Partner's Income levels?

My OH receives Contribution-based ESA. I am early retired on an ill-health pension from my former employer, but claim no benefits. If we found ourselves on the other kind of ESA for some reason, how much can I be receiving in my pension before she becomes ineligible for ESA on the grounds of my income level? We have no savings.

Offeiriad wrote: My OH receives Contribution-based ESA. I am early retired on an ill-health pension from my former employer, but claim no benefits. If we found ourselves on the other kind of ESA for some reason, how much can I be receiving in my pension before she becomes ineligible for ESA on the grounds of my income level? We have no savings.

Hi O,

Welcome to Benefits and Work

On the assumption that your OH in being paid CB ESA in The Support Group, (SG) they will continue to receive Contribution Based (CB) ESA for as long as they remain in The SG.

There is no 365 days limit whilst in The SG :

12 Month Limit for ESA(CB)

On the premise that they were placed into The WRAG at some future reassessment, they would receive CB ESA in The WRAG for 365 days.

They would then be financially assessed for entitlement to payment of Income Related (IR) ESA.

You are allowed up to £6,000 in capital, assets and savings before any deductions would be made from any IR ESA entitlement : Asset rule for ESA(IR)

You say that you have no savings, so the above would not be relevant to your IR ESA entitlement.

They would have to claim IR ESA as a couple, and any household income that you have such as your "pension" would be offset against your maximum IR ESA entitlement £ for £ and deducted appropriately.

The current rate of IR ESA for a couple is : £113.70/Week Personal Allowance + £28.75/Week WRA Component if in The WRAG or £35.75/Week SG Component if in The SG, see : Benefit Rates 2014.

An ESA claimant's maximum IR ESA entitlement may be more if they are entitled to payment of : ESA Premiums

I note that you do not mention that either of you are in receipt of MR or Higher Rate Care of DLA, or have a Daily Living Award of PIP which are both qualifying benefits for entitlement to IR ESA Premiums.

Being in The SG may entitle you to IR ESA Premiums, as it increases the amount of IR ESA that the Government state that you need to live on, your "maximum IR ESA entitlement".

However, again this "entitlement" may not result in "payment", if your pension income cancelled that out when offset against it.

Try putting your financial information into these : Benefits Calculators, you may get an idea of any potential IR ESA entitlement.

If they are entitled to IR ESA in the future, even a penny, this will passport you to other things such as free prescriptions and dental care, Housing Benefit for any rent that you have to pay to a Social Landlord, help with your Council Tax and/or help with your Mortgage Interest payments : SMI.

Energy Suppliers currently operate : The Warm Home Discount Scheme , where recipients of IR ESA may be entitled to a "Credit" to their Electricity Account in March of the qualifying year for falling under "The Broader Group".

bro58

Thank you for this informative reply. I worded my question a bit vaguely because I know you aren't starting a possibly pointless discussion of leaked rumours on benefit cuts, but I have to confess that I can't use your calculator as I don't live in the UK.

I'm trying to grasp the possible scenario for us as a family if a re-elected Government did in fact abolish contribution-based ESA.

If that did happen we would lose a third of our income overnight, but also we would lose access to the health system here, as our S1 healthcare form depends on my wife's ESA. We face a possible scenario where my pension as a retired Church of England minister might disqualify her from income-based ESA, whle shutting us out of the healthcare system on which we depend for some expensive medical support (I need an ongoing supply of appliances after cancer surgery).

Depending on fluctuating exchange rates, my pension alone might not be enough to save us from potential deportation as being a burden on the State, returning us, homeless, to the UK, unable to live in the retirement home here which cost our entire savings. Apart from being disabled I am over the pension age here (but we are both well under UK pension age!), so finding a job here, let alone a job I could do, is out of the question, but as I have never worked here I am ineligible for the healthcare system as a resident!

Ironically, we would see ourselves as a 'hard-working family' - the kind this government claims to be supporting! So that explains my interest in this topic.