support group

spasm wrote: Hi All,

Once a claimant goes from Incapacity and Income Support to the ESA side of benefits, am I right in thinking, if you go in the WRAG group your money would be made up to the same benefit you were getting. In my case I was on Income Support, Incapacity Benefit and carer’s allowance (Higher Rate), I also receive DLA (at Higher Rate). I have been put in the “support group” for 3 years of ESA – this is the third month - should there be an increase of the combined Income Support and Incapacity, because at the moment I’m receiving the same amount of benefit, though I’m in the support group. I understood that there was a small premium if you were put in the support group.

yours

Mrs Spsam

I am not sure what you men by Carers Allowance (Higher Rate)?

Do you mean that you get DLA Care at the higher rate and Mobility at the higher rate?

Based on members posts, those transferred from IB to ESA WRAG will a Transitional amount added to their benefit as the ESA rate will be less than what they were receiving on IB.

Those transferred to the Support Group, in general, should expect to see more as they will also be eligible for the Enhanced Disability Premium, providing that they are also eligible to receive Income Related ESA, as the premiums are only payable with ESA(IR).

As you were on IB and Income Support, you would have been transferred to ESA(CB) with an ESA(IR) top-up and the Premium should have been added as a matter of course when your ESA amounts were calculated.

You should have received a breakdown of your payments, if you are receiving the Premium it would have said something like "extra money for being in the Support Group". The EDP is £15.15 for an individual and £21.75 for a couple.

However, whether you are receiving this will depend on your personal circumstances which we cannot deal with on the forum, so you need to get advice. One of the online benefit calculators may be able to give you an understanding of whether your payments are correct or not, try Turn2Us.org, failing that you will need to get face to face advice

Where to get advice?

Gordon

spasm wrote: Do you mean that you get DLA Care at the higher rate and Mobility at the higher rate?

yes sorry that is what I meant.

here is a brake down of the payments

MODEDIT [financial information removed]

Yours

Mrs spasm

I have removed your financial information for your own protection.

Unfortunately we cannot give specific financial advice on the forum, we would need to have access to your personal details, which is not practical, I am afraid you need to check the online calculator I referred to earlier or get face to face advice.

Gordon

spasm wrote: Ok sorry for posting that information

I think it is safe to say I'm getting exactly the same money weekly as i was before I was placed in the support group.

once again sorry for posting finantial information

mrs spasm

It is not a problem about the financial information members often forget that this is not a private forum and can be viewed by any visitor and that information can be retrieved from the forum by most search engines (e.g. Google).

For what it is worth, I do not think that they have included the Enhanced Disability Premium, however, this may be covered under the Disability Income Guarantee, you need someone who can go through your claim in detail to confirm it.

Gordon