Query about ESA and a new condition

Hi all, I was hoping someone could help me with a question about ESA.

I am already in the income work related group, due to a previous condition. I had been recovering and doing permitted work, which I was due to increase next year and move on to working tax credits (when my 1 year ESA was up). However, that is all now changed as I have recently been diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis and possible Multiple Sclerosis. It had a very sudden onset and has caused major lack of mobility along with several other symptoms.

I called ESA and told them about my change of circumstances and they sent me a new form to fill out, in order to be reassessed for the support group. I'm unsure what will happen next, if I am successful, will I stay in the income based group or will they move me back to contribution based? I filled out the questionnaire on the 'entitledto' website and it came up with amounts for both....needless to say I am a little confused.

I have also applied for PIP and am waiting to hear back for an assessment.

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

Thanks Gordon!

I'm trying to remember it right, as my memory is not great at the moment, but I think I was on contribution for one year and then moved onto work related for a year. This is due to end early next year and my plan was to increase my working hours. However due to these recent events I have had to give up my job.

So my current claim is for work related ESA, but I am to be assessed for the support group. If successful I thought I would remain on income based, rather than be moved back to contribution. I'm just not quite sure what I will be entitled to?

Thanks for the link, I will have a read through now.

LilacRose wrote: Thanks Gordon!

I'm trying to remember it right, as my memory is not great at the moment, but I think I was on contribution for one year and then moved onto work related for a year. This is due to end early next year and my plan was to increase my working hours. However due to these recent events I have had to give up my job.

So my current claim is for work related ESA, but I am to be assessed for the support group. If successful I thought I would remain on income based, rather than be moved back to contribution. I'm just not quite sure what I will be entitled to?

Thanks for the link, I will have a read through now.

Hi LR,

The group that you are in, WRAG or SG has no relevance to what type of ESA, Income Related (IR) or Contribution Based (CB) ESA that you will be paid.

Payment of CB ESA, if entitled, will always take precedence over any IR ESA entitlement.

If you were initially paid CB ESA, which would be the case if you were previously in receipt of IB or SDA and were transferred over to ESA, or you worked and received the necessary NI Contribution from employment prior to claiming ESA , you would only receive CB ESA for 365 days if not in The Support Group (SG)

After exhausting your 365 days of CB ESA whilst not in The SG, you would have been financially assessed to see whether you could pass the means test for entitlement to payment of IR ESA.

If you pass the means test, payment of IR ESA would continue after you had exhausted your CB ESA payments.

This being the case, if you were placed into The SG after review, payment of CB ESA in The SG would occur from the date that you requested the review.

Even, if you are in receipt of CB ESA, you can also receive IR ESA top-ups.

Really, you have no choice in the matter, if you were initially entitled to IR ESA in The WRAG, then payment of IR ESA will continue in The SG if you are placed into it after review.

If you were initially entitled to and paid CB ESA in The WRAG before exhausting your 365 days, payment of CB ESA will be reinstated if you are placed into The SG after review.

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

bro58

Thanks Bro!

I think I understand a little more now, and suppose all I can do is wait and see what happens. There are so many different components, I sometimes wish they didn't need to make it all so complicated.

Guess I'll be joining the ranks, waiting for the next envelope to hit the mat!