ESA price rise?
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi all.
Sorry bout slightly sarcastic title.
Just a quick question for any ESA claimants. Had letter yesterday morning out the blue from you know who, (DWP at Belfast), informing me my ESA support group allowance is going up in November.Just wondering if anyone has had similar letter? As an afterthought whilst typing this, I thought Belfast centre was supposed to be closing down or have I dreamt it? Just wondered.
Thanks anyway. Ian
1 like, 29 replies
Morag_0100 ian62902
Posted
If you are in the support group. Does it go up last November or this year I've not heard this info
denise15811 Morag_0100
Posted
It doesn't go up in November of any year Morag. I post the dates and increases on a post above.
ian62902 Morag_0100
Posted
Hi morag.
Only had letter yesterday.says going up November.dont know if it's correct or not. So don't know if it's correct, that's why I was asking.
denise15811 ian62902
Posted
I'll keep a look out for that letter and post if i get it
denise15811 ian62902
Posted
Hi Ian, after doing some research ( i knew i'd read somewhere about people getting this lettter) it's about the one off xmas bonus. They've worded the letter and it's very confusing. There's a few people on the net getting confused the same as you. Anyway it's the one off xmas bonus and payment will return to normal after that. Strange way and time to send out a letter like this if you ask me. All ESA Support group money is frozen apart from the add ons. Hope this helps.
Morag_0100 ian62902
Posted
denise15811 Morag_0100
Posted
£102.15 per week if you're already in there. £30 less for new claimants from April this year.
SteV3 ian62902
Posted
Hi Ian,
I had the same letter from the DWP in Belfast, but the letter states:
ESA Chippenham
Post Handling Site B
Wolverhampton
WV99 2FW
Phone: 0345 6088545
Date: 1 February 2017
YOUR CLAIM FOR EMPLOYMENT AND SUPPORT ALLOWANCE
CHANGES IN SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS
From 10 April 2017 the rates of some Social Security benefits may change.
From 29 November 2017 your Employment and Support Allowance will be 122.05 a week.
You are required to immediatly report any change in circumstances to us, or the circumstances of your partner if you have one.
The attached sheet shows how we worked out your money. If you want more information please get in touch with us. Our phone number and address are at the top of this letter.
It then goes on about a Mandatory Reconsideration if I wish to appeal again. I never applied for ESA in the first place. I was put on from Incapacity Benefit years ago. I have never had any "face-to-face" assessments and I'm still on DLA, not PIP.
It then goes in to the breakdown of how my ESA is made up. Which is the following:
The Employment and Support Allowance Award
The payment of Employment and Support Allowance is based on your National Insurance Contribution records and any additional amount the law says you need to live on.
Your living expenses: £73.10
Limited capability for work addition
Extra Money because you are in the Support Group: £36.55
Which gives a total income-related amount: £109.65
Income and Benefits
No Income will be taken off your Employment and Support Allowance
Your income-related amount is £109.65 less £0.00 so you would
have been entitled to: £109.65
However because you are entitled to contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance we will pay you: £112.05
Top-up Payment
Included in your Employment and Support Allowance entitlement is a top-up payment which ensures you won't see a reduction in the level of your benefit
entitlement as a result of a change to Employment and Support Allowance.
Top-up: £2.40
The amounts on this page apply from 12th April 2017 to 28 November 2017.
Yours sincerely,
Manager
The letter is actually over 3 pages long I have just copied the main parts where the change is taking place, etc.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Les.
SteV3
Posted
I missed off I do not claim the Severe Disability Premium because I would need to be on Income-related Employment and Support Allowance.
Currently, my wife receives Carers Allowance of £65 I think approx.
I could lose the Carers Allowance and change my Contribution-based ESA to Income-related ESA, just to get the SDP added on, but it is only around £15 difference. Therefore I did not see the point to go through all the rigmarole to get an extra £15!
Regards,
Les.
ian62902 SteV3
Posted
Hello Les.
My letter pretty similar.
Page 3 says living expenses: £73.10
Extra money: £15.90 (disability income guarantee).
Extra money because I'm in support group £36.55.
Total income-related amount£125.55.
