What benefits should I be entitled to. At present I receive ESA Support group £109.30 a week. That`s it.
According to the benefits system (based on my condition) I don`t qualify for anything else.
I can`t survive on just that. My out goings are more. What can I do ?
Thanks.
Hi
Have a look at Personal Independence Payment - Citizens Advice
You might be entitled to Personal Independence Payment, but do be aware, the form is long and complex. If you think you might be entitled, try to get some help with the claim. You could try to get a welfare benefits advisor from the CAB to help, or maybe your local council has advisors.
At the very least you could consider joining http://www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/
They do charge for membership (about £20) but they have excellent guides to ESA and PIP. But have a look at the free info available first to see whether you think you’d qualify. If you do, PIP is not taxable and it doesn’t have a negative effect on other benefits. Instead, if you were claiming Income Support or Housing Benefit for example, it can have a positive effect, i.e. you could be entitled to more of a means tested benefit if you qualify for the Daily Living part of PIP.
The benefits system is a bit of a complex nest of snakes through which you have to tread carefully. Make sure whatever you apply for, you provide as much evidence as you can to support any statements you make about yourself and your health/disability. Always photocopy anything you send to the DWP and send recorded delivery.
Sue
Hi, do you get housing benefit or help with mortgage interest if you own a property? There’s PIP have you applied for that?
Are you on income based or contribution based ESA?
Other benefits can be help with gas and electric, a £140 discount/refund a year from the utility company (government scheme). This is for income based ESA only I think.
Free (or discounted) NHS prescriptions, dental and eye care - depending on your situation. Who can get free prescriptions - NHS
Council tax reduction, contact your local authority.
I think in the ESA support group you can earn up to £20 a week as permitted work.
I think I get contribution based ESA. I know I`m in the Support Group.
I went for PIP but didnt score anywhere near enough points. I do now get free prescriptions. I dont qualify on Council Tax discount, gas and electric, water. I have asked the question. I paid off the mortgage when I was able to work.
£20 a week actually working is not even worth considering.
It sounds to me Scudger, that you could do with seeing a welfare benefits expert to check that you have in fact claimed everything you are entitled to. If you now get free prescriptions, normally that’s because you get a means tested benefit. Which would in turn qualify you for Council Tax Benefit.
Why not see if you can get a CAB benefits check? They could run through everything you currently get and make sure there isn’t anything else you could be claiming.
Sue
It may be due to factors such as savings.
If the property you own is leasehold rather than freehold you may get help with maintenance charges and ground rent.
I know you have said you asked about council tax discount but those on a low income and are working can get a partial reduction, so I query why you can’t get a partial reduction.
You don’t get free prescriptions if your of working age unless your on income based benefits, including income based ESA, or you have certain conditions MS isn’t one of them, read the back of prescriptions.
PIP is for people who struggle with daily tasks, but I’ve found its almost impossible to claim without guidance or support, and you need to be aware of the discriptors used that would qualify you for PIP.
Income based benefits are what they say they are, it’s not what you spend, it’s the minimum you can survive on. If you claim you have to fill in the forms supplied, the council or DWP will ask about your assets, your home, any portfolio of savings, investments or pensions you have, and other money coming into your household, partners earnings for example, and the make up of your household. The forms are very intrusive which puts off some people.
there are online benefits calculators that you fill in to see if your missing something before you claim anything. Just google online benefits calculator. But prepared to lose you temper because you haven’t got an answer to some question!
watersure plus and winter fuel discount are applied for though your suppliers but are also based on household income.
People often need help and guidance when claiming benefits to support yourself on. Sometimes the system is as clear as mud.
As far as I understand you can get free NHS prescriptions if you are on a low income but not claiming benefits means tested benefits. It’s through the NHS Low Income Scheme which can give you any where between a partial discount to full discount on NHS costs, so free NHS precriptions. Depending on savings and income.
You can apply for the scheme as long as your savings, investments or property (not counting the place where you live) don’t exceed the capital limit. In England, the limit is:
The rules governing who is eligible are broadly the same as those for a means-tested benefit. However, the assessment also takes into account council tax and housing costs, so you can get help with health costs even if your income is too high for a means-tested benefit.
I should have added if you are on a low income you can fill in an HC1 help with NHS cost claim form which will also ask you about the ins and out of a ducks a***, but being in receipt of ESA does not in itself entitled a claimant to free prescriptions.
Yes it does.
No it doesn’t.
You qualify for free prescriptions if you are receiving income related ESA, but not if its contribution based. Income based is a means tested benefit, what this means is that your income is balanced against what the government says you ‘need’ given your circumstances (and of course, the governments set rates). If your income is less than your needs, then you are paid the balance. However, if you are in receipt of contributions based ESA (this means your entitlement is based on the National Insurance payments you made and is not in the main based on your income), then you are not necessarily in receipt of a means tested benefit and you are not therefore automatically entitled to free prescriptions.
So if you look at the link you’ve supplied, you can see that the information is about income related ESA.
You may need to check your ESA entitlement notification letters and see exactly what it says. If you are entitled to income related ESA, you should also qualify for Council Tax Benefit btw. But if your letters state that you are receiving contributions based ESA, then you would not automatically qualify for free prescriptions.
Sue
Well I`m totally confused and lost.
I qualify for free prescriptions but I don`t qualify for Council Tax discount.
I dont know if Im receiving income related or contributions based ESA. All I know is by the letters that I have that I`m in Support Group ESA.
Um, sorry to confuse things further, but by ‘Council Tax Discount’, do you mean the discount for disability? You get this if you use a wheelchair indoors or have to have an extra room because of your disability (typically a downstairs bathroom or a room for kidney dialysis or an extra room for some other reason).
It’s different to Council Tax Benefit, which is a means tested benefit. If you were in receipt of income based ESA, then you should be entitled to Council Tax Benefit.
I do suggest you check your ESA entitlement letter, yes it will tell you that you are in the ‘support’ group, but the letter will also tell you whether you qualify for income related, or contributions related ESA.
Sue
Ill look through my letters tomorrow to see what ESA Im actually on.
The most I use if needed is a walking stick. Other than that I am mobile.
There is so much to learn and saying the correct term helps.
When you’ve checked, I still think it’s worth phoning your local council (Borough, District, Metropolitan) and asking if you’re getting or are entitled to Council Tax Benefit. Even if you’re on contributions based ESA, you should be able to claim some money off your bill.
Sue
I phoned about the ESA. Im getting contribution based ESA and Im in the support group.
What I dont understand is I get free prescriptions but I dont qualify getting contribution based ESA.
Now I know what type of ESA I`m getting I can now look into other benefits.
Try phoning the CAB Scudger, see if you can get a welfare rights advisor to go through what you could apply for.
Sue
OK, thanks Sue.
Hello,I think that I am in a similar position to you in that I get contribution based ESA and are in the support group,I too get free prescription if I remember correctly I had to fill a form in as chronically ill with MS (ppms),the form was sent to I think my doctors,I think it was my MS nurse that told me I should not be paying for my meds as I had an annual prescription card.I am sure I phoned the doctors surgery to get the form,
Hope this helps.