSA credited NI payments?

 

Also, in the same letter it says:

We will still credit you with National Insurance contributions while claiming Employment and Support Allowance.

 

So, I am confused. How can I run out of NI payments on income based ESA in the support group?

 

There are absolutely no instructions what to do next. They cancelled my ESA 2 days before I received the letter so I have absolutely no income provision.

 

What are my options? Will my housing benefit be cancelled and I am made homeless again?

[unclebulgaria67]

Does not sound correct. I thought with income based ESA that it was not time limited in any way. It does not relate to NI contributions and they just select a tax year to pay the benefit award towards, so you gain NI stamp for that year. While 2011-2012, may now be fully paid up NI stamp wise, why don't they just allocate another tax year for your ESA claim ?

 

Suggest you telephone ESA first thing next Tuesday morning when they are open again.

 

You need to contact the council housing benefit people to let them know what is going on, as they will be advised by ESA that benefit stopped. They will allow time to sort out with ESA and HB can still continue if you have no income.

 

If ESA has definitely stopped and cannot be restarted, look into claiming Universal Credit.

[dx100uk]

yep

ESA(IR) isn't based on NI contributions but instead on your household income and assets.

[Nystagmite]

There's no time limit on ESA (IR)

[aaronlowe]

I tried phoning them first thing this morning but their offices are closed for the next 4 days. Will have to try again on Tuesday 3rd April.

So far a total of 6 advisors have all told me exactly the same thing. It doesn't make any sense but nothing I can do but wait for another 4 days.

[aaronlowe]

9am, this morning called DWP on 0800 169 0310 (ignoring the 0345 608 8545 number on the letter). Only on hold for 56 minutes which is relatively quick.

 

Went through security questions. They asked me why I was calling.

 

I said I have received a letter stating "You are not getting any more income-related Employment and Support Allowance... because you have not paid, or been credited with enough National Insurance Contributions."

 

Immediately the operator said, "Oh, I know that that is about and put me on hold."

 

Eventually they got back and said they had phoned around and enquired what this letter referred to. They told me to call this number: 0141 636 8156, which is my local Jobcenter. I asked what they wanted to talk about. The operator said, "We don't know. There is no note on the claim."

 

I was worried that they hadn't explained so I asked them, "Is is normal to stop getting income-based ESA because of a lack of contributions?"

 

The operator replied, "Yes, that is sometimes the only way we can contact you."

 

I said I was confused as to whether my ESA had been stopped. The operator said my next payment is due on the 9th April. Still confused I asked if that meant I would get paid on the 9th April and whether the payments would continue. The operator said, "No. There is a block on your claim until you contact the Jobcentre that issued the block."

 

So, I said thankyou and goodbye.

 

Phoned the number provided twice. It failed to connect. So, looked up the number for my local Jobcenter which is listed as 0800 055 6688. Phoned that number and it said I needed to phone 0800 169 0310.

 

Wait a minute, I thought, that's the number I originally phoned!

 

So, phoned 0800 169 0310 again and was put on hold for a very short 40 minutes.

 

Explained the whole situation again as above. 5 minutes later the operator came back and said they had cancelled the block and there was no need to call the Jobcenter.

 

So, I asked if the operator knew why the Jobcenter (that I've never been to or had any contact with) had put a block on my ESA claim.

 

He said that a year ago I had been investigated by the fraud department because my wife works. I said, "But that was cleared up last year."

 

"Yes, but, the Job Center were only just told about it," the operator replied.

 

"So, I don't need to contact the Job Center?" I asked.

 

Operator: "No, I've lifted the block on your claim. The fraud department ruled there was no infringement and I'm not going to argue with that."

 

End of case study.

[dx100uk]

how flippin stupid!!

 

well done!!

 

dx

[Poppy007]

I would request it all to be confirmed in writing to you so they can't backtrack and deny the telephone call took place.