No income will be taken off your employment and support allowance.
Your income related amount is £125.55 less total income of £0.00.
So your total income-related entitlement is £125.amounts on this page apply 12 April 2017 to 28 November 2017. Now...Go back to 1st page.
From 10th april 2017 ESA will be 125.55 a week.
From November 29 2017 ESA will be £135.55 a week.
You will be required to report any changes blah, blah blah. So... Reading that how it's written by them. (forget blah, blah bit) I was assuming they're informing me it's going up £10 a week. But someone thinks it's an error about 10 quid Xmas bonus. Anyway sounds like just sausage sarnies for me as per usual. Back to reality.i could almost smell the bacon at one point. Thanks again for your help Les. All the best. Don't suppose you know anyone who does cheap bacon by any chance? Just wondering....😉
SteV3 ian62902
Posted
Hi Ian,
It is an increase in November 29th 2017 onwards for me, as well. It is obvious from the cover letter and breakdown of payment.
The Christmas Bonus is paid on the first ESA payment as close to December 1st every year.
Sausage and fried egg sarnies are nice... probably why I got the "food-baby-belly"... hehehe
denise15811 SteV3
Posted
Hi Les,
There's a lot of confusion about this letter that people are getting. This is actually notice of the xmas bonus and isn't a weekly increase. They're computer generated letters and are worded very oddly making people think it's weekly when infact it's not. The start of the tax year which is April is the time when increases happen, if at all. This year in April ESA personnal allowance has been frozen and no increases will occur. There's a very small increase to the premiums added to the Support group for those that get them but it's just pennies. There's also a small increase to DLA/PIP in April but again it's just pennies. There's a full breakdown of all benefit increases on the focusondisability website. It's a lovely thought to have that £10 per week extra but realistically £10 a week just wouldn't happen.
Those that are new to ESA and get put in the WRAG group after April will recieve £30 less per week. This in ONLY for new claimants and NOT those already claiming. Hope this info helps
SteV3 denise15811
Posted
Hi Denise,
I re-read that letter a few times, and it is misleading. When you read the second line it clearly states:
From 29 November 2017 your Employment and Support Allowance will be 122.05 a week.
Anybody reading that would think the same, because it says "From 29 November 2017 your ESA will be £122.05" - that to me is an increase.
That is one big err to anyone receiving the letter.
But, there is also the case that the DWP never sends out letters prior to the Christmas Bonus, it's been like that for years.
It's always paid within the first ESA payment closest to the beginning of the 1st of December.
This gov't it's always been pennies to the poor and disabled, and hundreds to rich people. A disgusting country that we are supposedly rich to the world! It doesn't matter who becomes the next PM, at this rate we won't even need a General Election - all the kiddies in parliament are all fighting between themselves!
And Tax payers pay for parliament fights - it's like a bunch of kids!
Anything about Gov't and our TV is turned to another channel.
Next will be the Colour TV Licence fee going up! That's been frozen for 5 years, which runs out this year.
Life in England... isn't it great Denise? lol
What gets my back up is "Benefits Britain" - it looks like they choose the worse possible town estates, where employment is high. You got people claiming benefits saying they want to work, yet they smoke, drink booze, afford Skiy TV, usually have a nice large TV. They all know each others business.
Where we live, the most excitement we get is watching one house being demolished, and the development of 3 new houses going up. The land on our properties is huge, they could easily fit 4 houses and a carpark on ours. We wouldn't mind a smaller property, but even thats been made difficult by the gov't.
Regards,
Les.
denise15811 SteV3
Posted
Hi Les,
Yes i totally agree, it's worded so badly but £10 increase a week is almost laughable. It just wouldn't happen. Yes it's paid closest to 1st December which also means it's highly likely to be the xmas bonus because it's 29th November. I also agree with everything else you said.
As for properties, a few years ago i was given an adapted house and now i've been hit by the bedroom tax. Applied for a DHP but got refused. I mean come on i was given this house because of my disability, now it's too big but can't have mutal exchange because of the type of house it is unless it's a disabled person in need with a family but still they refused to help me. It's insane. This gov't -coughs-.....