Confused

Denni - if you don't have enough tax contributions for ESA(CB) it may be that someone at the DWP has sent you a form in case you are eligible for ESA(IR), but if you live with your husband, you may well not be entitled to means-tested benefits because of his income.

Catherine - I'm not sure what the answer to your query is. Hopefully someone else will know.

Hi Catherine

I can't think of any reason why somebody who has CB-IB terminated after failing PCA should not be entitled to claim CB-ESA. However, there could be other complications and the need to look at the documentation is essential.

For example, when a claimant switches benefit, the DWP have a habit of missing one weeks NI contributions, giving claimants a defective contribution record.

When it happened to me, the explanation I was given was that they credit claimants with NI on a Friday! And I started a new claim on a Friday!

Denni says she has an appointment with the CAB so hopefully they will be able to make sense of it.

Best wishes

Derek

denni wrote:

Thats the understanding i thought Catherine.But like i say i have been refused ESA & recieved this form to fill in. Dont understand as they say i am not entitled to any benefits, so why do i have to fill in this Form. In fact guess what, i recieved another form exatley the same one as stated before ,in the post this morning.So now i have 2. I am even more confused

Hi Denni

Can you tell us the name of the form you have been sent? Is it an ESA50 or some other claim form?

Derek

Thanks Survivor and Derek.

Derek - did the DWP sort out the missing week so you ended up getting contribution based ESA whilst you appealed?

Is it the norm for people who have been on IB put fail a PCA to go on to either contribution based JSA or ESA?

For some people it won't make that much difference what type of JSA/ESA you get, but for those with a working partner or someone with savings - they could end up entitled to nothing.

If that ridiculous one week business you described is normal - can claimants pay the missing week themselves to ensure they are entitled to NI based benefits?

Denni - good luck with your appeal and getting down to the bottom of what you are entitled to.

Best wishes

Hi Catherine

I'm going back several years when I switched from JSA to IS due to sickness. The Inland Revenue wrote to me at the end of the tax year to ask if I'd like to pay £9 to complete my contribution record.

I spent a bit of time chasing the DWP over the missing credit, but eventually gave up. It didn't affect my benefit in any way as I have always been on income-based benefits, and I doubt it will affect my pension.

One of the problems with chasing the DWP over a small amount of money is that it's just not worth the time. It would have been easier for my to pay the £9 myself.

Best wishes

Derek

The Form i have recieved is ESA50 ESA Questionnaire.