Help please with ESA /CB ..Ending

Tilly

You can only make a new claim for Contribution Based ESA if you can re-meet the Contribution Conditions again and at least one of the years used is later than those used when you originally qualified. This means that you need to have worked for at least 26 weeks in one of the two complete Tax Years preceding the year that the claim is made. For a claim made in 2017 these are 2014-15 and 2015-16,

After the 365 days have elapsed then your ESA(CB) payments will cease and from your post you are not eligible due to your savings to receive ESA(IR), however, your claim remains open and it is to your advantage to leave it open, if at some time in the future you are assessed and moved to the Support Group then your ESA(CB) will go back into payment.

I believe that the current full pension requirement is 35 years or more of NI Contributions or Credits.

Gordon

Tilly

Can you re-meet the Contribution Conditions to make a new claim, you will have to have worked for at least 26 weeks in one of the Tax years 2014-15 or 2015-16 and the 26 weeks must not have been used to allow your current claim (e.g. it must be a newer 26 weeks) and received NI Contributions or Credits for at least 50 weeks in each of these Tax Years?

If you can't re-meet these conditions then you cannot make a new claim for ESA(CB). You don't need to close your claim, just leave it as it is.

If you can and this should be something that you can specifically confirm by contacting HMRC then you can close your current claim if it is no longer in payment and make a new claim for ESA(CB). But be aware it is a completely new claim, new ESA50 and new face to face.

Gordon