ESA Assessment

Hi AJ

It does sound correct, as you are in the assessment phase, when they switch you over to UC DWP will take into account household income as UC is means tested.

www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance

Gary

Hi AJ

No, NS ESA is not ending, as you rightly pointed out it has only just been introduced.

ESA can be means tested which is why a benefit adviser will always ask you the name of the benefit you are claiming, under the legacy benefits there were two types of ESA, Income related (IR) or Contribution Based (CB). IR ESA is means tested, if you are eligible to claim IR ESA then you may also get additional premiums such as SDP and EDP, these premiums are not paid to claimants who are only claiming CB ESA.

New Style ESA is a Contribution Based benefit and is not means tested with the exception of pension income which can reduce the amount that you receive.

The Income Related benefit that goes with NS ESA is Universal Credit.

The name NS ESA is confusing to many claimants, it should have been called CB UC to make it clearer to everyone claiming the benefit that they were under the new system, but some bright spark decided to call it NS ESA so we are stuck with it for now. It does make the job of the adviser much harder as we have to ask many questions before we can give correct advice.

I see many menbers on this forum talk about ESA without explaining which ESA they are talking about, we usually have to ask them to clarify which ESA they are referring to, as there are three types.

Thank you for your kind words, the back office team do a very good job in keeping the main guides up to date. I believe that the PIP guide was updated 4/5 times last year to take into account all the changes that was happening such telephone assessments/Tribunals and it has already been up dated in January this year.

Gary