Severe Disability Premium and Waiting Days

Hi, I have two queries. I have just made a claim for income related ESA following resignation from work on health grounds on 9th November. I claimed on 10th November.

1) I may be entitled to the Severe Disabiltiy Premium but I don’t know if I am as I live with someone else. I am in receipt of the enhanced care daily living component of PIP, and the person I live with is in receipt of the lower rate of Attendance Allowance. Am I still entitled to the SDP as the person (my grandmother) whom I share the house with is also Disabled? If so how do I claim it as surely DWP won’t necessarily automatically put two and two together.

2) I know there are now 7 waiting days between making your claim and becoming eligible for payment. However, I do believe there are certain exemptions to this. One of them may be if you were in receipt of working tax credit before making the claim. Although I was not receiving tax credits due to an overpayment I was still entitled to them as I it was coming off my overpayment. So am I exempt from the waiting days and if so how do I inform DWP. I am aware that they asked if I received any other benefits when I claimed but I only told them about PIP as I forgot about tax credits.

Thanks for your help.

Thanks Gordon. So I am exempt from the waiting days due to my being in receipt of Working Tax Credit?

Thanks again Gordon.

I spoke to an advisor at DWP and they seemed to think I wouldn’t be entitled to SDP but I pushed them and they agreed to do the form over the phone with me. Hopefully I will qualify.

She said in relation to the waiting days that once I send my SSP1 to them they should backdate it so there are no waiting days (I think this is what she meant she was a bit unclear and did not instill me with confidence). Anyway I have just been to JobCentre Plus and had the SSP1 sent over electronically. The advisor said I could have done this with my medical certificates also but the advisor at JCP seemed to frown upon this advice!

Good news is there were no waiting days on my claim.

Also what may be good news is that I called DWP today regarding the SDP form I did over the phone last week. There was no record of that it seems but they got the benefits centre to call me back, and they went through it with me again and said I would qualify. Still have to have it get checked apparently but I should hear next week.