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Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Work capability issues and ESA  →  Thread

ESA couple. Two separate payments

JAS1
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Advice Worker, Gaddum Centre

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Total Posts: 367

Joined: 14 February 2017

Hi and happy Friday,

I have a quick question and I think I may be missing something obvious.

I am working with a client who is married. I haven’t actually seen the paperwork or spoken to ESA myself but the client tells me that both her and her husband get ESA payments. She said it is definitely a couples claim (DWP/JC+ have told her so) but they both receive separate payments on different weeks. She gets £450 approx per fortnight and her husband gets £219.30 per fortnight.

Does this sound right? I was under the impression that a couples claim was paid in one payment and if there ever were two separate payments it would just be split 50% down the middle (I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen this so could be wrong here). They seem to have two separate claims with two separate rates.

Any ideas? Hopefully I am just overlooking something here! She is sure they are both ESA and not another benefit as it is marked ESA on their bank statements

Thank you

[ Edited: 23 Jun 2017 at 02:49 pm by JAS1 ]
Tom B (WRAMAS)
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WRAMAS - Bristol City Council

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If both receiving PIP/DLA, could they both have a cbESA (SC) entitlement + one of the couple is receiving an irESA top up inc. EDP+SDPs?

JAS1
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Advice Worker, Gaddum Centre

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Total Posts: 367

Joined: 14 February 2017

hmm good point, that’s a possibility. I haven’t come across an IR top up for a while so it slipped my mind. Would that result in two separate payments then?

She wasn’t actually sure if it was IR or CB ESA. I assumed it was full IR as neither members of the couple have worked for decades but I haven’t seen the paper work.

Both are receiving HR DLA both components.

[ Edited: 23 Jun 2017 at 03:42 pm by JAS1 ]
Tom B (WRAMAS)
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WRAMAS - Bristol City Council

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Perhaps they were both receiving IB and then cbESA (SC) continuously since migration?

If both had their own cbESA entitlement, they would receive their own payments +irESA top up would be made to one of them.

Looking at the sums, could also leave the door open to double carers premium if this is the case + general CA conditions are met.

JAS1
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Advice Worker, Gaddum Centre

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Total Posts: 367

Joined: 14 February 2017

I think you’ve probably sussed it there. Thank you. They DO both get CA underlying entitlement. That must be it then. Separate CB ESA payments and then the client gets the IR top up premiums etc.

She didn’t have any award letters or anything as that would have made sense of it at the time!