ICB DLA to ESA and PIP help!

HELP. The dreaded phone call from DWP happened this week on the "CHANGES".in your benefits.
In 1999 after long illness. and many unsuccessful PHASED returns to work and eventually being correctly diagnosed. I was pensioned off under ill health grounds, at 39.
i am now 53, with various diagnosed FULL skeletal chronic illnesses. I take many forms of strong Pain killers and anti inflammatory drugs every day, that give limited relief. I can walk only in pain. I was awarded in 1999 taxable ICB - since then has never been reviewed. I was awarded DLA at higher rate care and mobility,in 2000 - .indefinitely. I also have ill health pensions from my past employers.
Over the years i have adapted my current home to my disabilities with loans, additional mortgages etc.
Ive tried walking with sticks and self propelled wheel chair, unsuccessfully - causing further pain to my arms and shoulders.
If i get transferred to contribution based ESA , hopefully limited capability.my fear is that contribution based ESA, only lasts for one year. and getting enough PIP points under the current descriptors is my next fear. my wife driving in my motability car is my only mode of getting around with severe pain. I cant use a wheel chair or sticks.

Am I understanding this wrong into this OR can any one relieve my FEARS.?

Graham

Hi,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

If your forum name is also your real name, you may wish to change it to maintain some anonymity.

This can be done quite easily by following the instructions on this FAQ

My full name is showing, how can I stop it?

As you are currently in receipt of IB, you would be entitled to CB ESA if successfully transferred to ESA.

However, if you are also in receipt of any IS top-ups due to your entitlement to Disability Premiums, (Re : DLA HR Care) then you would also be entitled to IR ESA top-ups.

The 365 day limit to payment of CB ESA is if one is placed into The WRAG of ESA.

If one is placed into The Support Group (SG) there is no such 365 day limit to receipt of CB ESA.

Further, if any part of your ESA is IR ESA, again there is no 365 day limit, see :

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

If you were entitled to CB ESA only with no IR ESA top-up, and were placed into The WRAG, you would be financially assessed near the end of the 365 day period to see whether you qualified for IR ESA.

This means test would take into account whether your partner works (if you have one) your household income, and any assets, capital and savings, see :

24 hour work rule for ESA(IR)

&

Asset rule for ESA(IR)

Unfortunately, under this scenario, if you could not pass the "Means Test" with respect to IR ESA, payment of ESA would cease.

With respect to PIP, as you have an indefinite DLA award, you should not expect to be invited to claim PIP until after October 2015.

Of course all current DLA recipients can be assessed randomly under :

The Right Payment Programme

The next step in your ESA migration, should be the receipt of an ESA50 Questionnaire through the post, within around 14 days.

I will now refer you to a topic where I posted earlier today, which should provide you with information regarding filling in The ESA50 when it arrives :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?view=top...d=10&id=97773#103104

If you can show that you cannot mobilise more than 50 metres by walking or using a manual wheelchair unaided then you could qualify for The SG under SG Activity 1.

If you have any further queries, please reply to this topic, which you may wish to bookmark for ease of future reference.

See the 3 links below for in site information on PIP :

PIP Claims Guide. (Top Link on page)

PIP information including PIP Self-Test

PIP Topic Thread in Spotlight Area


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