ESA and changes of address, payments stopped for n

wendy wrote: I recently moved to sheltered accommodation filled in housing benefit and wrote to DWP and wrote to tell of change of address, I contacted them today for a query with my ESA and was told my claim had been closed, they had been writing to my old address not my new one. I moved last November I did write to them they have been writing to wrong address I now have no money I don`t know what to do Please can somebody help,, I was not aware they could just stop payment I don`t know what will happen, I have severe copd, my heart is in AF, (161 beats per minute), I have Epilepsy, I had a bad fit in the doctors on Friday I am so worried I don`t know what to do . Please can somebody help.

I am going to recommend that you get face to face advice on this matter, you really need someone who can interact with the DWP on your behalf which is not practical on the forum. Do an internet search for "welfare advice" with your postcode, town or county.

You should also consider contacting your MP.

Contacting your MP

The key thing is proving that you notified the DWP of the change of address and therefore that any issues with your ESA are their error.

You can also try ringing again and asking for a call back from a manager, they may try and fob you off, but you are entitled to have the call.

Otherwise you may need to go through the appeal process and request a Mandatory Reconsideration, See the ESA Appeal guide.

I'm afraid you won't be paid until the matter is sorted. Also, if you have Housing Benefit then this may also be stopped, but you should be able to make a nil income claim and have it re-instated.

Gordon