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In UC full service areas new-style JSA can now be claimed online
... and the option to ring 0345 600 4272 from a full service area and ask for a paper claim form has been removed.
(Not that telephoning for a form always got the promised response.)
A new style ESA online claim would be too much to ask I suppose. Would save us a lot of problems with new style ESA claims being made in our full service area
It’s supposed to come at some point but a way in the future yet I fear…
New Style ESA is a nightmare right now for my clients in the Hastings full service area and it is coming to Eastbourne in October 2017. There are serious multiple issues with this process.. may be we need a new thread on this.
I would like to ask whether anyone might comment on this… on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility I read the following sentence in relation to ‘New Style ESA’
“You need to be entitled to apply for Universal Credit to claim ‘new style’ ESA.” [???]
UC is a means-tested benefit. The essence of C-ESA (i.e. New Style) under the Full Service Area UC regime is that it is non means-tested. Isn’t it a contradiction in terms?
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-employment-and-support-allowance
This link gives the correct infomration
I’ll highlight that issue via stakeholders forum Michele
PS if you want to start a thread for new-style ESA problems please do so and I will collate and send up - or add them on to this thread here - http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/forums/viewthread/9904/P30/#49629 - thanks
I would like to ask whether anyone might comment on this… on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility I read the following sentence in relation to ‘New Style ESA’
“You need to be entitled to apply for Universal Credit to claim ‘new style’ ESA.” [???]
UC is a means-tested benefit. The essence of C-ESA (i.e. New Style) under the Full Service Area UC regime is that it is non means-tested. Isn’t it a contradiction in terms?
It could be a clumsy way of saying that you need to reside in a digital UC postcode area in order to fall under new-style benefit. “Entitled to apply” does not necessarily mean “will get an award greater than £nil”.
I tested what happened when you click the link “make your claim to JSA online” on the gov.uk page https://www.gov.uk/guidance/new-style-jobseekers-allowance
And yes it does take you to claiming JSA online rather than having to go through UC BUT there’s a question asking whether you want to claim Universal Credit - and you ONLY get to continue with the JSA claim if you hit “no”.
So this means if you don’t know, or you want a UC top-up to your CB-JSA you don’t get the chance to claim it.
Surely this can’t be right as it should be possible to claim CB-JSA and UC - otherwise there are various scenarios where people would miss out???
And just to make sure I rang 0800 055 6688 from this gov.uk page:
https://www.gov.uk/jobseekers-allowance/how-to-claim
as it still says “You can also claim ‘new style’ JSA over the phone. Which number you call depends on where you live. “
So after a half hour Vivaldi concert the person I spoke to stuck to the line of “you cannot claim JSA on the phone” and then said “unless your answers to a series of questions shows that you can’t claim online” - I couldn’t get out of him what those questions were but he said it was to do with Universal Credit.
And he said “you can’t get contributory JSA and Universal Credit - it’s one or the other”.
So where do we go from here?
Answering myself here.
My clever colleague Julia has pointed out that just because the JSA online claim form directs the “yes” and “don’t know” answers to the UC claim doesn’t necessarily mean the door’s shut on claiming CB-JSA as well as UC - just that it’s back to business as usual with claiming CB-JSA “via” UC in Full service.
Silly me.
And thank goodness.
Still a problem with getting rubbish advice on the helpline though.
I would like to ask whether anyone might comment on this… on the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/employment-support-allowance/eligibility I read the following sentence in relation to ‘New Style ESA’
“You need to be entitled to apply for Universal Credit to claim ‘new style’ ESA.” [???]
UC is a means-tested benefit. The essence of C-ESA (i.e. New Style) under the Full Service Area UC regime is that it is non means-tested. Isn’t it a contradiction in terms?
It could be a clumsy way of saying that you need to reside in a digital UC postcode area in order to fall under new-style benefit. “Entitled to apply” does not necessarily mean “will get an award greater than £nil”.
This is what I originally thought. However, not ONE of my clients has yet managed to make a claim for New Style ESA without starting a claim for UC even though they do not have an entitlement to the means-tested benefit and do not need to claim it for help with rent. I have cases several in which the partner(s) is (are) earning and they would not be eligible BUT the person who has fallen ill has paid National Insurance contributions for the tax years relevant to the benefit year and has an entitlement to ‘new style ESA’. However, they cannot manage to start the claim without going through a full UC claim and then being requested for example, this afternoon, for 9 months of income for her husband and even herself… (i.e. self-employed husband). But this is clearly irrelevant…
There is no channel that I can figure out to make a claim for New Style ESA “instead of UC”..
Anyone?
DWP say it should be possible. E.g., this was an email we received on 13 October 2016 from our then ‘External Relations and UC Lead’:
It has now been confirmed that claims for Contributions only benefits in Full Service areas have been taken out of going through the full online claim process. Claims should be made by phoning the Service Centre on 0345 600 4272. If they experience any issues with this then to contact the local Jobcentre who will assist.
Regards,
To ask for the form, I think it’s option 6 ‘any other queries’ - all the recorded info refers to UC only, which is obviously unhelpful. From what I can gather (and I may have got this wrong), c-ESA claimants still then need to attend a verification interview at local JCP, and those can only be arranged through the UC computer system. The local JCP needs to be aware, somehow, that the UC “claim” is to then be cancelled, and only the c-ESA claim to go ahead.
If we ever run into a case where a partner has no recourse to public funds, for example, then this process seems very fraught.
My first (not great) experience of trying to claim new style ESA over the phone
First call - this is not the right number (it was) and sorry you can’t claim over the phone, no there is no paper claim, no I’ve just checked with my manager and there is no paper claim any more
Second call -cut off
Third call - I pointed adviser to direct.gov which clearly states you can claim over the phone, the adviser looked at the website and said oh yes it does, but we can’t do it over the phone. I can send you a form. When I asked if the date of claim would be today he said no, the date of claim is when claimant has JCP interview…we printed an ESA1 from direct.gov and client will take to interview next week
Unbelievable!