ESA from IB What now!!

Hi All, My husband was moved from IB to ESA after filling in the form ESA50 but was told it was for 2yrs then they would look again. i thought that was it but i have been reading some other posts and now i'm not so sure.
In the letter he received last year it says he is on ESA and is getting extra based on his national insurance contributions and that he is in a support group. it will be due again in january 2015 so what happens then? will he just get another ESA 50 to fill in? or will his money stop and he then has to claim JSA? We really don't understand any of it and they don't tell you much either, so is being in this support group a good thing or a bad thing? and what happens next year?
sorry to be abit thick but it is all baffling. Thank You for any replies and help in advance. Jan1.

Hi Jan and welcome to the forum. On the assumption that you are also new to the site, this FAQ should help you find your way around.

Welcome to Benefits and Work

Unlike people in the WRAG, those in the Support Group do not lose their contributory benefit after 365 days The reassessment date is ony advisory, your husband could re reassessed sooner or, more likely as there is a huge backlog in the system, later than that. It is possible that an office reassessment could take place without your husband even being contacted but more usual for the claimant to be sent another ESA50 to complete +/- a face2face assessment. As ESA is actually an indefinite award, payment will continue even if the reassessment is delayed or you have to wait a long time for a decision (as is happening with claimants at the moment).

If you have further questions please reply to this post and we will do our best to help. You will find this easily in the future if you bookmark it, or make it a favourite, on your browser now

Hi Mrs Hurtyback, Thank you very much for such a speedy reply, and thank you for the infomation, i have been a member for a few years now but never post anything and don't know how to navigate my way round it so the link is very helpful.
I am please to hear that my husband will not lose any money over night and that he may be sent another form in due course, but could i also ask you another question please... my husband is also on mobility componement of DLA indefinately and has never had any letters yet to say he will either go onto PIPS or have to come off it altogether, but someone said next year they will ask him in for a medical to decide weather he will still be entitled to it when he does get moved over to pips. Is this the case? or has he got yet another fight on his hands. thank you for your patience and time.

The intention was that people on indefinite DLA would start to be 'invited to apply' for PIP sometime in or after 2015*. However, the system is totally backlogged at the moment so it could be some time after this before you hear anything**. No-one will be moved automatically from DLA to PIP, the claimant will receive a letter 'inviting' them to apply.

Help for PIP claimants

* Unless he was 64 or over at April of last year, in which case he would continue on DLA.

** anyone on indefinite DLA can be reviewed at any time under The Right Payment Programme but we will cross that bridge if/when we get to it!