There seems to be ambiguity over entitlement to Contributory ESA for one year. I read on this site under the FAQ "If you currently receive IB then you will be transferred to contributory ESA". However during a helpline discussion last week with a DWP advisor I was told it all depends on what the claimant was doing "two years prior to their going on IB" the awnser in this case was 'claiming unemployment benefit in the late 1980s. In that case they said you would not be entitled to contributory ESA as of right but would only be able to apply for Income Support ESA. (Since IB was not means tested and the new income ESA is, this effectively boots one off .) But apart from that the statement "you will (automatically)be transferred to Contributory ESA for one year "would appear to be not a guarantee and it cannot be assumed if one was not working prior to going onto long term IB. Any NI credits that The Govt has made for you are ring fenced solely for ones Pension and cannot be used for any other benefit. So the upshot is that you only get contributory ESA IF you have been in work 2 years prior?
