ESA Rate (you couldn’t make it up!)

Client has sent her ESA assessment to me with 2011/12 rates and is being paid £198.30 as a single claimant. Have just spent half an hour trying to work out why this is so high and its clicked they are topping her up to her old couple rate.

She had a Living together appeal which she won, alleged partner was actually her carer. Took us ages to finally get the alleged partner off her IS assessment, she has now been converted to ESA, DWP have used all the single persons ESA(IR) rates and then topped her up by £90.00 to bring her up to her previous IS couple rate. They know he isn’t in household and have awarded a SDP.

The £90.00 top up even includes his Carer Premium!