ESA3 CLAIM FORM INCOME RELATED EXTRA PAYMENTS

Please can you tell me if I can use the ESA50 Guide to help me complete the ESA3 form the DWP have sent me regarding extra payments for Income-Related ESA?

I am currently on Contribution-Based ESA and very confused - are the DWP just assessing me to see if I'm entitled to the extra payments or are they completely re-assessing my whole claim?

Many thanks Gordon
I must admit I have been worried about the assessment form, but only having the "even pages" on it, that's probably made it worse than it is. I'm now waiting for a complete form with both "odd and even pages" to arrive. As if this is not stressful enough.

MillieBruce is my screen name, I hope I've done everything right? I've never wrote in a forum before so this is all new to me. Thank you for your concern.

Hi
Just wanted to say I have recently filled in the ESA3 form
it does not ask about your condition at all
it is all about circumstances eg. finances/benefits/housing/dependents/work/training etc
it is a big form but loads of mine i didnt have to fill in because of my circumstances

hope that helps a little

Hi MillieBruce,

Just wanted to add my reassurance to Walker’s post........
I too, received and completed the ESA3 form. It’s a doddle in comparison with the original ESA and PIP books (!) we’ve completed. Like Walker said - no medical info is required at all, which I found quite strange at first tbh cos it is the two additional Premiums for disabilities we are now applying for afterall.
However, once I’d got my head round the fact that the IR part of the ESA DOES provide the extra disability premiums but IS NOT based on how severe your disability is, but it IS based on how much income you receive - I then realised that the form would be a lot easier to complete. This was due to me living alone, as a council tenant, that I only have a pension, existing DWP benefits and that my bank & saings accounts were all with one Bank.
So hopefully your situation isn’t too complicated and once you receive the WHOLE form, you’ll breeze thro it. Lol.

The hardest thing I found was finding written records or statements for bank & savings accounts, pension income, rent etc etc going right back to Oct 2011. Cos unless you’re an expert hoarder or got a long term filing fetish, I would imagine most folk may not have all that info readily available.

The good news to resolve that problem tho is........
Banks/Building Societies are able to retrieve balances on particular yearly dates - print and post the info to you. Found that also applies to Pension providers too. As for DWP income each year - ring them back and ask THEM for that info.
And there ya go - all done - Simples!

Last few things worth mentioning.......

1) The usual 4 weeks return date for the form applies.
And remember, that blummin pre-paid brown envelope is only 2nd class and as a result goes like snail mail, so usually takes 7 days. Just like the number of days it takes to reach you in the first place. Therefore, if you can afford to, DO send it Guaranteed Next Day Delivery.

2) If for whatever reason, you are unable to provide ALL the income evidence required, DO ring them and explain, because my DWP adviser told me that they are just trying to process all these backpayments claims quick as possible and as a result, as long as they have most of the info, they are willing to “guesstimate” missing years incomes and/or savings balances. Quicker and easier that way. So don’t worry if you don’t have EVERYTHING asked for. Just try to get as much as you can.

3) You will notice that the back payments are only from Oct 2014 up to the present time - but the ESA3 form asks for your income/savings back to Oct 2011.
I’ll try to explain......
Take me as an example:
I received a nice amount last month which represented backpayments from Oct 2014. This date is when the DWP were aware of their official error and could legally backdate my claim from them.
However, cos the error had been made to thousands of people going right back to Oct 2011, it didn’t sit right with loads of people and groups representing disabled folk. One such group: a Child Poverty action group stepped up to the DWP and challenged their ruling. So the wonderful news is that we I should be getting another backpayment amount soon. (Not sure when that will be cos altho the DWP Secretary announced the decision last month, it depends on when the instructions to proceed with the new date backpayments is actually filtered down to the guys and gals that process all these claims.
The good news (potentially) for you, is that all being well, you may get assessed straightaway back to the 2011 date. Fingers x’d for you.
Or if the systems/instructions haven’t been filtered down by the time they receive your claim, then you’ll be like me - two separate bumper paydays. Which is lovely to receive!

4) One last tip - make sure you take photocopies of everything - the ESA3 claim form, all income/savings evidence & statements etc etc. The odd person’s whole claim pack & contents have been known to go AWOL into a weird black hole down in DWP Towers.

5) Lastly, the claim process was taking just two weeks in May, Jun, Jul this year. Altho that quick timescale may well have increased now due to summer holidays.

Righteo, best go now. Sorry if I’ve rambled on and on. I do hope you’ve found the info useful and has given you some reassurance too. So when that full claim book arrives, get straight onto it and hopefully look forward to receiving a nice lil windfall eh.

Good Luck Millie.