Can you backdate employment support allowance

The scoring system has also been changed in order to remove the perceived bias in the WCA against people with mental health problems as opposed to limitation of physical function. The activities that employers expect of their workforce have changed.

Those descriptors not relevant to claimants' ability to work have been dropped and, where gaps have been identified, new descriptors have been added. In relation to mental health the new approach of the assessment takes better account of the needs of people with conditions like learning disabilities.

Work was undertaken with medical experts in re-focusing descriptors and scores to identify more accurately the overall functional limitation at which it is unreasonable to expect a person to engage in work. It is recognised that people with a mental health condition may have difficulty in complying. Before applying sanctions, every effort will be made to contact claimants and make sure they understand what is required of them.

A person with mental health problems would not be sanctioned without first contacting them or their carer or health care professional, to ensure they understand what is required of them. Claiming by telephone is by far the most effective method of ensuring claimants obtain the benefit most appropriate to them and that it is paid promptly. The claimant is assisted by a member of staff throughout the process who can help determine if ESA is the most appropriate benefit for the claimant, provide advice if required and sign-post the claimant to any secondary benefits they may be entitled to.

The staff member will also inform the claimant of any evidence they must provide before their claim can be processed providing clarification if required.

The claimant is also given the opportunity to make a claim for both contribution and income related parts and there has been a significant number who have claimed both parts since ESA was introduced. From the convenience of their own home a claimant can make a claim for ESA over the phone in about 20 minutes.

This is considerably more convenient and quicker than completing a paper form. Reporting changes of circumstances by phone benefits the claimant as some changes can be recorded immediately. This saves time and the costs associated with sending documents to the Centre. There is no charge for claimants who use a BT telephone line to contact the line to make a new claim.

Calls to the enquiry line may also be free to BT claimants depending on their Calling Plan. Claimants ringing from a non BT landline or mobile may be charged by their network provider for the connection onto the BT number.

However, in these circumstances, claimants can request a call-back at the outset of the call. A small percentage of claimants may be unable to use the new telephony service and in these cases they can ask that a claim form be issued.

The law protects claimants in these circumstances. A claim may be accepted covering a period up to three months before the date on which a claimant notifies the Department of their intention to claim the benefit, as long as they can provide medical evidence to support the claim. If a customer requests a call back the details will be recorded on a priority case list, which is used to manage return calls to customers.

Once on this list a call will be made as soon as a manager is available. Information leaflets on ESA are provided in Braille and audio for the visually impaired and a text phone service is available for claimants with hearing difficulties who wish to contact the ESA Centre. Arrangements are also in place to provide interpreting services for claimants with limited understanding of English.

A substantial number of claimants are under the false impression that once they make their claim either by telephone or a clerical claim form that their payment will be automatically issued. Claimants are reminded about their responsibility to provide outstanding evidence at several points during the claim-take process- during the initial telephony claim-take, in their claimant statement and, if the information is still outstanding 14 days after the claim has been received, a reminder letter is issued to the claimant.

The responsibility to provide outstanding evidence lies with the claimant. The claim is made defective unless the Department is provided with all the information required to determine the claim. Back About Us Turn2us helps people in financial need gain access to welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help — online, by phone and face to face through our partner organisations.

If you cannot claim online, you can make a claim over the phone. You will need to explain that you are already getting contribution-based ESA and that you started getting it before your local jobcentre started accepting Universal Credit full service claims What documents will I need to claim Employment and Support Allowance? When will my Employment and Support Allowance claim begin?

What you were doing? What would you like to report? Security code. Thank you If you would like to tell us more please visit our contact page Close. The benefit cap may affect the total amount of benefit you can get. You do not need to pay this money back, and it will not affect the amount of Universal Credit you get.

Check what you need to do. To help us improve GOV. It will take only 2 minutes to fill in. Cookies on GOV. UK We use some essential cookies to make this website work. You can make a claim for Employment and Support Allowance by phoning or if you have a speech or hearing impairment. When you claim Employment and Support Allowance you can pay for bills and debt directly from your benefit.

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To register please select your employment support organisation from the list below and enter your work email address. If your organisation is not shown please select other. To register please select your council from the list below and enter your work email address which normally ends. To register please select your housing association from the list below and enter your work email address.

If your HA is not shown please select other from the list below. To register please select your Citizen's Advice Bureau from the list below and enter your work email address which normally ends. Back to A-Z Help pages index Employment and Support Allowance Please note: If you are working age or in a couple where both are working age, you are no longer able to make a new claim for income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

What is it? Contribution-based Employment and Support Allowance is paid if you paid enough National Insurance contributions when you were working.