I recently got a letter saying I will be losing my esa benefits next month, which was a shock to me as they never told me it was 365 days only, since they had me on income-related then soon as I got married they moved me to contribution allowance without telling me! Now I’m going to be down £442 a month and I can’t work or claim JSA so I’m stuck with loss of money. I recently got married July and now they’re saying because I’m married and my husband works then I can’t claim income-related ESA.
Just really confused on advice tbh and struggling to cope with college as it is without having to worry about having to work as well to keep afloat. We’re currently living with my husband’s parents to clear off debt and now being 24/25years old we’re having to rely on them more which is unfair to them.
Im so sorry you going through such a stressful time. I really cant help, i have responded to you post to push your post back onto the front page in the hopes someone may see it second time around.
I am sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings but your benefit situation sounds to be correct.
Contribution based ESA is only paid for one year unless you are in the support group. Once contribution based ends you can continue to get Income based only if your income is below a certain level. If you have a working partner, savings or a works pension it is unlikely that you would be eligible. In your case your husband’s salary has popped you over the limit.
Many married/in –relationship people have come a cropper with this. It is a scandal of this government that MSers and others with incurable conditions are subject to this absurd 12 month rule.
How close are you to being eligible for the support group? (Rule of thumb is that you could score 15 points for just one descriptor) This is the only way that your money could be reinstated. Have you had new symptoms since you were assessed? It is too late to appeal your original decision but if you have significant new things that would change the decision to place you in the Work Related Activity Group you can ask for your case to be looked at again.
If you have spent 12 months on ESA your Nation Insurance contributions will probably be insufficient to claim contribution based JSA and your husband’s wages will block you from income based JSA.
Whether you are entitled to contribution-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA), depends on the National Insurance contributions you have paid over the last two complete tax years before the benefit year you make your claim in.
Sorry – I think that your ESA coming to an end means an end to all contribution based benefits.
Just affecting my health as well from the stress of losing the money. We’re planning to move out next month and with our current income of my husbands work and my small amount of DLA we’d be -£38 a month.
I just don’t want to go back to the hospital to get treatment again when i’ve been doing so well over the passed year coming off my depression medication, now i’m just tempted to go back onto it.
I’m going to go to the job centre first thing monday morning, to ask for some advice and see what I could possibly do instead. I have read that you can leave it for 12 weeks then reapply again for esa but I’m not sure if I should risk it.
Thank you to all your advice and help, it has helped me
Just realised, with my letter saying I am not entitled, they sent me a “Jobseekers Allowance, Disagreeing with a decision” booklet. So i don’t even have the correct information booklet to contact them with.
It’s me again. You are going to be fed up of reading my replies because they are always so negative!
It’s true that if you are turned down for ESA you can reapply after a period of 12 weeks but unless you have built up your NI contributions (through work) you will still be ineligible for contribution based and will not get income based due to your husband’s wages. The only advantage to a reapplication would be if you felt that you could get into the support group. Remember – score 15 points for just ONE of the descriptors.
I understand your frustrations but the harsh fact is that our lovely government will only pay income replacement benefits for 12 months unless you are in the group of the most disabled or have no other income into the household. Have you looked at working tax credits? If your husband’s income is not large and has to now support both of you – you might get something there.
I was put on WRAG controbution base, a couple of years ago and first time I got on this benefit I didn’t know there was such thing as a support group but when the year came to the end and they told me they would stop paying me I found out about the support group and when I read it I thought, hold on that sounds more like it’s made for me…
So I sent an appeal in however after two years they have still not got back to me BUT they told me that every three months you can re apply which was what I did and once I showed them what I was like they put me on the support group. I say try and apply asap as you may lose controbutions while waiting.
Controbution Support group still ends every 2 years but better then one I guess. You just have to be tested all the time.
I got the Citizens advice bureau to fill in all my forms which helped alot.
Hi. I actually work for DWP so i maybe able to help. This doesn’t mean i make or agree with the rules might i add!!! I think wendels suggestion is a useful one regarding tax credits although it is difficult for me to give you specific advice as i do not know your personal circumstances. There is also a “disability element” of tax credits. This is not a DWP benefit,it is HMRC. Usual eligibility is couples over 25 can claim if they work a certain number of hours, or couples with children. Depending on your husbands income, you maybe eligible for assistance with council tax - contact your local authority. This applies now even though you are living with husbands parents although they will need to apply. It isn’t clear whether when you move out you will own your property or have a tenancy. If you and your husband will live in rented accommodation, again depending on his income you may quality for housing benefit - speak to the local authority. I would also suggest contacting Money Advice Service which is a free service set up on behalf of the Government. See if there is someone local you can get an appointment with to sit down and go through everything with you. They can advise on a range of things such as reclaiming PPI, discounted water rates, and give information on other money matters. A friend of mine saw them and was in similar situation to you. The guy really helped my friend and suggested relevant charities that can help. I would like to add that regarding benefits such as DLA/PIP, if the health condition changes (improves or declines) you can notify DWP who will reassess your benefit. It maybe that your health has declined since you made your claim. You mentioned the possibility of claiming JSA. Regardless of whether or not you would qualify for income or contributory based benefit, JSA conditionality would apply in that you would be required to be available and actively seeking employment - the full details of which would be discussed and agreed upon making your claim. Apologies if this tells you stuff that you already know or have already tries but i do hope that there is something useful here and that other people may find it a profitable read. Take care and good luck.
Thank you for the advice on this post. I didn’t want to put too much detail on the forum so I’ve not answered all of the questions.
Tax credits: I don’t know if my husband now earns too much to get this as he works 48 hours a week.
Moving out: It would be a rented property, but a 3 bedroom house so they’d only pay towards 1 bedroom for housing benefit.
Health wise: I don’t know if I’m any worse as I’ve not seen a neurologist or had scans/tests since 2 or so years ago - as when I moved, I’ve been requesting to see a neurology department here since April, 2012 but the doctors here are useless. I feel my health has gotten worse but I have no one locally to help me. I’d have to travel back 60 miles to the hospital I’m still registered at for help (ms nurses, MRI etc).
I feel like I’m targeted now because I got married in July. Before I sent my request for name change to the job centre they had me on contribution-based esa but soon as I told them I was married I was suddenly put on income-based esa. (Also when I phoned jobcentreplus: they told me I was on income-based esa but at the local centre they had me put as contribution based so I was really confused…) I am looking through my paperwork now to find out what’s going on.
I phoned the jobcentre today to ask for any help or information. They basically told me that the only way I’d get my money back is if I lived seperately to my husband or if he lost his job.
Yea it is very hard! I have never been able to get income base as I always lived with my partner, even before I was married They treated me like I was and when I got married nothing changed coz I have always been on controbution base since I lived with my partner.
My partner works 37 hours a week so we couldn’t get tax credit either
So if you feel you have got worse since you last appiled I would re apply and go through the citizen advice bureau.
Oh not sure if this helps but they can only help with Rent they never help with Mortage so I may of missed abit but this is why I have never got help with my housing as they only help people that are renting
HB comes from the local Council and will only help with rent.
There is help available for mortgages (interest only not the capitol) from DWP but you must be on one of the following
Income related JSA
Income Related ESA
Income Support
Pension Credit
There is a waiting time of 13 weeks. - it is called Housing Costs Payments
I realise this will not help the OP because she cannot get income related benefits but there may be others who will find the info useful.
