ESA stopped - help needed

pitbull

i am 60yrs old and just had my esa stopped and scared because my husband and i are now living on my pip monthly payment  and my my husbands carers allowence so now  which hardly covers our rent let alone food and other stuff we have to pay , in seventeen years i have never missed an appointment  till the last one , i had no money and no transport  available our ttrike has failed its mot  i am trying to appeal , my mandatory reconsideration  has failed so i have moved on to the next stage of appeal but dont know how long that take and soon i could lose the house i am renting  scared is not the word 

Liam_Alumni

Hi @pitbull,

I'm sorry to hear about your problems with ESA - it sounds like a really stressful time for you.

We have more information about appealing a DWP benefits decision on our website, which includes some useful info about the tribunal process. You can also give our Helpline a call on 0808 800 3333 or helpline@scope.org.uk if you need further help and support.

I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, then please do get in touch.

Geoark

@pitbull  from you have described their procedure would be to sanction you, until you complied with the requirement, in this case attend a meeting with your esa advisor, and then one further week as this is your first time. 

You can ask for a hardship payment at the job centre if you are struggling financially, and you should contact the council and apply for housing benefit as well as council tax benefit.

@BenefitsTrainingCo are you able to offer further advice?

Liam_Alumni

Hi @pitbull,

How are you getting on? Have you appealed yet?

I've moved this discussion into our Ask a Benefits Advisor category, where @BenefitsTrainingCo may be able to offer further support.

steve51

Hi @pitbull.

It's great to have you onboard !!!!!

How are things going ????

Please please let us know if we can offer you any more help ?????

MikeBroderick

Hi @pitbull

I hope things are better.

Is there any update?

BenefitsTrainingCo

Hi pitbull,

I'd strongly advise that you get some local advice if you can, especially because you say that your house might be at risk. Local Citizens Advice could help, or maybe Shelter. You might be due some housing benefit and it sounds from what you say as if you might not be claiming that at the moment? It's worth getting advice first though in case you are in an universal credit area, so don't make a new claim for anything without advice.

It's hard to be sure what has happened here - if it's as Geoark suggests and you are in the work-related activity group for ESA, and you've missed an interview or appointment but you have a good reason (you couldn't get there because you had no transport?), then telling the DWP why as soon as possible and rearranging the meeting can be a solution to getting your benefit back.  However, usually a sanction in ESA leaves you with at least your work-related activity component (which you should get if you've been claiming since before April 2017). I wouldn't expect all your ESA to be cut. 

Stopping all the ESA is more likely if you were asked to go to a work capability assessment and that is the appointment you missed? That makes it more difficult to get benefit back before your appeal, but you'd still get it if you win.

Whatever has happened it's still good that you did appeal as if you win the appeal, you should get money back for any gap in payments.

Your local advice agency can also help you if there's any emergency welfare payments you can apply for in your area.

Will