Claiming ESA after claiming Incapacity Benefit

I have recently been found capable of work and am appealing against the decision. In the meantime I have applied for ESA only to be told that the credits i have paid during the last 2 years while on incapacity benefit do not qualify me for ESA. I am very confused and do not know what to do now. If ESA is taking over from Incapacity Benefit why don't the same rules apply. Don't know what to believe

hi belinda

i have been questioning this aspect of covesion from ib to esa.

i know credits are paid to those on ib but will they qualify a person for esa.

if they don,t there are going to be many seriousy ill people who have a working partner or capital who will qualify for neither esa or jsa.

this will leave many people in dire financial need having to struggle on one wage or live off saving.

the poverty for these people will be absolute.

this question needs to be answered.

pug

Steve kind of covered this with me earlier this week. Most Incap people will go to contributions based ESA apparently but people who are sick and paid via Income Support will go in Income based ESA. Some will be eligible for both. Myself, I am due a criminal injuries payout which will maybe take me slightly over the 16,ooo threshold for a while so i may not be able to claim eitehr when I am migrated to ESA. Its all very vague at present. I also get severe disability premium paid by Income Support and that may go too. Very worrying...

Hi Belinda
I would try again for ESA if I were you. I was found capable of work and my IB stopped which I am now appealing. I applied for and got ESA on the strength of my NI credits whilst on IB. It seems different offices interpret the rules differently.
Hope it works out for you
Regards
Wendy

hi all

found this in the report by social security advisory committe report.

the dwp on bit can,t remember where pricecly and realy, realy don,t want to go and look again.

for customers who were previously in receipt of ib or sda, their benefit will be converted to esa(cb).


pug

hi belinda, it sounds like we"re in a similar situation benefit wise. i too recently got the lovely letter from the dwp to say i was fit for work after being on IB for a few years.I was advised to apply for esa in the meantime while i appeal.when i called the dwp the guy on the phone advised me to apply for both contribution and income based as he was not sure whether i would get contribution based after being on IB.I did this and recently was awarded esa, but the letter i got doesnt make it clear which form of esa i got- i will be asking dwp about it- they seem to have made things more complicated than ever- and dont get me started about the esa50- i think i need to fill this in over the course of a few weeks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!