ESA and half pay

lesleygraham

Hi folks
I have been off work for 6 months and just been accepted for ESA (incapacity benefit), 65 a week. However, work have told me that I will also get half pay for 6 months. Is this right? I also get half my mortgage paid through mortgage protection.
If this is right I am financially better off not working!!! Crazy!!!
Anyway feeling crap (Am I allowed to say that) today.
Take care
Les

twiggypuss

Hi Lesley
Incapacity benefit is means tested, so just because you are entitled to it doesn't mean you'll get the full amount. It depends how much you are getting in your pay.

livinglegend

ESA can best be described as an absolute pig's ear of a mess. They couldn't have made a more complicated, unusable system if they had tried hard for twenty years, worked nights and Christmas Day as well.

Firstly, ESA is split into two 'main' strands. It depends generally on whether you have paid enough NI contributions or not, (there are other contributing factors), as to which strand you end up in. The official version is littered with 'may' in every other paragraph throughout.

Contributory ESA is not means tested. Income-related ESA is means tested. Only Jobcentre Plus can decide which strand you end up in but they don't do the assessment. However, for the initial 13 weeks you are placed on an 'assessment phase' of ESA. So, according to them it doesn't matter which strand your in or it may. Have you kept up, so far? Good!

You may be subject to Income Tax as well. You may get a letter that tells you how much tax you will have to pay, if any. The amount of tax depends on your tax code.

At this point it gets complicated. There is a 32 page nonsensical leaflet which claims to describes the information clearly, (haha), and helps you to apply for one of the 32 levels of benefit payment available. The complicated web address says it all.
http://www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk/JCP/stellent/groups/jcp/documents/websitecontent/dev_015885.pdf

Assessment is by lowest bidding private companies, who don't make decisions and are on three year fixed term contracts. (If they don't meet their rejection targets, then it's P45 time for them). Meanwhile, actual decisions are made by Jobcentre Plus who have nothing to do with the private companies and would be unable to query the assessment if there is a problem understanding it, you know it makes sense!

Jobcentre Plus say things change at short notice, so all this is subject to change. The above information is from a trawl through various websites and may become wildly inaccurate due to non publicised internal memos by the time of posting, (or when reading it for that matter).

I would suggest a visit to your local Jobcentre Plus and ask them to explain it to you. When you emerge into the light of day about 10 weeks later, you will most likely still be non-the-wiser why they made the decision they did, if they actually make one.

'Break a leg', as they say in the theatre.

Joseph 8)

penfactor

Haha Joseph, just found this reply from you on subject that has had me worried all day! I am going to try to get through to my DWP dept tomorrow but wish I'd known better once again & checked in here - you guys are brilliant & help so much as you have the proverbial T-shirts!!
Thank you!
Pennie X

livinglegend

penfactor wrote:

Haha Joseph, just found this reply from you on subject that has had me worried all day! I am going to try to get through to my DWP dept tomorrow but wish I'd known better once again & checked in here - you guys are brilliant & help so much as you have the proverbial T-shirts!!
Thank you!
Pennie X

While DWP are involved. The leaflet says contact 0800 055 6688 though I wouldn't be surprised about who answers.

Joseph 8)