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ESA or Income Support
- lesleyb123
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7 years 2 months ago #182340 by lesleyb123
ESA or Income Support was created by lesleyb123
I have a friend who was recently widowed and is currently receiving 52 weeks of ESA contribution based bereavement pay and housing benefits and 25% discount for council tax.
She was her husbands carer for the last 2 years so they class this as earning which is why she only gets the 25% council tax deduction and why her ESA is contribution based.
She has Emphasimia and COPD plus other things and is considering applying for PIP.
Her son has suggested she may be better off on income support rather than ESA.
Does the council tax seem right or does anyone think she should have help with some of it and would she be better off on ESA or Income Support. Any help would be appreciated.
She was her husbands carer for the last 2 years so they class this as earning which is why she only gets the 25% council tax deduction and why her ESA is contribution based.
She has Emphasimia and COPD plus other things and is considering applying for PIP.
Her son has suggested she may be better off on income support rather than ESA.
Does the council tax seem right or does anyone think she should have help with some of it and would she be better off on ESA or Income Support. Any help would be appreciated.
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- Gordon
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7 years 2 months ago #182377 by Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by Gordon on topic ESA or Income Support
Lesley
I would suggest that they get face to face advice from trained advisor, ask them to do an internet search for "welfare advice" with their postcode, town or county.
Based on the information you have posted I can't see how they would claim Income Support unless they are now a single parent with a child under the age of 5.
Gordon
I would suggest that they get face to face advice from trained advisor, ask them to do an internet search for "welfare advice" with their postcode, town or county.
Based on the information you have posted I can't see how they would claim Income Support unless they are now a single parent with a child under the age of 5.
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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- lesleyb123
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7 years 2 months ago #182485 by lesleyb123
Replied by lesleyb123 on topic ESA or Income Support
Gordon is it right that when you have been a carer for the past 2 years that you would go onto contributions based ESA and also would being on contributions based ESA have an effect on council tax benefit as they say she is only entitiled to the 25% discount as a single adult household.
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7 years 2 months ago #182506 by Gordon
There is an exemption to the First Contribution Condition if the claimant was "entitled to a carer’s allowance in the last complete tax year immediately preceding the relevant benefit year". For an ESA claim made now this would be the Tax Year for 2015-16. You would also need to have worked at least two years at some time prior to the claim.
You will have to check with the Local Authority as to whether a claim for ESA would enable further discounting, I think it may only be Income Related ESA that would enable this, although this may be payable as a top-up to any ESA(CB).
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
Replied by Gordon on topic ESA or Income Support
Lesley wrote: Gordon is it right that when you have been a carer for the past 2 years that you would go onto contributions based ESA and also would being on contributions based ESA have an effect on council tax benefit as they say she is only entitiled to the 25% discount as a single adult household.
There is an exemption to the First Contribution Condition if the claimant was "entitled to a carer’s allowance in the last complete tax year immediately preceding the relevant benefit year". For an ESA claim made now this would be the Tax Year for 2015-16. You would also need to have worked at least two years at some time prior to the claim.
You will have to check with the Local Authority as to whether a claim for ESA would enable further discounting, I think it may only be Income Related ESA that would enable this, although this may be payable as a top-up to any ESA(CB).
Gordon
Nothing on this board constitutes legal advice - always consult a professional about specific problems
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