ESA, PIP & carers allowance

Both my husband and I get contribution based ESA support at £109.30 per week plus my husband gets £55.10 standard care PIP. I was told to apply for carers allowance. They have told me I am entitled but won't get any more money as I get ESA. I have been told I should get a top up of about £25 on top of my ESA.

I rang DWP today and they are sending me a form to fill in to see if we are better claiming ESA income based. I am worried now in case they stop my ESA. Should I fill this form in or can I ignore it as I don't want to be worse off.

Alfie's Mummy wrote: Both my husband and I get contribution based ESA support at £109.30 per week plus my husband gets £55.10 standard care PIP. I was told to apply for carers allowance. They have told me I am entitled but won't get any more money as I get ESA. I have been told I should get a top up of about £25 on top of my ESA.

I rang DWP today and they are sending me a form to fill in to see if we are better claiming ESA income based. I am worried now in case they stop my ESA. Should I fill this form in or can I ignore it as I don't want to be worse off.

Hi AM,

Yes, you cannot receive CA and ESA as they are classed as "overlapping benefits" !

However, now that you have applied for CA, even though they cannot pay you full CA due to the above, you still have an "underlying entitlement" to CA which may result in payment of The Carer Premium (CP) as an Income Related ESA Premium top-up to your CB ESA payments.

As you are both in The SG, if you can pass the IR ESA means test, you may also be entitled to payment of the couple rate of The Enhanced Disability Premium. (EDP)

See : IR ESA Premiums

Asset rule for receipt of IR ESA

&

24 hour work rule for ESA(IR)

If you can't pass the IR ESA means test with respect to capital, assets, savings, other household income and any hours worked by a partner, even though you may fulfil the other qualifying criteria and have an "entitlement" to ESA IR ESA Premiums, you will not receive "payment" of any Premiums.

The form that they will send you will be an ESA 3 : Sample ESA 3 Form or an ESA 2 form which is very similar.

Your ESA payments should not cease, and the above forms have nothing to do with the "Group" that you are in (SG) being reassessed.

The form/s are used purely to capture your financial and personal details to see whether you can receive payment of IR ESA Premium top-ups to your CB ESA.

Receipt of even a penny of IR ESA passports you to other "benefits" such as free prescriptions, dental work, HB, and Council Tax Support, etc, so it is worth filling in and returning the form.

It is a shame that you are not also in receipt of a MR or HR Care DLA Award, or a PIP Daily Living Award, as if you were, you may also have entitlement to payment of the couple rate of The Severe Disability Premium. (SDP)

See : Benefit Rates 2015/16

I don't want to put a dampener on things but on the face of the information that you have provided, you may not have entitlement to payment of any IR ESA premium top-ups.

However, I would still strongly advise you to fill in the form, as only the DWP can decide, and you have all to gain and nothing to lose.

Please keep us updated.

bro58

Thank you so much. I'll keep you informed of what happens.

When you next get asessed for ESA you will need to be exact about what 'care' you give your husband as this could be seen as you being more capable of work or work related activity.

Update - we can not get any top ups as we are both contribution based ESA.