Employment Support Allowance and Income Support

[ladybird64]

Hi all.

I asked this in chat and thought I would ask here for some more input if poss.
I know that some of the people here are on Employment Support Allowance..I was wondering if that is topped up with Income Support?
I know someone who is on Incapacity benefit and has been for a few years but as the Incap alone is not enough to live on, has a top up with Income Support.
Does anybody else know anything about this? I'm asking primarily because I have just applied for ESA for my daughter who has a permanent disability which will seriously affect her ability to work.
She is 19 in July at which point it looks like she will have to pay for her prescriptions unless she is in receipt of some form of IS.
I have looked on the government site but it is as clear as mud.

Thanks

[xBettyBoopx]

Hi Ladybird

I'm a bit confused about what you're asking

The person that you know who is on incap benefit must surely have a family because I have to live on it, I live alone.

I'm not sure about your daughter, but surely they won't make her pay for prescriptions.

I requested a 'HC1' claim form & received a certificate for a year for free NHS prescriptions, free NHS dental treatment, free NHS sigh tests etc. You can request this form from the Job Centre (if that's what it's still called).

Good luck.
Els

ps. When the year has run out I just request another one, it helps a lot

[bottleblond]

Hiya

I see what you are saying and i think you will get your money topped up because of your daughters disability.

it's such a nightmare because they are changing how all the benefits are paid now and so many people (including myself) are none the wiser.

Call your local DSS office hun and make sure you are getting everything you are entitled too!

Take care
Lisa
xxx

[lesleya]

Hi Ladybird
I know what you mean gov websites arent the easiest to follow, i wish theyd simplify them a little. But yes employment support allowance just replaces Incapacity Benefit and Income Support paid on incapacity grounds. Ive just had to put in a claim for esa for a few weeks until i go back to work as my ssp just ran out, but they took my application from me over the phone and the girl on the phone was really nice and she made it very easy, the number is 0845 608 8642 (i waited for about 10 mins for an answer) and it takes about 30 mins for them to fill the form out over the phone.
The HC1 'help with health costs' is for anyone who is on a low income and isnt exempt from nhs charges. You can get either full or partial help with prescription charges. dental treatment, sight tests, glasses and contact lenses, travel cost to see an nhs consultant, plus wigs and supports.
If your awarded full help they send you out a certificate called an HC2 or if you get partial help they send you an HC3. All you have to do is either pick an application form from your local job centre or dentist, but if you cant get out much you can ring the nhs buisness services on 0845 850 1166 and ask them to send you out a form, or you can email them as well at lis1@ppa.nhs.uk
Sorry...ive rambled on
I wish you the very best of luck with your application hun.
Take care
xxx

Oh by the way theres a freephone disability benefits enquiry line and they will tell you about any benefits you or your daughter on might be able to claim for 0800 88 22 00.

[ladybird64]

Sorry to drag this post up again but I would like to add an update. I would also like to say a very belated thank you to all that replied, I apologise for not responding sooner.
My application for my daughter has come to a grinding halt. I have done everything these idiots at ESA have asked for, corrected their mistakes such as when they said that my girl had received DLA for only a year (2008-9) when she has received it since she was 5 yrs old.
I have got a letter from her tutor at college (twice) and sent all relevant proofs to them. You know what they have asked me for? A sick certificate. From 18/08/09. Yep, you read it right, 2009.
I've rung them up, argued that my daughter is not sick, she has a long term disability. I feel to ask my doctor to write one would be commiting fraud as she is not ill.
Nope, they want one..government guidelines doncha know. Apparently if she had been on Incapacity Benefit prior to the changeover last year we wouldn't have a problem but now it's a whole new ball game.
My daughter is already pigeonholed. I'm not stupid, I know that she couldn't possibly do things that a "normal" person can do day to day. But now I'm supposed to agree that because she is disabled that means she is sick?
Prejudiced or what, from a government that likes to spout political correctness regarding equal rights.
They can stick their hypocrisy where the sun doesn't shine.
By the way, I have been told that my claim will not be processed until I provide the sick cert, if that is what it takes to get the ESA, they can stick that where the sun doesn't shine as well.

[lesleya]

I feel for you ladybird its all red tape and bureaucracy gone mad isnt it.
I just got my claim sorted after ringing them everyday for a week! It turned out after the last girl i spoke to that my payment was stuck in the system and if i hadnt rang then theyd never have picked it up???...so basically if i hadnt kept at them id still be waiting for a payment...makes you wonder doesnt it?...and how come the other call handlers i spoke to hadnt picked the mistake up.
To be honest they dont always check your case properly when you ring and they just fob you off with any old lame excuse. Twice they didnt even ask me my nat ins number or the security questions to get into my details they only asked my surname and then proceeded to tell me id have to wait another 5 working days and then ring back, but i wasnt convinced so i asked them could they verify my address etc to make sure they had my details correct?...and you know they didnt even have my details in front of them, so they had to start all over again to find me...makes me cringe and wonder who we're trusting with our welfare?.
Have you spoken to the citizens advice...maybe they might be able to help you?
I hope you can sort it out hun your entitled to some help, but i totally understand how you feel theyre frustrating to say the least!
Let us know how your doing.
Good luck
xxx

[ladybird64]

Hi Lesley

Thanks for the good wishes hun, I need them.
I have actually sent a formal letter of complaint to them and received an acknowledgement this morning, it is being passed on to a supervisor and I should have a reply in 10 days, you know, the usual story.
What I'm actually waiting for is the proof in writing that the government has actually made this disability=sickness note requirement, when I have that I'm hoping that I can have the beggars for discrimination as I do think the benefit is predjudiced against disabled.
As regards what happened to you hun, I actually spoke to a supervisor last week who was specifically trained in ESA, she told me that the people who are answering the phones are just asking computer generated questions.
They have some training, but not specifically in ESA..not that they would tell you that of course!
For what its worth, the woman I spoke to was lovely, totally sympathetic and in agreement that the system as it stands is biased. She actively encouraged me to make a complaint if I felt we were receiving unfair treatment.
I won't go to Citizens advice because they are only open for a couple for hours and there is always a massive queue outside, I would probably have to stand outside for at least an hour with no guarantee of getting seen.

I will keep you updated.