Re-Claiming after trying to go back to work

greeneyedlad wrote: Hello

Can anyone please tell me if I gave up my ESA & tried to go back to work, but then fell ill again, how many weeks I have to re-claim without starting a fresh claim?

I seem to remember being told this when it happened to me years ago when I tried to go back to work that as long as it was within 6 weeks? (I cant remember how many or if this even still applies) my previous claim is still on the system & I dont have to go through it all again.

Im also wondering if I went back to work, & fell ill again with the 6 week? period would I loose the £30 per week in WRAG.

Or is it treated as a new claim if within that period?

many thanks
Martin

Hi GEL,

There is a 12 week linking rule where you can make a rapid reclaim for ESA if no more than 12 weeks have elapsed since you closed your ESA claim to start work.

If 12 weeks or more have elapsed, you would have to make a totally fresh claim from scratch, and this could have implications on your entitlement to ESA if you have not gained enough NI Contributions from employment for payment of CB ESA , and you cannot pass the means test for entitlement to payment of IR ESA.

I am sure that we have had this discussion before in the past !

I will merge your other ESA query with this one for continuity.

You should Bookmark/Favourite this page in your Internet Browser now.

That way you can return to this topic easily to pose any further queries that you may have by replying to the topic.

See : This Topic also !

Thanks in anticipation of your future co-operation in keeping all your ESA related queries to this topic !

bro58

sorry Bro58,

Thanks for your info.
I wasn't aware we now had to keep all of our posts in regard to a specific benefit in one topic, I'll bookmark now & do this in future.

I am on Income related ESA now.

So the 12 week Rapid Re-claim rule wouldn't count as a new claim?
I wouldn't loose the £30 pw in WRAG?

greeneyedlad wrote: sorry Bro58,

Thanks for your info.
I wasn't aware we now had to keep all of our posts in regard to a specific benefit in one topic, I'll bookmark now & do this in future.

I am on Income related ESA now.

So the 12 week Rapid Re-claim rule wouldn't count as a new claim?
I wouldn't loose the £30 pw in WRAG?

No problem GEL !!

"So the 12 week Rapid Re-claim rule wouldn't count as a new claim?"

No, the 12 week linking rule links them together as one continuous claim.

"I wouldn't loose the £30 pw in WRAG?"

Not with a Rapid Reclaim as above, No, but if you closed your current ESA claim and made a fresh claim after the 12 weeks had elapsed which was also after April 2017, as that would be classed as a totally fresh claim, if you were then placed into The WRAG the "£30 reductions" would affect you !!

bro58