So confused!!!

I just rang tax credits to see if i can get any help as my husband is on a very low wage & i'm on ESA assessment phase (waiting for appeal) He told me i need a break down of how my ESA is worked out???? Very strange! I did however ring ESA and asked them but they informed me this was not possible to do as i don't know how long i will get ESA due to waiting for the appeal. But what he did say was ESA is only paid at contibution based for 6 months then it goes to income based!

Can someone please claifty this for me?! The lady at the CAB that is helping me with both my ESA & DLA appeals informed me that in our area its taking around 15 months to get to a tribunal so if i am on the assessment phase for that long period of time does it change from contribution based to income based after 6 months?

I hope i've made myself clear on what i'm asking as all this is confusing the hell out of me!

Thank you x

What the DWP is telling you is patently wrong!

It is possible and indeed a legal requirement for the DWP to send you details of how your ESA payments were worked out, and they should have done so as soon as you were paid at the assessment rate, pending the outcome of your appeal.

Contribution-based ESA is not paid for only six months before it changes to income-based ESA. This only applies to Jobseeker's Allowance. There are plans to limit ESA for those in the work-related activity group to a maximum period of 12 months, but this will not start until April 2012.

I hope this clarifies the situation?

Hi

Contribution-based ESA is classed as income for tax credit purposes (Income-based ESA doesn't count as income for tax credit purposes).

Last year, if you phoned up tax credits with a change of circumstances, they just took the information about the change. This year, they seem to be asking for lots of information so they can estimate your income for the current tax year. Or at least, that's what they've done to me today!

If appeals are taking 15 months, then I'd have thought you're pretty safe to estimate that you will be on the assessment rate for all 52 weeks this tax year.

Anne