SDP, housing benefit and ESA — Scope | Disability forum
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SDP, housing benefit and ESA

Jeanus44
Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
Hi everyone, I've just started getting housing benefit and I see there is 2 premiums on there I am entitled to. I have rang the council twice now. I was first told that the premiums would be paid on top of my HB then the second time I was told I wouldnt get it. I have applied for ESA and that came back saying I need to have had the SD premium for a month to get it so they have refused me. I seem to be going around in circles and not getting anywhere!
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Comments

  • paffuto10
    paffuto10 Community member Posts: 388 Pioneering
    Hi @Jeanus44
    Nice to meet you  :)

    Sorry, no advice on this matter but I'm sure someone will be along to help.

    Just wanted to say hi and welcome. I'm quite new here myself and finding it very friendly and informative. 
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    Thanks for the welcome. I hope can find some answers..I'm new to all this claiming benefits so I really dont know what I'm doing!
  • emmarenshaw
    emmarenshaw Community member Posts: 710 Pioneering
    Hello @Jeanus44 welcome to the community. I’m Emma, one of the Community Champions who are here to help and advise, if you need any help navigating the community or have any questions please let us know. 
  • paffuto10
    paffuto10 Community member Posts: 388 Pioneering
    @Jeanus44

    Just had a look with Google and I can't seem to find any info on premiums attached to housing benefit. 

    There are premiums attached to ESA.:
    Disability Premium 
    Severe Disability Premium 
    Enhanced Disability Premium 

    Not much help, sorry. 
    Have a look around the site because there are advisors on here. 
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    I have found that they do pay on top of housing benefit but don't know why they said they won't when the premiums are on the hb award notice.. I need them to pay so i can reapply for esa
  • thespiceman
    thespiceman Community member Posts: 6,388 Disability Gamechanger
    Hello @Jeanus44   Pleased to meet you welcome.

    Thank you for joining and sharing.

    I am of the team of community champions.  We guide, advise and help new members who join the forum.

    Please may I suggest regarding your housing benefit situation ask CAB your local office to advise you.

    They have knowledge and expertise on benefits.  Benefits can be confusing and complex.

    Often by contacting them and making an appointment. They will explain to you what and if you need to know.

    In clear and concise information you can understand.

    I used them for forms filling in  and also situations like this.

    Please if we can help with anything. Please ask some one will know a member of our team or a member of our community.

    Please take care.

    @thespiceman
    Community Champion
    SCOPE Volunteer Award Engaging Communities 2019
    Mental Health advice, guidance and information to all members
    Nutrition, Diet, Wellbeing, Addiction.
    Recipes
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    edited September 2019
    Hi,

    When a disability premium is included in a housing benefit award you don't actually see the money included in the claim because you can't receive anymore housing benefit than your circumstances allow you to.

    Which benefits do you actually claim? PIP/DLA? if so what award do you currently have?

    You say you're claiming ESA but which ESA is it? Income Related, Contributions based or New style ESA?

    Do you live with a partner or alone?

    What was the reason you were able to claim housing benefit? new claims for housing benefit are no longer possible because all areas are now a full Universal credit area. The only exception to being able to claim housing benefit would be if you're claiming the severe disability premium in a means tested benefit.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    I am on PIP standard daily living and enhanced mobility. I first tried to claim UC but was turned down because I have 2 premiums on my HB claim. The Disability premium £34.35 and the Severe Disability premium £65.85 then I applied for esa and they have turned me down because I need the premiums to paid for at least a month before I claim. I am widowed and live on my own and have been living on my savings but now they have dropped low enough to claim benefits. I also am now exempt from council tax 

  • steve51
    steve51 Community member Posts: 7,153 Disability Gamechanger
    Hi @Jeanus44

    Good Afternoon & Welcome.

    I am also one of the Community Champion’s here at Scope.

    I’m very sorry to hear about your problems with your Benefit’s.

    Yes they are very difficult to get our heads around.

