ESA ended - now what?

I have recently received a letter telling me that my contributions based ESA is ending as you're only allowed to be on it for a year.

Apparently I don't qualify for income based because my partner is a student and therefore receives a student loan/bursary - but this is nowhere near enough to live on :(

Are all people on income based ESA single or have out of work partners? I don't understand how this system works if you're not allowed to claim it if your partner receives even a small amount of money.

I am putting in a claim for PIP but have not received the application form yet.

Is there anything else I can do? We really cannot live on her money alone and all this financial stress is making my mental health much worse :(

I will be in the same situation soon as my contribution based ESA ends in a few months. I am trying to gradually get myself back into work and have been doing a few hours permitted work every week to help me get my confidence back into working again.

If you were in the support group there is no limit to the length of your claim if you're contribution based. I joined benefitsandwork.co.uk and by reading the descriptors for ESA I found that I qualified for 2 that put you in the support group. The social anxiety scored me 15 points and agoraphobia 15 points. You really need to know the ins and outs of the descriptors to see if you should be in the support group, I was put into the work group first but I appealed.

It might be an idea to contact Citizens Advice, MIND or Welfare Rights. Good luck

I wasn't in any group as I was still in the assessment phase.

What is the assessment phase?

I am in the working group so mine will end.

I've just read up on the assessment phase. They say you shouldn't be in it longer than 13 weeks until they decide if you should be in work or support group. I think it's taking a lot longer than 13 weeks as the backlogs are so bad.

You really need to speak to someone who specialises in benefits for mental health issues or join the benefits and work forum for advice.

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Originally Posted by bernie1977

What is the assessment phase?

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The assessment phase is the supposed to be the first 13 weeks before you attend an Atos assessment. Due to the huge backlogs my assessment phase has lasted almost 12 months. I have been offered a couple of appointments but had to rearrange due to being unable to attend alone but I haven't received a new date yet and they are stopping my money anyway.

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I have looked at the benefits and work forum but there's a joining fee that I can't afford. I have tried contacting the CAB by email but everywhere seems to be face to face or telephone only - neither of which I can manage.

I got my doctor to write a letter explaining that I would not be able to attend a medical due to agoraphobia and they would have to do an home visit. You really need to speak to your doctor and fill them in on your condition as if the DWP write to your doctors for information they need to be up to date.

I really don't know what you should do. Maybe you should ring them and say you need the decision on what group you should've been in for the last 12 months and appeal the decision and try and get in the support group if you think you qualify as this is not means tested for contributon based claims. Also make sure you get all the help you can in filling in the PIP forms.

Good luck

---------- Post added at 14:45 ---------- Previous post was at 14:41 ----------

Laura just sent you a pm

my esa has stopped now and my husband had a massive paycut on top of it. i haven't felt this low and stressed and basically lost since they stopped my ib 5years ago. i appealed that and won. as for esa contribution based i thought it mean't that i was on it because i had always worked and paid my taxes & N:I i still don't know how it works mind. my doctor says he will back me if i have to appeal or reclaim esa. when i phoned DWP up to ask which was the way i should go, i spoke to 3 different 'advisors' (for want of a better word) none of them had a clue what i needed to do. they were all very rude and their knowledge of the system is pitiful. i won't go back to CAB as the chap that helped me fill in my DLA forms last time was only writing one sentence in each box and wasn't giving any detail, which is what we are told to do. needless to say i didnt get it. i@m lost and desperately worried.