Support Group Payments

blueamber wrote: Sorry if this topic is elsewhere I am not very clear about how to search. I was under the impression that if one was fortunate enough to go from being on indefinate Incapacity award to the full Support group on ESA that it was not reliant on contributions or means tested like the WRAG group.

However somebody told me that this is also means tested so if you have a working partner and have been on Incapacity for more than 1 year you also do not get payments in the full support group. Is this correct please?

From what you have said this person has misunderstood the Regulations.

Neither the Support Group nor the WRAG is means tested or contribution based, rather it is the ESA that you receive that is either CB, IR or a combination of the two.

If you were on IB then you will have been transferred to Contribution Based ESA, although you may also be eligible for an Income Related ESA top-up, especially as you are in the Support Group, however, any ESA(IR) top-up will be means tested on your household income, assets and savings, any the hours that your partner works. Your previous NI Contribution history was carried forward onto ESA.

Whilst the payment of ESA(CB) is time limited to 365 days, time spent in the Support Group does not count towards the total, so you will continue to receive ESA(CB) while you remain in the SG, however, if you are moved to the WRAG at any time then the count will begin.

I hope this explains it.

Gordon