STarting ESA Query

Hi All,

I currently receive Higher rate for DLA for both care and mobility, but will soon need to claim ESA as well. I've tried to work for as long as I can, but I've pushed myself too hard and now I'm much worse. I've been off work (teacher) for the past 7 months and will need to start claiming ESA soon (contribution only).

Work have been very good and have held off for as long as they can but we're now talking about severance packages.
My question is...if I claim esa and then get a severance package from work, will my ESA stop because of earnings above the threshold?
I will also have money in a pension scheme that I'd probably like to withdraw and spend on our home (we were in the middle of building a wet room for me when I became ill, and now I'm just living in a building site). However, this is likely to put my savings above the £6k limit for a short time...can I hold off on claiming ESA until I have sorted all of this out?

Please don't think bad of me for trying to get the best out of benefits...I've always planned to work, not working had just never entered my head. But now I'm here I just want to get the best out of a bad situation.

Many Thanks for any advice you can offer

If you have been working up til now then you are likely to qualify for contributory ESA, this is not affected by any assets or saving that you might have. However, if you get a pension about £85 per week then you will lose 50p of ESA for every extra £1 of pension that you recieve.

Please reply to this post if you have not made regular NI payments in the tax years 2011/12 and 2012/13 (I think those are the correct years) as you might then not be eligible for contriibutory ESA.

hi,

can't claim to be fully up to date with the info you've been given by the moderators, but I thought I'd reply to give you some support as I used to be a teacher and am now medically retired out of the profession after a 23 year career. I suffer with secondary progressive Ms and like you, I kept on trying to work but to no avail in the end - you can't teach a practical subject like food technology with Ms!!! I am in receipt of CB ESA, in receipt of a pension, I also get higher rate carers and mobility DLA and have just been placed in the support group for the next three years. I know from experience what a dreadful worry all this is, with you asking loads of 'what if' questions but things will and do sort themselves out. Keep strong and claim what you're entitled to - as my husband kept saying to me when I'd have a daily 'wobble' of 'what if's' claim, you've paid into the system, possibly unlike some people who haven't and are claiming. Good luck