ESA support group - means tested 2014?

Claimant has been advised by the Job Centre that their benefits will stop soon even if they are put into the support group, as their partner is currently working.

I've had a google and forum search, but couldn't find an up to the minute answer. If someone was assessed and put into WRAG, then appealed and was put into the support group this year, would the ESA support group payments be means tested? Has anything changed recently?

H2o wrote: Claimant has been advised by the Job Centre that their benefits will stop soon even if they are put into the support group, as their partner is currently working.

I've had a google and forum search, but couldn't find an up to the minute answer. If someone was assessed and put into WRAG, then appealed and was put into the support group this year, would the ESA support group payments be means tested? Has anything changed recently?

Hi H2o,

Irrespective of which group a claimant is placed into, (WRAG or SG) whether a claimant is means tested with respect to payment of ESA will depend on whether the ESA in question is CB ESA (non means tested) or IR ESA (means tested)

Entitlement to either CB ESA or IR ESA will also be dependent on the claimants NI Credits/Contribution history.

If a claimant's partner works more than 24 hours/week, this alone would prelude them from entitlement to IR ESA.

Have a look at this topic from earlier on today :

www.benefitsandwork.co.uk/forum?view=top...=10&id=100399#116605

In the scenario that you pose, if the claimant was originally placed into The WRAG, in receipt of CB ESA, but were then placed into The SG as the result of an appeal, as The SG award would be backdated to the time of the original adverse WRAG award, payment of CB ESA should be reinstated.

It would be as if the claimant had never been in The WRAG, therefore they would still have their full 365 days entitlement to CB ESA if they were placed into The WRAG at some future reassessment.

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

bro58