SERPS and IB to ESA conversions

Head banging enquiry of the day:

Client is in receipt of pre-2005 war pension, including unemployability supplement. The WCA was applied as the client received a small amount of SERPS, paid by Jobcentre Plus, through the IB route (although IB itself was not payable as it overlapped with unemployability supplement). The SERPS was seemingly triggered by the unemployability supplement.

Reading some of the forces forums on the web, it seems that the SERPS provision was forgotten about in the drafting of the ESA regs, so many ex-forces war pensioners have lost out in the transitional protection arrangements. In this client’s case - around £21 a week. I advised client to speak to the British Legion to see if any lobbying is going on.

Has anyone come across this issue before or know more than me?