ESA

Charlie123 wrote: Hi,

Upon phoning to claim ESA what happens next? Does a questionnaire come through at this stage?

Can you ask ESA to pay monthly rather than every fortnight?

Thanks

When you phone you can either request an ESA1 claim form (you can also download and print it from Gov.UK), or if you have all of the necessary information available, you can complete the form over the phone, you will need a Fit Note, your National Insurance Number and SSP1 form, they may also ask about your current assets and savings so you might want to have all of your Bank and other details to hand, they may also ask about your income so have any payslips and pension certificates available as well.

Even if you complete the form online, in the vast majority of cases it will be sent to you for signature, they may ask you to send copies of some of the documents mentioned above, when you send the ESA1 back.

The DWP will then carry out an eligibility check to see whether a claim for ESA can be made, for Contribution Based ESA they will look at the last two full Tax Years prior to the current Benefit Year, for 2014 this is 2011-12 and 2012- 2013 from Monday 5 January 2015 it will be 2012-13 and 2013-14, you need to have paid sufficient NI Contributions in these two years to meet the requirements.

For Income Related ESA it will depend on your household income, assets and savings and any hours that a partner works, see the following for more details

Asset rule for ESA(IR)

24 hour work rule for ESA(IR)

If you are eligible to claim then payment of the ESA Assessment rate should start in about 10-17 days depending on payment dates, you will receive an ESA50 asking about limitations that result from your conditions in 5-8 weeks, you will have four weeks to complete and return this from the date of the accompanying letter.

ESA is paid two weekly in arrears, it is not possible for it to be paid monthly, I am afraid you will have to budget around 26 payments a year.

Gordon