SDA & IS to ESA Success - Why contribution based?

SDA with IS for 27 years, placed in ESA support group for 3 years without medical. Reading your guidance and the supportive community spirit of the Benefits And Work forum helped immensely. Thank you so much to all who contribute.

I'm terrified for the future. My medication and already overstretched hospital contact had to be increased due to the stress of this slave-whipping of the disabled. Not only to myself but to my neighbours who have similar illness which affects one another, we relapse when any of us relapse. We have all been abandoned by weekly floating housing support and social services illegally took away the Individual Budget care packages by stealth. We are juggling between ourselves to save one another while hanging on a thinning thread. As there are now rarely any vacant psychiatric inpatient beds I'm not exaggerating when I say myself and my remaining neighbours would very likely be stuck in a police cell and homeless if it wasn't for Benefits And Work.

My carer and I showed my GP your criteria guidance who responded in a report to attach to ESA50 stating '...chronic longstanding severe mental and physically health problems and remains permanently unfit for any work-related activity'.

Timescales for the benefit of other SDA transferrants who are now going through Maximus -

-29.01.15 - notification letter. No phone call.
-12.02.15 - ESA50 received
-17.03.15 - ESA50 deadline, returned 16.03.15.
- *3 week wait for decision*
-07.04.15 - Decision letter support group. No phone call. (My carer phoned, told award is 3 years)

Contribution-based ESA - why ? Could anyone please advise ? :-

DWP wrote the transfer is paying ESA both contribution and income based. Is this usual for SDA transfers who are on full Income Support? I thought the contribution based element was only for transferrants who had earned enough N.I. contributions who were on Incapacity Benefit instead of SDA?

DWP wrote they are 'continuing' to pay me N.I. contributions, which I'm sure they never did for my SDA. Have they made a mistake?

I've never had am annual tax statement from the I.R, which I've seen Incapacity Benefit claimants receive. Since age 16 i've been in and out of hospital due to violent paranoid schizophrenia with comorbid anxiety. Self-inflicted accidents & affrays caused me permanent spinal injuries, polysymptomatic pain syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome and bilateral upper limbs disorder. So I've never been able to hold down a job and earn enough N.I. contributions, I was in receipt of SDA before the age of 20.

survival71 wrote: SDA with IS for 27 years, placed in ESA support group for 3 years without medical. Reading your guidance and the supportive community spirit of the Benefits And Work forum helped immensely. Thank you so much to all who contribute.

I'm terrified for the future. My medication and already overstretched hospital contact had to be increased due to the stress of this slave-whipping of the disabled. Not only to myself but to my neighbours who have similar illness which affects one another, we relapse when any of us relapse. We have all been abandoned by weekly floating housing support and social services illegally took away the Individual Budget care packages by stealth. We are juggling between ourselves to save one another while hanging on a thinning thread. As there are now rarely any vacant psychiatric inpatient beds I'm not exaggerating when I say myself and my remaining neighbours would very likely be stuck in a police cell and homeless if it wasn't for Benefits And Work.

My carer and I showed my GP your criteria guidance who responded in a report to attach to ESA50 stating '...chronic longstanding severe mental and physically health problems and remains permanently unfit for any work-related activity'.

Timescales for the benefit of other SDA transferrants who are now going through Maximus -

-29.01.15 - notification letter. No phone call.
-12.02.15 - ESA50 received
-17.03.15 - ESA50 deadline, returned 16.03.15.
- *3 week wait for decision*
-07.04.15 - Decision letter support group. No phone call. (My carer phoned, told award is 3 years)

Contribution-based ESA - why ? Could anyone please advise ? :-

DWP wrote the transfer is paying ESA both contribution and income based. Is this usual for SDA transfers who are on full Income Support? I thought the contribution based element was only for transferrants who had earned enough N.I. contributions who were on Incapacity Benefit instead of SDA?

DWP wrote they are 'continuing' to pay me N.I. contributions, which I'm sure they never did for my SDA. Have they made a mistake?

I've never had am annual tax statement from the I.R, which I've seen Incapacity Benefit claimants receive. Since age 16 i've been in and out of hospital due to violent paranoid schizophrenia with comorbid anxiety. Self-inflicted accidents & affrays caused me permanent spinal injuries, polysymptomatic pain syndrome, thoracic outlet syndrome and bilateral upper limbs disorder. So I've never been able to hold down a job and earn enough N.I. contributions, I was in receipt of SDA before the age of 20.

Hi s71,

Many congratulations on your successful transfer from SDA & IS to ESA in The Support Group (SG) with the maximum 3 year prognosis !!

Thanks for the positive comments regarding all at B & W they are appreciated !

Thanks also for relating what seems to have been a "speedy" transfer.

As you know SDA is a very "old" benefit, and The DWP decided that claimants in receipt of SDA who are successfully transferred over to ESA would be paid Contribution Based (CB) ESA.

As you were also in receipt of Income Support (IS) top-ups to your SDA, on transfer the IS would be replaced by Income Related (IR) ESA top ups.

i.e. SDA + IS top ups prior to transfer equates to CB ESA + IR ESA top ups after transfer.

See : What will I be transferred to?

&

What will I be paid?

From our : IB, IS, SDA, Migration to ESA FAQ’s

NI Credits are given to the claimant when they are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit, (IB) IS, SDA and ESA, not NI Contributions.

NI Contribution are only gained from employment !

So The DWP will continue to give you NI Credits whilst in receipt of ESA, as they did whilst in receipt of SDA.

These NI Credits will go towards your State Pension entitlement.

CB ESA is a taxable income, and is therefore liable to Income Tax, this is why you will receive an annual P60.

However, you would not be liable to pay Income Tax unless the amount of CB ESA that you are receiving, when added to any other taxable income that you are in receipt such as an Occupational/Works Pension exceeded your Personal Allowance which is currently circa £200/Week :

As you have now received your ESA SG Award Notice letter, you may find : This Post of interest.

bro58

Hi bro58,

Thank you very much for your kind comments and for clearing up the confusion with DWP stating NI contributions.

I started wondering had I forgotten a period of work when younger.

I never knew NI credits were being payed under SDA ! Also thanks for the links to further info and how to obtain info on an award.

s71

survival71 wrote: Hi bro58,

Thank you very much for your kind comments and for clearing up the confusion with DWP stating NI contributions.

I started wondering had I forgotten a period of work when younger.

I never knew NI credits were being payed under SDA ! Also thanks for the links to further info and how to obtain info on an award.

s71

You're welcome s71 !!

All the best to you !!

bro58