IB to ESA Assessment and DLA Links

I am hoping to find out how the assessment for ESA might impact on my DLA award.

I receive Severe Disability Allowance (the precursor to Incapacity Benefit).

Because of mental health issues, I am sorry to say that I cannot face going through the re-assessment. I gain nothing financially (apart from independence of income, which, although important to me, is outweighed by the horror of the assessment and the likely affect this will have on my mental health which has already taken a severe downturn because of all that is happening).

Should I no longer receive this benefit my partner's Pension Credit would increase to make up for the loss. However, I receive DLA high rate (care). I seem to remember reading about the possibility that failing the WCA could lead to a knock on effect of losing DLA? I am wondering if others have had any experience of this happening?

We have had feedback on here from some members that following an ESA medical, their DLA entitlement has been reviewed and the medical report from the ESA assessment taken into account.

I think that whether this might happen to any individual would depend rather on factors such as the precise findings of the reports.

So, for example, if you have a medical for ESA that says you can walk 300m at a normal speed and without difficulty, it would impact on DLA(HRM). How conclusions drawn about mental illness would impact upon DLA is less clear.

Survivor wrote:

We have had feedback on here from some members that following an ESA medical, their DLA entitlement has been reviewed and the medical report from the ESA assessment taken into account.

I think that whether this might happen to any individual would depend rather on factors such as the precise findings of the reports.

So, for example, if you have a medical for ESA that says you can walk 300m at a normal speed and without difficulty, it would impact on DLA(HRM). How conclusions drawn about mental illness would impact upon DLA is less clear.

Well I suppose they will assume that if a person is found fit for work and all that entails, then they are unlikely to need daily care and support?

Not necessarily. I have had HRC whilst in work. DLA is not an out-of-work benefit.

San100 wrote:

I receive Severe Disability Allowance (the precursor to Incapacity Benefit).



Should I no longer receive this benefit my partner's Pension Credit would increase to make up for the loss.

I also was relying on my husbands Pension Credit increasing as feel under such stress due to the rule changes around paraplegics, not all of us can actually transfer without help,


I have read that they are also going to change the rules around Pension Credit, which could impact very badly indeed on many.

(mods please note I have not used the vile language that came to mind as I posted this post )

Quote"
WELFARE REFORM BILL EXPLANATORY NOTES:

Page 22
145. Paragraph 64 amends the State Pension Credit Act 2002 so that a member of a couple who has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit may not receive state pension credit if the other member of the couple has not attained that qualifying age. This is to ensure that all claimants who have not attained the qualifying age for state pension credit are required to claim universal credit and, if appropriate, be subject to work-related conditions of entitlement.

And in the Welfare Reform Bill itself,

"Quote"
Page 113
State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c. 16)

Paragraph 64 In section 4 of the State Pension Credit Act 2002 (exclusions), after subsection
(1) there is inserted—

“(1A) A claimant is not entitled to state pension credit if he is a member of
a couple the other member of which has not attained the qualifying age.”

Survivor wrote:

Not necessarily. I have had HRC whilst in work. DLA is not an out-of-work benefit.

I realise that it is not an out of work benefit but obviously many people receiving it are out of work because their health problems and/or the workplace makes it difficult or impossible to do paid work. I am unable to cope with paid employment. I have done voluntary work in the past as and when I was able and within an organisation that supported me and DLA were aware of this and noted that I working with special help and support. But being found fit to work is about being find fit to compete in the job market, fit to not have any 'needs' as far as employment is concerned, and expected to apply for any and all jobs that are within skill abilities. I assume that the Job Centre will have no regard to my health needs because, having been found fit for work by the WCA I presumably don't have any health needs? So how does being found fit to work gel with requiring 24 hour care and support for DLA? I fear they will use the results of the WCA as evidence to disallow my DLA. But will they use the fact that I don't go through with the reassessment as some kind of alert to the validity of my DLA claim? I just don't know what to do for the best here.