In support group but don't get enhanced disability

Hi

I am in the support group, but I don't get enhanced disability premium.
I was migrated from incapacity benefit to ESA in Dec 13
I get an occupational pension
The weekly breakdown, on my ESA letter is as follows.

Living expenses - £71.70
Extra money due to being in - £34.80
Total income-related amount - £106.50
£106.50 - £19.63 (occupational pension deduction = £86.87
Actual weekly amount received - £87.72 as I am on contributions based ESA.

Should I get enhanced disability premium?
If so, will contacting the DWP trigger a reassessment of my ESA?

Many thanks

Chrissy wrote: Hi

I am in the support group, but I don't get enhanced disability premium.
I was migrated from incapacity benefit to ESA in Dec 13
I get an occupational pension
The weekly breakdown, on my ESA letter is as follows.

Living expenses - £71.70
Extra money due to being in - £34.80
Total income-related amount - £106.50
£106.50 - £19.63 (occupational pension deduction = £86.87
Actual weekly amount received - £87.72 as I am on contributions based ESA.

Should I get enhanced disability premium?
If so, will contacting the DWP trigger a reassessment of my ESA?

Many thanks

Hi C,

Unless you can pass the means test for entitlement to payment of Income Related (IR) ESA, with regards to capital, assets, savings, household income (Which would include your Occupational Pension) and any hours worked by a partner if you have one, you would not be paid The EDP. (currently £15.55/Week)

All : ESA Premiums are paid as IR ESA.

Asset rule for ESA(IR)

24 hour work rule for ESA(IR)

From what you have posted, it would seem that your Occupational Pension (OP) payments may preclude payment of The EDP as an IR ESA top up.

Am I right in surmising that your OP payments are £124.26/Week ?

So you receive £124.26/Week OP + £86.72/Week CB ESA ?

bro58

Hi Bro

In answer to your question, I receive about £518.00 per month occupational pension, but this is after tax.

Is this too much to qualify for IR ESA?

Many thanks

Chrissy wrote: Hi Bro

In answer to your question, I receive about £518.00 per month occupational pension, but this is after tax.

Is this too much to qualify for IR ESA?

Many thanks

Hi C,

The reason that I came up with the £124.26/Week OP figure is that for CB ESA payments there is an £85/Week OP disregard rule.

Wherein any amount in excess of the £85/Week OP is deducted from your CB ESA payments at a rate of 50%.

i.e. £124.26 minus £85 disregard = £39.26 excess of the disregard.

50% of £39.26 = £19.63, which is the amount that you state is being deducted from your weekly CB ESA payments.

The difference is that for the IR ESA means test, any OP that you receive would be offset £ for £ against any IR ESA Premium entitlement, therefore wiping out the £15.55/Week EDP.

So even though you have an "Entitlement" to The EDP as you are in The SG, "Payment" may be precluded due to you not be able to pass the IR ESA means test.

If this is a single ESA claim which it seems that it is, and you are not entitled to any other of The ESA Premiums, it would appear that you cannot pass the IR ESA means test, and cannot therefore receive payment of The EDP as an IR ESA top-up.

If you have any doubts, there is nothing to stop you requesting an ESA 3 Form where you will be financially assessed to see whether you have entitlement to payment of any IR ESA.

This is purely a financial assessment, and should not trigger a reassessment of your SG award.

Sample ESA 3 Form

bro58

Hi C,

To put it in simpler terms.

As you are in The SG, the amount that the government states that you need to live on rises.

This is known as the "Disability Income Guarantee" and if one was entitled to payment of The EDP or other ESA Premiums, these payments would be indicated as such in your payment breakdown.

e.g.

Personal Allowance = £72.40

SG Component Addition = £35.75

EDP for being in the SG = £15.55

(From : Benefit Rates 2014/15. It looks like you are quoting 2013/14 Benefit Rates. 2015/16 increases can be seen : Here. )

Total "Disability Income Guarantee" = £123.70/Week

If your total household income including your CB ESA and OP is in excess of this amount, then you would not receive payment of the EDP as you are already receiving the "Disability Income Guarantee" amount.

If you were also entitled to The SDP or The CP as ESA premiums, then this would obviously increase the amount of the applicable "Disability Income Guarantee" for your own personal circumstances.

Therefore, you would be allowed more income before payment of IR ESA was precluded.

bro58