ESA ending in April, Baby due same time!

As with so many, I've had the dreaded phone call. My ESA ends 30 April.

I need to find out the best way forward for my family and my impending arrival but just cant find anywhere to turn. My local CAB do not offer appointments and were not even aware that this change had come into effect.

My ESA50 renewal form went off in January together with my MATB1 and a due date of 28 April. I have not heard anything since, but thought I had been placed in support group as each time I try to arrange a work related activity I've been told I'm too ill.

If the ESA50 form is still to be processed will the benefit still stop? What happens if the renewal puts me in the support group? What about my MATB1? If someone doesn't qualify for maternity allowance, do the ESA payments stop for that too?

My head is spinning and I am terrified!

Any ideas?????

lajennings wrote:

As with so many, I've had the dreaded phone call. My ESA ends 30 April.

I need to find out the best way forward for my family and my impending arrival but just cant find anywhere to turn. My local CAB do not offer appointments and were not even aware that this change had come into effect.

My ESA50 renewal form went off in January together with my MATB1 and a due date of 28 April. I have not heard anything since, but thought I had been placed in support group as each time I try to arrange a work related activity I've been told I'm too ill.

If the ESA50 form is still to be processed will the benefit still stop? What happens if the renewal puts me in the support group? What about my MATB1? If someone doesn't qualify for maternity allowance, do the ESA payments stop for that too?

My head is spinning and I am terrified!

Any ideas?????

Hi,

I am sorry but it is impossible, without knowing your full circumstances (which should not be posted on an open forum) to even guess as to how your forthcoming situation may work out. To even stab at it by myself or my colleagues without full knowledge of the facts may give you incorrect information.

As Moderators our area of expertise is in relation to disability living allowance, attendance allowance, the personal capability assessment used in connection with incapacity benefits and the work capability assessment used in connection with employment and support allowance. So those are the only subjects on which we can provide reliable information. We cannot offer advice on Maternity or Income Related Benefits.

Unfortunately, you also need to bear in mind that boards like this can never provide advice to individual claimants about their specific circumstances, all we can offer is general information about how the system works.

This is because there are huge range of factors which could affect your eligibility and it’s not possible or advisable for you to disclose that information on a public forum or for us to ask you the kind of questions that would be required.

We understand that this can be frustrating and that it’s sometimes a question of judgement about the degree to which a question is specific to your claim or more general in nature. But, for our sake and your own it is important that we do our best to stick to giving information rather than advice.

So, for advice about a specific advice you need to contact an advice agency if at all possible.

Details of such agencies are in the forum FAQ’s

Thanks, i do understand that...... thought i had asked fairly general points.

My main query is what happens where there are outstanding ESA50 renewal forms. If they are behind in processing these do payments still stop or do they wait for the outcome of the review?

I'll see if I can find another agency to help with the maternity versus ESA questions. As I say my local CAB were not able to help.

Thanks again

lajennings wrote:

Thanks, i do understand that...... thought i had asked fairly general points.

My main query is what happens where there are outstanding ESA50 renewal forms. If they are behind in processing these do payments still stop or do they wait for the outcome of the review?

I'll see if I can find another agency to help with the maternity versus ESA questions. As I say my local CAB were not able to help.

Thanks again

Hi,

The reason we cannot answer is that Means Tested Benefits may come into play depending on your circumstances. on the information you gave it is impossible to even attempt to offer advice as it maybe incorrect. Hence you really do need to get some face to face advice asap.

Pete

Can I just confirm that your ESA is ending on 30 April 2012 because you are receiving contribution-based ESA, and you cannot qualify for income-based ESA because you cannot meet the conditions of entitlement eg you and/or your partner are still in (full-time) employment?

Thank you.

I cant appeal the decision to keep in me in the Wrag until I actually recieve that decision - They still haven't processed the form, I just assumed that after so long I had been moved into the support group. Yesterdays phone call revealled that not to be the case!

I know I'm not entitled to SMP but was under the impression that ESA was available to those not covered by SMP.

As for means tested benefits, my partner works so we will not qualify there either.

That is why I'm trying to work out whether payments will really stop immeadiately.

Sorry these questions are obviously more complicated that I thought. I'm not feeling so bad that I couldnt find the answers myself via the internet now!!