Income support just ended. Can I claim for ESA online? Can I get ESA and PIP? Pls Help!

dawn49

Good morning too all,
could somebody please help me as i am in a dylema, my Income support ended 28/06 this year, and i have been trying to contact ESA  every day for two weeks, the phone no. just rings, 45minutes on average. i need to know if my claim should be done over the phone or can i do an online form? i have read information that states it is quicker over the phone, but is it.
what date do i say i want the claim to start from, is it the day after my income support ends 29th June 2017?
Can i claim ESA as well as PIP, i am really confused at the moment, this benefit claiming lark is really bewilldering. PLEASE HELP!

steve51

Hi @dawn49. Good afternoon, welcome to our site/online community. We have got loads of info on our home page relating to "Benefits" There is also a "Benefit Advisor" which will be very useful for you. We also host a very active "online community"where you can share experiences with other members. Please please let me know if can help you further ????

Liam_Alumni

Hi @dawn49,

Welcome to Scope's online community!

I'm sorry to hear about the issues that you're having with ESA. As @steve51 mentions above, we do have an Ask a Benefits Advisor category which you may find useful. I've moved this discussion into that category so @BenefitsTrainingCo can offer further advice and support.

As ESA and PIP are two separate benefits, you can claim them together. We have more information about benefits on our website, which may be of interest to you.

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

BenefitsTrainingCo

dawn49,

First of all, yes, you can definitely claim ESA and PIP at the same time. They are separate benefits, PIP is about your additional costs due to disability, ESA is money for everyday living costs (that is the theory anyway!)

I would claim ESA from the day after your income support ends. Don't panic because you can backdate ESA for up to 3 months so once you get through, just say which date you want to claim from.

If you are in an area where people in your situation have to claim Universal Credit then the ESA helpline should redirect you. But don't worry about that for now. I would claim ESA by phone on 0800 055 6688. That is the quickest way to get your date of claim registered.

You can find the form online but it's always risky to do this as taking it or sending it to your local Jobcentre Plus office is not a reliable way of getting your claim registered and dealt with.

Will