PIP

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Sarah Lawrence
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by Sarah Lawrence on Fri Aug 16, 2013 10:54 am

Re: PIP

I would just add that there are two types of Employment and support allowance (ESA)-Contribution ESA based is dependent on your national insurance record and is not means tested whilst Income related ESA is means tested and does not take into account your national insurance record. The means test takes into account your savings, your partners income and any savings that you have over £6,000. If you have over £16,000 in savings you cannot get Income related ESA.
ESA has replaced Incapacity Benefit and income support for people who are too sick to work and it may be that you get one of these benefits already. If so you will be contacted at some point to be reassessed for ESA. If you do not get one of these benefits you could consider claiming ESA.
ESA and DLA/PIP are separate benefits fulfilling different functions.
Hope that makes things clearer.
Action for M.E has a guide to benefits that may help with a general overview

http://www.actionforme.org.uk/Resources ... 202013.pdf
Sarah Lawrence
Action for M.E. Welfare Rights Officer

Housemouse
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Joined: Wed Aug 14, 2013 5:30 pm

by Housemouse on Fri Aug 16, 2013 2:14 pm

Re: PIP

Thank you very much for the clarification - I definitely fit the means testing criteria (unfortunately) although I'm not sure about my position re: National Insurance as it some years now since I have been well enough to work.

sorry to ask yet another question - is the assessment for ESA by paper or would it mean yet another medical ? if it would be another medical - I cannot bring myself to go through it again so would I be able to to have help with rent and council tax please? Or all they all linked together.

Thank you very much - you've probably guessed that I have spent the last two or three years worryint about losing DLA - so it would be reasurring to have a 'plan' in place for when it happens.

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