ESA

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I have been in receipt of ESA for a number of years after being ill health retired. I understand that now they can stop your ESA Payment’s if you receive an occupational pension, which I do. I spoke to somebody last year from DWP that said it only affected people that have been on ESA since this new regulation had started & that as I was originally on SSP & it was before this new rule then they couldn’t apply this new law to me as I was ‘protected’. I then received a letter a few weeks ago from the DWP stating that I was not entitled to the ESA payment as my pension was over the limit, I rang enquiring about this & was told that I had informed them in 2014 that I had this pension therefore I should not have received any ESA payments! They have actually known about my pension since being ill health retired in 2002! My questions are - 1. Am I protected against this new ruling because of when my sickness began & 2. If they claim I told them in 2014 why didn’t they stop my money then & can they request I pay back any excess money I have had?