Budget 2012- new capital limits for ESA (CB) ?

MoneySupermarket.com has sent me an email which claims that ESA (CB) is to be means-tested. Capital of £16,000 allegedly means no ESA.

This measure is alleged to have been announced in the recent budget. However, I can find no trace of it in the budget document.

Does anyone know anything about this dreadful idea?

Thanks,

PT84

I have scoured the web and cannot find anything to do with the above.
Are you sure it is a bona fida email.

Hi,

It is mentioned on the MoneySuperMarket Site (not MSE site) on the following web page about benefit changes from April 2012:

www.moneysupermarket.com/c/news/what-ben...-april-2012/0013702/

and reads as follows:

''Disability benefits

From April there will also be some changes to disability benefits. This primarily affects out-of-work disability benefits.

Incapacity benefits are to be progressively cut over time, saving the Government £6billion by 2014/15. As well as reducing these payments, the criteria for claiming Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) will become tougher, with stricter medical tests governing eligibility.

Anyone claiming incapacity benefits and who has a working partner or savings over £16,000 will lose their benefits completely as of 12 months from April this year. This won't apply to those most severely disabled in the 'Support Group' of ESA, but will apply to people who pass the strict medical test and are put in the 'Work Related Activity Group''.



Basically the whole article is somewhat erroneous both in content and in its wording and seems to be a mix up of various things, non of which make the situation exactly clear. To be honest I personally would ignore it.

The actual situation is as given in the FAQs on this website as follows:

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

Asset rule for ESA(IR)

Income rule for ESA(IR)

Pete