    Have you tried our “Benefit Calculater”

    https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/calculate-your-benefits/

    There is also some great info info on here which will be helpful.

    https://www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/benefits-funding-extra-costs-of-being-disabled/

    Please please let me know if you need any help with this info????

    I’m very very happy in helping you further if required ?????

    @steve51
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Jeanus44 said:
    I am on PIP standard daily living and enhanced mobility. I first tried to claim UC but was turned down because I have 2 premiums on my HB claim. The Disability premium £34.35 and the Severe Disability premium £65.85 then I applied for esa and they have turned me down because I need the premiums to paid for at least a month before I claim. I am widowed and live on my own and have been living on my savings but now they have dropped low enough to claim benefits. I also am now exempt from council tax 

    This isn't correct, there's no disability premiums payable on housing benefit. It's in with the claim which increase the amount someone can claim if they are working. You don't actually see those extra amounts.

    The disability premiums are payable on means tested benefits like Income related ESA, Income related JSA or Income Support. If you're not claiming any of those then i don't understand why you were able to claim housing benefit to start with. When did your claim for housing benefit actually start?

    I'm assuming you were previously claiming any means tested benefits because your savings were above £16,000?


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    I've been claiming about 3 weeks now..  It does say on the gov website that housing benefit is one of the benefits that you can claim  premiums but as this is all new to me I really don't understand it..
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Jeanus44 said:
    I've been claiming about 3 weeks now..  It does say on the gov website that housing benefit is one of the benefits that you can claim  premiums but as this is all new to me I really don't understand it..
    This is why i'm completely confused. Why you were allowed to claim housing benefit to start with 3 weeks ago. You weren't previously claiming any means tested benefits to have an award of SDP so you shouldn't have been allowed to claim housing benefit. No new claims for housing benefit are possible unless you already have an existing award of SDP.

    Are you sure you're claiming housing benefit or is it just council tax reduction?

     
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    My award letter says because I am getting pip daily living component. I live on my own and nobody gets carers allowance for looking after me I am awarded a severe disability premium
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    What benefit award letter does it state this?


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    The council housing benefit  award letter
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Right, before you claimed housing benefit the only benefit you were claiming was PIP, am i correct?

    If so this means that you didn't have an award of SDP because you weren't claiming any means tested benefit to have the award. I do not know why you were able to claim housing benefit to start with because no new claims are possible. This is what's completely confusing me.

    When you claim Income Related ESA DWP will check your housing benefit award and then you may have a problem when they see that your claim only started a few weeks ago.

    The benefit you should have claimed to start with was Universal credit.


    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    I claimed HB first as I didnt know any different..Then went to UC and when they saw my award letter they said they couldnt help me and to claim ESA which I did then they turned me down saying I had to have had 4 weeks SDP before I can claim..What a mess!
  • poppy123456
    poppy123456 Community member Posts: 53,321 Disability Gamechanger
    Hmm i have absolutely no idea how and why you were able to claim housing benefit. All areas are now a full UC area and because you didn't have a claim for SDP then you should have claimed UC and not housing benefit. Then your housing payments would have been in with your UC monthly payment.

    May i ask if you're receiving housing benefit payments now or are you still waiting for a decision on that claim?

    It would have been possible to claim for council tax reduction because this isn't part of UC and has to be claimed separately.

    Sorry for all the questions but i've never come across anything like this before and my benefit knowledge is extremely good.
    I would appreciate it if members wouldn't tag me please. I have all notifcations turned off and wouldn't want a member thinking i'm being rude by not replying.
    If i see a question that i know the answer to i will try my best to help.
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    I am getting the full HB for 13 weeks and then the bedroom tax kicks in and goes down to £80..I think its a month since my first payment..Some was backdated to when I claimed and the CTR was around the same time
  • Jeanus44
    Jeanus44 Community member Posts: 21 Courageous
    Jeanus44 said:
    I am getting the full HB for 13 weeks and then the bedroom tax kicks in and goes down to £80..I think its a month since my first payment..Some was backdated to when I claimed and the CTR was around the same time
    Around the 11th of August I claimed

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