How easy is it to access benefits.

As5567

I'm posting this here as it's a weekend and hope that there is someone here who can advise me. I recently had to drop out of uni due to my arthritis, now today I find out that I must repay some of my student loan back and won't be getting my scheduled loan in April. So basically I'm being asked to pay back what little money I have left to live off and being told that there is no financial support for me until I return to university.

I currently get DLA which just about covers my typical living costs, I have been looking online and it looks like I could claim Employment and Support Allowance. Could anyone here tell me how I go about claiming this and what the whole applying process is like. I'm currently not able to seek work in my situation as my arthritis is too server at the moment and this benefit is the only one that I'm able to claim as a student it seems.

Any tips etc would be a great help for me.

toady

Claiming ESA, hmm.. I'm afraid the word 'easy' doesn't come into it, at best it's a fiddly business & at worst can be a hassle, it all depends.

However, some info to start you off. The beginning of the process (if you are claiming ESA totally from scratch that is), is a 13 week 'assessment phase'. During this time you will be paid a basic rate equivalent to Job Seekers Allowance. The assessment phase usually includes having to attend a Work Focused Interview (intended to assess what work you might be able to do if you had the right support), and filling in the ESA50 claim form which (again, usually) means you would have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment. Not everyone has to fill in the ESA50 but there are only a few conditions that would mean you were exempt, ie that you could to be 'treated as having limited capability for work' and put straight into the ESA support group based on your condition.

Depending on the outcome of your claim you would move from the assessment phase into the main phase of ESA in either the Work Related Activity group where you have to attend work-focused interviews and undertake work-related activities, such as training or condition management programmes etc; or the Support Group, where you do not.

Plenty more information on all of this but it's quite a lot to take in at once so best to read up as you go.

Very sorry you have had to drop out of uni owing to your arthritis

As5567

toady wrote:

Claiming ESA, hmm.. I'm afraid the word 'easy' doesn't come into it, at best it's a fiddly business & at worst can be a hassle, it all depends.

However, some info to start you off. The beginning of the process (if you are claiming ESA totally from scratch that is), is a 13 week 'assessment phase'. During this time you will be paid a basic rate equivalent to Job Seekers Allowance. The assessment phase usually includes having to attend a Work Focused Interview (intended to assess what work you might be able to do if you had the right support), and filling in the ESA50 claim form which (again, usually) means you would have to attend a face-to-face medical assessment. Not everyone has to fill in the ESA50 but there are only a few conditions that would mean you were exempt, ie that you could to be 'treated as having limited capability for work' and put straight into the ESA support group based on your condition.

Depending on the outcome of your claim you would move from the assessment phase into the main phase of ESA in either the Work Related Activity group where you have to attend work-focused interviews and undertake work-related activities, such as training or condition management programmes etc; or the Support Group, where you do not.

Plenty more information on all of this but it's quite a lot to take in at once so best to read up as you go.

Very sorry you have had to drop out of uni owing to your arthritis

Thanks for your reply, this has helped clear a few things up for me.

I have also found this online:
If you are 20 years old or over and you get DLA, you automatically count as having limited capability for work. If you are in advanced education, whether under or over 19, you will also automatically count as having limited capability for work if you get DLA. You will still be assessed under the limited capability for work-related activity test, which decides whether you are in the support group or the work-related activity group.

I'm guessing the above applies for me.

toady

Ah right, that's my ignorance about DLA showing. It sounds therefore as you say, that it should be a matter of whether you turn right or left so to speak, into one group or the other.

Also I didn't know about how being in education affects things, although I should from reading up on the whole thing, but I probably skimmed the bits I'm too old for.. Sounds as though you are doing fine with your own researches (there's a mountain of stuff out there, that's for sure) and thanks for putting me straight on these points, I will find that handy if anyone else asks.

barbara12

Hello As5567
I am sorry I cant offer any help,and sorry you had to leave uni... but I just want to add my support,I would go and see cab if I was you...see if they can help...I see Toady has given you lots of advice...so I do hope that will help you...please let us know how you get on and good luck x

jenzie06

Hiya
I just wanted to know if you had accessed the disabled students allowance at university? It can provide note takers and equipment and an allowance for books etc depending on your needs. It might not be relevant now but may be helpful for the future.
Good luck with ESA.

As5567

jenzie06 wrote:

Hiya
I just wanted to know if you had accessed the disabled students allowance at university? It can provide note takers and equipment and an allowance for books etc depending on your needs. It might not be relevant now but may be helpful for the future.
Good luck with ESA.

Yes I do get support at university, and a lot of it. They have been great and the work for me wasn’t really an issue, I'm lucky that all of my lectures and workshops are posted online so I'm able to keep up even if I do not attend. I was even on course to getting a 1st this year but the problem was my attendance level itself. To be able to pass my project I needed to attend regular project meetings and "plan" things with a project tutor, I was unable to do this and was told I would need to pull off a miracle and get 100% in every section of my project to pass with a low grade, so I decided it was best to suspend the year and go back next year.

The disabled student allowance its self gave me a really good chair for my back which was a great help, adjustable desk, the option for a free laptop/computer but I turned this down as I already had what equipment I needed. They also arranged for me to have a personal tutor for 1 hour a week and special arrangements for exams. Hopefully I will get my condition under control and return to uni in oct to complete my degree.