Savings re ESA

Hi,

Spoke to Job Centre Plus this morning (for the second time) to check that my savings statements had arrived, which they haven't, despite me sending 2 weeks ago. They also formed me that items to DWP 'often' get lost in the post - reassuring! There is also no option to send info such as bank statements by recorded delivery because not compatible with a free post address, and there is no other address.

I was offered an appointment at a Job Cetnre Plus centre to deliver directly, which I thought a friend might be willing to do because I would be unable to myself re both travel and sitting upright in a waiting room. However, the diary for booking appointments wasn't working and so no option for booking and I was told that my friend could just turn up and wait with the documents. My questions 1) Will my friend need to wait for scanning or can she just drop the documents off? (There are over 50 pages of statements plus old and new covering letter!) 2) Do I need to complete any form or is the old and new covering letter informing them of the situation - that I'd been asked to send in bank statements for the last year, that they'd made an error in recording my savings last year, and that I'd already discussed the situation at length with DWP on the phone and they are expecting this info - enough?

PS mistyped - sent statements in 3 weeks ago - hence the advisor's conviction that lost

Hello H

I have recently returned my completed PIP questionnaire, to a Free post address. I was able to pay the extra £1.59, to upgrade it from Second Class, Free Post to First Class, Recorded delivery and it was delivered & signed for the next day, so it arrived safely. I used my local Post Office but I wouldn't have thought that that would make a difference.

Sue

Thanks very much for the information, Sue. Much appreciated. Sorry for the delay in my reply - only just seen. Moderators (or anyone?) is there a way to get email updates for replies on topics I've posted?

Another question for the forum: when I told a friend of mine that I was being significantly penalised for having savings whilst being on income related ESA (support group) and PIP. she told me that she thought it would be ok to put money into a pension as a way of investing in my future rather than having the money just taken away. Is this the case? I've been unable to work for a number of years and, whilst I'd love to return to work and am doing everything I can to improve my health enough to do at least some paid work at some point in the future, it is still looking pretty unlikely that I will ever be able to support myself financially without benefits due to my health limitations, so I am now concerned that I might have wasted and continue to waste an opportunity to make my 'retirement'; , whenever it comes, slightly easier. 1)Please will you advise what the situation is with regards to private pensions and/or if it is a good idea to consider this whilst on ESA if you are able to put any money aside? I did pay into a local government pension scheme for a few years when I was working, so perhaps could pay something into this? 2) Another issue I have is that my savings have recently reduced due to a significantly lower income, a few unusual expenses (eg cost of new mattress; online health-improving short courses with lifetime access - just video watching I'm not well enough to do proper courses or anything with time pressure/ deadlines; Christmas gifts,) and some other expenses increasing eg physio hourly rate. They are all sensible purchases with improving my health as the purpose, I have receipts for, and which I can justify, if needed. a) Where do I need to write to to inform them of my dip in savings and b) how much of an explanation do I need to make? I am aware that this is a fairly quick dip of approx £1000 since my benefits were revised (part of this dip was due to the impact of the significant reduction of my weekly payment rate) - c) are the benefits assessors likely to reassess my payments again so quickly after I was last assessed,(about a month ago) should I request it?
Many thanks for your help.