Dismissed and ESA

[stunner1901]

Hi all
My wife has been on long term sick since August 2016 and since switching from SSP to ESA in March she has been placed in the support group.

she was working for Ocado until today but they have terminated her contract due to her inability to return to work due to the depression.

What do we need to do moving forward?

does the ESA just continue until she becomes (if) well enough to start work again?

does the fact that Ocado have finished her on medical grounds mean she is "disabled" (used very loosely) as she is incapable of working?

any help/advice will be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance

[Wylderose]

Re: Dismissed and ESA

The first thing to do would be to contact your wife's GP. There is no telling how being terminated due to inability to work will affect her already depressed state and your wife may need extra support and counselling to help her through the next few weeks. If she hasn't already got a current fit note, or if it is due to run out any time soon, she will need another one for ESA

Secondly - are you working or are you caring for your wife full time as this will impact on the type of ESA your wife claims and also whether or not she claims, making a single claim or a couples claim.

As someone who is suffering from severe depression and for whom the DWP have accepted that she qualifies for the Support Group, this tells me that the DWP have accepted that at the moment your wife has little chance of returning to full time employment, so you would need to contact the DWP and inform them that your wife's employment has been terminated and the reason why. They will probably require a copy of the letter from her employer giving the reason for termination, P45 if she has received one already and if needed a fit note from the GP

If you are working, your wife would need to remain on a single claim of ESA Contributions based as your income would mean that she would not qualify for Income Related benefits

If you are not working, but care for your wife on a full time basis, then she would need to make a couple's claim for ESA (possibly income related as she has been on SSP for a long time prior to going to ESA)

If you are providing 37 hours care or more, you would be entitled to claim Carer's Allowance
If you are not working and a home owner, you could apply to have your mortgage interest paid by DWP
If you are renting you could apply for Housing Benefit.

In all of the above, you would be entitled to claim for Council Tax Support and your wife's Support Group would entitle you to a higher council tax rebate.

You may already have a lot of this in place already but if not don't despair because help is available, it is just a matter or knowing what you can access.